480 DB Owners Club

Out with old....Sub Zero Refrig Died. Freezer still works. Going to replace all with 4 drawers. Should I go with 110V GE/Marvel/Sub Zero, etc. or Vitrifrigo/Isotherm AC/DC? I will have a working Sub Zero Freezer available if anyone needs. Thanks for your thoughts IMG_2282.JPG
 
I believe the Sub Zero's have a 15 year warranty on the cooling system. I had mine replaced under warranty a couple years ago and she's been running fine since.
 
Matt, I have the same issue as you. It leaves small puddle in the corner under the exhaust plumbing. Even on the hard it still appears. So that would rule out the bullets. I also considered the vertical seam running down the trunk. Could be that but not thinking it is. I think it's rain/wash water somehow getting into the rubrail that runs down the whole gunwale. It works it's way to the stern and winds up leaking into that back corner. I haven't pursued it any further with (as you know) all the other issues going on right now.

Check the freshwater tubing, connectors. I had the same issue and found a "T" connector(cold) feeding the hot water-heater/ freshwater pumps had a slow drip. I also had the same leak feeding water to the forward bilge in the engine room from the starboard stern. Took me a long time to find this, but resolved the issues.
 
:huh:Hi guys, I am new here! I have just purchased a 1991 500 dancer with 6v/92dd.

can anyone please help me out with trying to learn gallons per hour/nautical mile etc..
any tips on the 6V/92's? I have never ran diesels before. It had always been gasoline. Thank you so very much for any input.:huh:
 
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Check the freshwater tubing, connectors. I had the same issue and found a "T" connector(cold) feeding the hot water-heater/ freshwater pumps had a slow drip. I also had the same leak feeding water to the forward bilge in the engine room from the starboard stern. Took me a long time to find this, but resolved the issues.

It is not the fresh water plumbing. When you crawl into the stbd aft corner you can see it bleeding through the poorly laid up fiberglass. It is comin from outside, but I can not seem to locate. I will continue to update as I explore.


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Check the freshwater tubing, connectors. I had the same issue and found a "T" connector(cold) feeding the hot water-heater/ freshwater pumps had a slow drip. I also had the same leak feeding water to the forward bilge in the engine room from the starboard stern. Took me a long time to find this, but resolved the issues.


No Plan, I wish mine was a T-Connection leak. My boat in on the hard with all systems shut down and I still get the puddle in that corner from rain.
MQuiet, I can see it dripping also but haven't investigated any further yet.
 
Update to our leak: we ran high pressure water to the rub rail just aft of the bullet on the stbd side. Water started to trickle in. It appears that water is getting behind the stainless trim and then running inside a screw hole that attaches the base to the boat. My next step is I am going to apply caulking inside of the stainless trim to create a barrier between the base and the stainless cover. I will let y'all know if this works.


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Update to our leak: we ran high pressure water to the rub rail just aft of the bullet on the stbd side. Water started to trickle in. It appears that water is getting behind the stainless trim and then running inside a screw hole that attaches the base to the boat. My next step is I am going to apply caulking inside of the stainless trim to create a barrier between the base and the stainless cover. I will let y'all know if this works.


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Matthew, I do not know if your hull design is similar to the 400DB, but I had a similar problem. The leak turned out to be behind the upper rubrail end where it ends and buts into the transom. I had two problems. First, there is an epoxy "weld" at the vertical hull seam behind the cosmetic caulking. That epoxy did not exist behind the rubrail. It was as if they installed the rubrail first then epoxied the seam second. So there was a gap there. Second, there were extra empty screw holes where they must have trial and error drove long screws in to pull the end of the white rub rail tight to the hull around the curve. Also, the cut end of the rubrail was caulked sealing water from running out when it go into the rubrail channel (and water does get in there no matter how much you caulk the whole length of the rubrail). With this being the low point of the full length of the rubrail, there was plenty of opportunity for water to dam up at the end and leak in through the gaps and extra holes.

The diagnosis and cure was simple. I took out enough ss insert screws to peel back about 2-3 feet of the insert. Then I removed the screws holding the end of the rubrail to the hole, enough to bend the end of the rubrail back to see in there and get access. It was an ugly mess. I cleaned it all out and sealed the missing epoxy of the vertical seam and plugged the extra holes. When I re-installed it all, I also made sure there was a gap at the underside of the rubrail end for water to drain out. This took very little time and completely stopped those leaks (I had it on both sides of the boat).
 
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Leak update: I removed the stainless insert on rub rail. One of the screws was 2" long ( not the correct size). I ran caulking down the middle of rubrail base, covering all screw heads and the fouled screw ( I believe). Bore a new hole in the stainless to ease pressure around corner on stbd aft. Mounted stainless back on. Ran a top bead of caulk to cap the insert to the base and left the bottom open to drop and vent out. Let's see if this works.


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Rain today....and it was leaking...ugh. Back to the drawing board.


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Went back down to the boat this weekend. Bill (ZZ13) might be correct. While I was in th bilge I had someone run water from the joint on the stbd side where the upper rub rail meets the transom. Water worked down the inside and then behind the interior layer of fiberglass. I have taken everything apart and used epoxy with filler to improve the corner molding and re-bed the upper rub rail. Let's see if this works?


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I'm having a problem with my fresh water pumps, just getting very little pressure and the pumps continue to run after the faucets are turned off. At first, I thought it was an air pocket but after several attempts of bleeding the lines, I ruled that out. I've checked through out the bilge and can't find any water leaks. I'm now thinking it's one of the pumps but haven't had a chance to crawl down there to check. Any ideas?
 
I forgot to mention, one of the first things I check were the screens and they were clean.


Check your pneumatic accumulator tank. If the bladder is ruptured, it will not hold pressure on the system and allow the pumps to rest.
Mine has a 2 gallon and when I turn the faucets on, the pumps do not come on immediately. Mine was located on the starboard side behind the hot water
heater against the hull and froze one year, even with heat in the bilge.
 
480 Owners

My wife and I are looking to move up from our Searay 400DB to a 480 Sedan Bridge soon. Everything about the 480 seems to meet our needs but I need ground truth on one point though ...
What is the 'real' overall length of the 480 including a TnT platform. The marina we are at has a max limit 52ft. Please confirm that we'd be less ?!?

Thanks... we are looking forward to joining the 480 club soon.

Michael and Jeanne Van Vleck
 
So sorry Michael, but I think the overall is 52.6feet with standard platform. Don't know if hydraulic is wider.


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