420 DA Thread

[copb8tx]

but if something bad happens with a diesel motor, it's $15k+ immediately. You can rebuild 2 gassers completely for that.

You also bring up a good point about the 'big bang theory'. My dockmate's '05 420 DB had some major issues with both his Cummins diesels with only 240 hrs on them but out of warranty. Cost him over $40K to get them pulled, repaired and reinstalled. That's not even replacing the motors, just repairing them. While that may be an anomaly for those motors I don't see adding that risk for my use when I can't really take advantage of the benefits.

 

[Magic34]

I am getting between 0.9/1.0mpg at 25mph and 2,150rpm

Wow, no way am I getting that, at 23 knots, I'm high 30s in GPH.
Is it really that different in motors or am I not propped correctly?

Looking at the Boattest.com numbers of an 07 with QSB 425s, your numbers are closer.

2250

23.0

20.0

26.3

0.9

0.8

263

229

2250

23.0

20.0

26.3

0.9

0.8

263

229

http://www.boattest.com/boats/1613/test_results.aspx

Guys on the thread are getting the same numbers I do:
http://clubsearay.com/archive/index.php/t-44841.html

 

[Blueone]

It looks like your comparing 2 different engines... Mine are C series 450hp yours are B series 420hp... that should be the difference

I wouldn't complain if you could get these numbers

• Best cruise for the Sea Ray 44 Sundancer (2007-) is 27.9 mph (44.9 kph), and the boat gets 0.92 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.39 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 277 miles (445.79 kilometers).

 

[RollerCoastr]

where I get .55mpg at 20mph

I find that interesting. Last wkd. I dug the tabs all the way in and dropped the RPM to around 2,800 (horrible old tachs, but that neighborhood). I was going 18 sMPH or a little under and returning .85 sMPG as read by Garmin GFS-10 meters. I don't think of the 420/44DA as being that much bigger or heavier than my old 400DA. What does yours weigh? I typically cruise faster and try to run light, with as little water and fuel as possible. I shoot for .75 sMPG

Have you compared those numbers to other gasser 420's? This is reminiscent of a gasser 410DA owner here for years who blew-up engines, guzzled fuel like crazy and lagged behind all of his friends. Turned out he was propped wrong!

 

[RollerCoastr]

It looks like your comparing 2 different engines... Mine are C series 450hp yours are B series 420hp...

I've never heard of a 44DA with B's. If someone told me that had them, I'd had told him he was confused about the engines or the boat!

 

[Blueone]

I've never heard of a 44DA with B's. If someone told me that had them, I'd had told him he was confused about the engines or the boat!

I am confused too....the Boat test says B's but Magic's description says C's

 

[copb8tx]

I find that interesting. Last wkd. I dug the tabs all the way in and dropped the RPM to around 2,800 (horrible old tachs, but that neighborhood). I was going 18 sMPH or a little under and returning .85 sMPG as read by Garmin GFS-10 meters. I don't think of the 420/44DA as being that much bigger or heavier than my old 400DA. What does yours weigh? I typically cruise faster and try to run light, with as little water and fuel as possible. I shoot for .75 sMPG

Have you compared those numbers to other gasser 420's? This is reminiscent of a gasser 410DA owner here for years who blew-up engines, guzzled fuel like crazy and lagged behind all of his friends. Turned out he was propped wrong!

Your numbers come close to what diesels are delivering! My '93 400EC w/454's was far more fuel efficient than my 420 and was significantly faster. I believe my boat dry is supposed to be 22,500 lbs. I typically run 1/2 to full tanks. Top speed with 1/2 tanks and clean bottom on my boat is 30mph.

A dockmate of mine has an 06 44DA w/8.1s (same boat) and gets similar numbers and speed to mine. I haven't mapped his with the Smartcraft though so I may do that this weekend if we go out on it.

 

[RollerCoastr]

Note my speed - or lack thereof! Friends of mine passed me on Sunday and took some pics as they went by. It was nice of them, but she looked ridiculous riding so low and slow.

She's running on the entire length of her bottom at 17.8 sMPH, but note that running angle. Not bad for that slow, eh? (keep in-mind that my boat doesn't have the reverse sheer of your 420) That's an edge big gas dancers have - they're comparably light in the stern.

At a normal/fast cruise, my economy relates to diesel just as one would expect: about 25-30% less.

I wonder if your boat could handle more prop. Too bad that's not an easier experiment to perform.

 

[Magic34]

I am confused too....the Boat test says B's but Magic's description says C's

I have QSC's and can report what my smartcraft reads.

Boattest report shows QSB... and you stated your motor consumption readings.

If I could run 21 knots and burn 25 GPH, I would be elated. Do I need to gut the boat and lose the dinghy to do so?

 

[Blueone]

Magic... I would get all your numbers including top end and rpm and run them by Tony at https://www.sbmar.com/.. He is very good at helping you figure out what to do to improve performance.

 

[steveadil]

I have QSC's and can report what my smartcraft reads.

Boattest report shows QSB... and you stated your motor consumption readings.

If I could run 21 knots and burn 25 GPH, I would be elated. Do I need to gut the boat and lose the dinghy to do so?

My older 420DA with 375hp 3208's gets around 20 gph at 18 knot cruise. That includes genset consumption which runs off of the same tanks.

 

[Robski97]

Good morning ...
So i found water in my aft salon floor storage area again. Anyone have thoughts ? The bilge under the aft closet bone dry. The storage compartments on the stb side are dry. ( adj to aft head ) The fwd floor storage with the shower sump is dry. Has anyone accessed the water tank under the couch ? looks like a ***** to get too .
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Rob

 

[importmonkey]

haven't had to access it yet, but will soon. i don't have a proper reading on the fill level for the fresh water tank.

 

[shinsr]

Rob- hope all is well. When I had my 44 I had a water issue in the aft cabin area floor in front of head (not sure it went in storage area though). For me it was the regulator at the forward shower leaking and running down the stb side behind the galley and pooling up in aft cabin. There is a inspection plate in forward galley cabinet that lets you see back of shower. Good luck.

 

[Magic34]

I put the new stereo in over the weekend. Everything went well, but I need help with 1 thing....

How do you get a wire from the helm to the main power cabinet in the cabin? It's only like 5' away from each other (direct line of sight), but I cant tell which way it all goes and how to run a wire that way. I need to run my new remote wire.

 

[ASH]

I put the new stereo in over the weekend. Everything went well, but I need help with 1 thing....

How do you get a wire from the helm to the main power cabinet in the cabin? It's only like 5' away from each other (direct line of sight), but I cant tell which way it all goes and how to run a wire that way. I need to run my new remote wire.

I took mine backwards through the hardtop up and over. Seems like a waste but there really is "no good way"......

 

[Magic34]

I took mine backwards through the hardtop up and over. Seems like a waste but there really is "no good way"......

Thanks, Yuck. Looks like I'll need more than 25' of cable.

 

[J.Wilt]

I can't figure out how to search for old post on this thread so can someone tell me what model cruisair model air conditioning units are on the 05' 420 Sundancer? I'm looking at replacing both units this winter.

 

[Robski97]

fwd ac is a 7,000 btu and cabin is a 12,000 btu. I put a 16,000 turbo model with composite pan in the salon. fits fine , no issues. Install it tru the back of the couch. Id bump up the fwd to next size .

Rob

 

[J.Wilt]

Thanks Rob,
Did you have to cut any wood to get the unit behind the couch in the salons?