Buying 24' Sundeck -- Gimbal Ring Replacement?

I

I'mbatman

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Mar 8, 2017
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Long Island
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Hi All,

First time poster and hopeful new Sea Ray owner. I have an accepted offer on a 2006 24' Sea Ray Sundeck 240 and had the survey/compression test/sea trial done today. It went great until the very end when we hauled it and the surveyor showed me a 1" left and right "play" in the B3 outdrive. He explained that it is an issue related to the gimbal ring and would need fixing. He said there it involves taking out the engine and having it done, or a less expensive option but not the best way that involves a kit. He explained it will only get worse and could present a serious safety hazard if left unchecked.

A reputable marina around here on Long Island quoted $3500 to do the full repair. I'm still waiting to get two other estimates.

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on this. Do I ask seller to fix, or, ask him to knock the price of repair off, or meet in the middle. I believe(and my surveyor agreed) that I am getting the boat for a very good price(up until this was discovered).

Risers/Manifolds/Bellows/Water Pump were done in 2015. Compressions were all 170 =/- 5. It is a Mercruiser 5.0 with B3 outdrive.

Finally, is this as serious as the surveyor made it sound. My dad who has been boating for 30+ years says it must get fixed.

Thanks!

IB
 
I cant answer the questions about the seriousness of the issue or the Bravo 3 drive but I can tell you this. Now that this problem has been identified the seller has a problem. He really needs to repair it or disclose it if you should choose to not buy it. I think your best deal is to get the seller to, 1. Deliver a boat that has been repaired properly, 2. Deduct the cost of repair from the agreed upon price and you have it repaired. But consider what happens if they get it apart and find more issues. Who pays for that? 3. Negotiate a solution that is equitable to both parties (in other words, how bad do you want it and how bad does he want to sell it and, 4. Walk away. There are many other boats out there.

There is something else to consider here. You are looking to buy a boat that has a listed dry weight of nearly 4700 lbs. and has a fuel capacity of 65 gallons and water of 20. With tanks full, 4 peeps on board, gear, snacks and beverages you are approaching 5500 lbs. That is a lot of weight for a 5.0 motor. There was another thread a day or so ago with another member looking at the same boat but with a 6.2. Another CSR member that has owned one stated the you do not want less that that on this boat as they do not perform well. Now before I get slammed by all the 240 Sundeck owners that say I'm nuts I believe "Satisfactory Performance" is subjective. You have to ask yourself if the boat really performed great or was it "just OK?"

With the situation discovered on the boat you are looking at you really have a chance to get out of the deal and only have the survey money lost. I've been boating a long time and on this forum for more than 10 years and I can't count the number of people that want to know how to make their boats go faster. And the only answer to that is to either spend A LOT of money for a small return in speed or buy the boat you want with the biggest engine in it you can get. No one ever wants their boat to go slower.

Good luck. You have some decisions to make.

Shawn
 
Shawn has good advice. A couple thoughts on the repairs. There are pros and cons to whether you get them to repair first or you take an agreed discount and get it done yourself.

If he gets it done, he will likely only repair what is agreed. So when the mechanic has it apart and finds that something else also needs repair, he will likely tell the mechanic to just repair the gimbal since that is what you agreed. But you would be better off to fix all issues while it is apart, even if at your cost. He will likely "go cheap" on any discretionary repair or part replacement since its not his boat anymore. That said, if there are overruns on the repair itself, that would be his cost.

If you repair, you can decide to do more or less, but you will know what your mechanic recommends and it will be more in your control of your boat. It might cost more, but it will be more likely done right. I did that when I bought my first boat. I got a good discount, then had a complete rebuild of the outdrive while it was out. All seals, bearings, pins, bellows, trim senders etc. So it cost me more than the agreed discount, but I knew that it would and was happy to do it to have peace of mind. Cheaper in the long run I think. Plus I got to know my new mechanic quite well and we established a nice trust relationship (he did the mechanical survey for me).
 
Shawn is right having you think about that motor, especially because I think he is being generous with the weight. That 4700# boat is 5300# with full tanks and nothing else. Not sure what's standard for that particular boat but if you have options like a tower, bow filler, batteries, etc, you add all that on to the number before you put the first bag of ice on. My 5800# boat is really around 7400# before anyone climbs on board. I was told the same thing about the 6.2 on my boat and am glad I followed their advise.
 
That vintage 240SD is on my short list of next boats, so I keep up with them.

1. The gimbal ring issue is a fairly common thing on Bravo III outdrives. They are big and heavy, what happens is the stainless steel steering swivel pin over time hones out the hole it fits through on the aluminum gimbal ring. An annual check and retorque of the steering clamp can help prevent this, but this often get's skipped. Yes, there is a kit that will fix it without removing the engine and replacing the gimbal ring, never seen one myself, but have heard positive things about it. If it were me and I was in the purchase process I would want the gimbal ring replaced - if it were my boat already and this happened I might consider the kit. Bottom line it's not a terminal problem, but it does need to be fixed.

2. The 5.0 engine. This is the standard motor for that boat and in my opinion could be borderline depending on how you use the boat. Use it mainly for cruising I think it is fine. Planning to take 8 friends out for watersports, probably want the bigger motor. Problem is for every 10 of these boats you see for sale, maybe 1 has the 350 Mag or 6.2.
 
I'd walk away. But I'm an experienced boat owner. The 5.0 Merc is a dog on this boat, you will always wish for more power. And with the gimbal problem, just not worth the effort and expense.
 
That is a terrific boat. Of course, it has to be mechanically sound.
You can't give away that boat with a 5.0. It ruins the boat if you want to do watersports.
I have owned one with a 350, and it is fine, and the 6.2, which has about 3 more mph on the top end.
 
I have a 2006 with the 350. Love the boat, except sometimes wish it had more power. It is fine for tubing and cruising. But when the kids bring friends, and somebody wants to ski, it takes all the power it has. I would not be happy trying to ski behind that boat with only the 5.0
 
As a former 240 owner, I would say walk and find one with at least a 350 Mag in it. The gimbal ring is troubling, the 5.0 motor is a deal breaker. You will regret that power choice until you sell it.
 
I have a 2002 240SD with a 5.7 EFI in it (a bit unusual... most are 5.0 MPI or 350 mag). It has plenty of power... I can pull tubers with 8 people on board with no issues and I hit about 48 mph WOT on a good day. I think the 5.7 EFI and 5.0 MPI have the same 260 HP (although the 5.7 EFI makes it at lower RPMs). Not sure if the 5.7 EFI has more torque.
 
In 2004 the 5.7 and 350 Mag were one in the same. 5.7 liters equates 350 ci in displacement. Not sure about the nomenclature in 2002, but they are the same engine. The 350 Mag (5.7 EFI) makes 300 HP. As an aside, the same block was used in the 90s Camaro SS and made 325 HP.
 
highslice said:
In 2004 the 5.7 and 350 Mag were one in the same. 5.7 liters equates 350 ci in displacement. Not sure about the nomenclature in 2002, but they are the same engine. The 350 Mag (5.7 EFI) makes 300 HP. As an aside, the same block was used in the 90s Camaro SS and made 325 HP.
Click to expand...

The 350 mag is the 5.7 MPI (not the EFI). The 5.7 EFI makes 260 HP

You can see a list here (My WOT is like 4700-4800 rpm)

http://www.rubexprops.com/boat-propellers/rpm-range/?make=Mercruiser
 
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