I talked to a lucky guy at the boat show this wkd

[RollerCoastr]

I was in the salon of an '08 52DA, admiring some details. I have no problem acknowledging that SeaRay can make mistakes, but the fit & finish was really top-notch. Anyway, my thoughts were interrupted when a guy and his wife step in and say, "nice boat, but it's wasted." I was really surprised - this is a local boat. It was as clean as they come and I'm usually pretty good at spotting a cover up (or at least knowing the marina gossip if something had happened).

I had to ask him why he thought it was wasted. "615 hours! Those engines are about done."

So after a few questions I realize that he doesn't have any insights about this boat nor early fates of QSM-11's. Instead, he explains how "lucky" he was last year to buy a 1998 boat with 41 hours on it.

Oh, and the 52 had 200 hours on it - he mis-read the sign that says the asking price is $615,000.

I hope the poor sucker who buys that boat sells it before the engines implode at 599 hours...

 

[Dieseljeff]

Oh hell...I'd better start looking for a replacement as my 7.4 has almost 900 hours...
Funny thing is, when I purchased it, it was so clean that I had to look up the engine serial number because I thought it looked like a newer engine. Damn 20 year old engines that still run good...IDK?

Jeff

 

[blaster]

I believe that guy has experience not doing any maintenance whatsoever on his engines then they implode when the oil runs out at about 500 hours.

 

[Kreole Kid]

That must have been the same a$$hole that looked at mine :smt021

 

[HUMPH]

Sounds like the Cruisers salesman I heard telling a guy that their 41' Cantius could make it to Hawaii from San Francisco!

 

[MancaveII]

If properly rigged with a mast and sail or towing an 900 gallon fuel pod, it most certainly can!!!

 

[OldSkool]

My engine was rebuilt 8 years ago. Damn thing only lasted 30 years before needing rebuild. Good news though the exhaust manifolds lasted 37 years. External cracks through the petcock wholes did them in. Never did leak internally.

 

[Chris Nowell]

Sounds like the Cruisers salesman I heard telling a guy that their 41' Cantius could make it to Hawaii from San Francisco!

I think he meant, "if it was on a freighter".

 

[BlewByYou88]

Hmmmm, I guess ol' Blew will be blowing up any day now with 560 Hours, and 27 Year old risers and Manifolds.....And lets talk about the single cylinder Onan with 700 Hours and its only ever had a water pump done to it... :smt017

 

[Hifirush]

OK, I’ll bite, what can I expect out of the my engines? 625 hours on 7.4 MPI’s, compression test at the time of purchase (5 months ago) 135-140 on all. They needed general maintenance, run incredibly strong, smooth power, slight puff of smoke from port at starting. I’m not worried, but am I naive? Replacing manifold, risrs etc. this winter as a precaution and preventative. Thought?

Thanks, Matt

 

[Chris Nowell]

I have no ownership experience with these engines but I do know of a few of them in my home town that are still running strong with 1200+ hours on them. These boats are owned by folks who are religious about maintenance and don't push their boats to the limits (mostly because they are too frugal to be burning any extra fuel). The puff of smoke on start up could possibly be the valve seals getting brittle and not doing their job properly. Almost every GM based engine I've had has needed new valve seals eventually, I can't see the marine versions being any different. Engines like clean oil, clean spark plugs, properly operating ignition systems, and reasonable operating temps. If you provide all these and keep the revs from the red line on the tach I think your engines will provide you with many hundreds of hours of service.

 

[RollerCoastr]

If the boat has been in fresh water all of it's life, then replacing the manifolds and risers is likely not needed. There are plenty of boats in my marina with 2500-3000 original hours on their engines (gas), so it all boils down to how the engines are maintained and run when looking at how long they go between overhauls.

To put things in perspective, the worse thing you can do to any engine is not run it. I'd be far more suspicious of a 15 year old engine with 100 hours on it, than one with 1200-1500 hours on it.

Exactly. I've seen all kinds of evidence to support both of these points:

- Hour meters give very little information
- Lack of use is commonly mistaken as being "good". Engines and systems that have sat stagnant for years often disagree!

 

[Hifirush]

Thanks for the reassurance! the boat did spend its life in saltwater, so changing the manifolds for me will be peace of mind. My surveyor thought they looked good and the PO claimed they had been changed last Fall.

I hope I can get 1200-1500 houyrs on my engines. I am one of those who love to tinker and maintain my engines. this winter will be fully going through the engines, throttle body clean outs, AIC’s cleaned, plugs, wires, caps, plugs, oils, major ER cleaning, etc. They are in good condition, and the ER is not bad, I just want it look really good, so I can keep track of any leaks, water or oil.

Thanks again, Matt

 

[Boat Guy]

I..... Instead, he explains how "lucky" he was last year to buy a 1998 boat with 41 hours on it.

..

Now that would scare me....

 

[RollerCoastr]

Can you imagine how old his gas is?! I wouldn't be surprised if his engines are never able to consume what's his tanks, but on the bright side, he'll have gallons and gallons of "special teak refinishing product"...

 

[Jim W]

Now that would scare me....

Concur. A 15-year-old boat with 41 hours on the motors would make me think the boat had done to much sitting at the dock and not enough running.

 

[Bryank]

I was on that boat last weekend as well... probably my favorite one (aside from the new 510DA, but that's just CRAZY money). The boat seemed real clean.

 

[Capt Bob F]

I also was on the boat last weekend. Until this year, the owner docked it at the end of our pier. He was very meticulous about his maintenance, and as far as I know, Marine Max did all of the work. SWEET, SWEET BOAT!!!