Mechanical Advice on recently purchased 1987 Sea Ray 230 Cuddy

[87SeaRay230]

Hello everyone,


I just purchased my first boat. A 1987 Sea Ray 230 cuddy. I have a few mechanical questions on what should be checked and what Things I must watch for to get her ready for this season.
First let me start of by giving you some history on the boat:


-609 hrs
-Dry stored most of its life
-no smells
-some paint fading (I used some rubbing compound and it came back to life)
-no cracks on seats except for some superficial ones on back rest of rear long seat
-Took carpets off but they are ok
-Checked the motor oil level and the power steering container and both where at the right level and clean
-Wood needs attention but looks ok
-Cabin pump and motor compartment pump work
-Tinted windows (tint must go)
-Not moved in a year
-1/2 tank full since last year
-Some scratches in side (about 4) one deep one .5 mm


The previews owner suggested to siphon out the old gas and put some fresh one but being as stubborn as I am I did not listen. Instead I got some fuel stabilizer and added 10 gallons of premium and 5 of regular. I don’t think this was a wise idea.

I took her out the same day I got her (yesterday) and this where the results:

At the beginning Speedo would not work 30 minutes after being in the water it started working. It would also bog if I accelerated it past 160° on the throttle (180° being full throttle)
Initially it was really sluggish and it was probably going about 20mph. 10 minutes later it started loosening up an picked up 30-35, however this bogging was unpredictable and it kept happening all throughout the day sometimes not happened at all. It makes me think it's either bad fuel or some sediment that may clog the jets.
The motor did not feel very powerful and it never got past 35 with a crew of 5.
The other problem I had once I stopped sometimes it would not maintain engine on at idle and transmission would get stuck in forward and not go in reverse. I researched it and it seems like some type of binding in the lines.
The motor run most of the time at a constant 170° but temp climbed to 184°in two occasions

I hope some of you can help me locate some component and give me some advice on what I should do to make it ready for the weekend. I have decent mechanical abilities and go to school for mechanical engineering with a concentration in motorsports. I am getting a little frustrated because I know absolutely nothing about boats and I am finding a little hard to get all the info I need to get the boat running properly.
My questions are the following:

-What are the basic things I must check to maintain power plant and transmission safe?

-Where can I get motor and tranny schematics so I can learn where things are located and what they do?
-Where can I find schematics of my boat so I know where things are located?

-Where is my air filter?
-ideas on why is the motor bogging?
-How do I lubricate the cables and adjust them so I can get them loose?
-where are they located

-How do I repair the scratches?
-How do I restore the paint and make it all shinny again?
-Can I run my boat with the bimmini top on?

-What’s the normal operating temperature and the maximum unsafe temperature?
-What should be my max speed?

-ideas on why it's being sluggish

-What kind of spark plugs and cables should I use, is it a good idea to put something like a Bosch platinum 4?
-Can I get these parts in an auto parts store?
-What type of cap and rotor should I use?

-anything I have missed that I should pay attention to?



I know this is too many questions but any help will be very much appreciated. I will be checking the forum constantly,


Best Wishes,



Mario A. Hernandez

 

[Sorrento Dude]

If it were mine i would take it to a mechanic and have him at least go over the boat and have him tell you what exaclty is all wrong. Then i would decided on what to tackle myself. A good mech. can answer all you questions. It sounds like you didnt get the boat surveyed and you should have it inspected by a professional. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Sundancer]

Sounds like the boat could use a good tune up. Any idea when it was last performed? When was the water pump changed last? Fresh fuel MIGHT loosen up some of the crap in the carburetor that has probably coated everything with a varnish after sitting for a while. When that stuff starts moving, things will probably get clogged even worse. Who knows, you might get lucky! I'd be considering a carb rebuild. Replace the fuel/water separator and keep an extra on board. Even though the oil looked clean, how old is it? When was the oil in the lower unit changed last? I'd pull some and take a look to make sure it's in good shape. You should pull the outdrive and inspect the bellows, gimble, U-joints, alignment and grease everything while your in there. Was the bilge dry after your run? Did the bilge pumps work?

When you get it running good you can run it at wide open throttle to determine if you have the right prop. If you were able to briefly hit 35 mph, that's not bad, we just need to know if you have the 5.0 or 5.7. Both should go a little faster than that I would expect. There are so many variables to knock out first before looking at the prop.

Keep us posted!

 

[87SeaRay230]

Thank you for your input, for the first post, taking it to a professional is note one of my first options, there is no sense of satisfaction like doing the work yourself. Anyways lets get to business

Here is what I know:

-Any idea when last tune up was last performed?
Last year at 600hrs currently has 609
-When was the water pump changed last?
600hrs
-oil looked clean, how old is it?
Aprox 1 yr and 9 hrs, where is the motor oil drain plug?
-When was the oil in the lower unit changed last?
600hrs
-Was the bilge dry after your run? Did the bilge pumps work?
It was as dry as it was before putting it in the water, pumps work great. does this mean my belows are fine ?

I'll get back to specify the motor and other unknown variables

My questions:
-Where is the fuel/water separator ?
-How hard is it to pull the outdrive? any DIY sites, tools required? engine hoist ok?

Sounds like the boat could use a good tune up. Any idea when it was last performed? When was the water pump changed last? Fresh fuel MIGHT loosen up some of the crap in the carburetor that has probably coated everything with a varnish after sitting for a while. When that stuff starts moving, things will probably get clogged even worse. Who knows, you might get lucky! I'd be considering a carb rebuild. Replace the fuel/water separator and keep an extra on board. Even though the oil looked clean, how old is it? When was the oil in the lower unit changed last? I'd pull some and take a look to make sure it's in good shape. You should pull the outdrive and inspect the bellows, gimble, U-joints, alignment and grease everything while your in there. Was the bilge dry after your run? Did the bilge pumps work?

When you get it running good you can run it at wide open throttle to determine if you have the right prop. If you were able to briefly hit 35 mph, that's not bad, we just need to know if you have the 5.0 or 5.7. Both should go a little faster than that I would expect. There are so many variables to knock out first before looking at the prop.

Keep us posted!

 

[Sorrento Dude]

The motor oil drain plug is usually on the port side of the oil pan. Can be a real pain in the butt to get to. If you are going to change the oil, i would highly recommend getting an oil change pump and pump it out through your dip stick its alot easier and less messy.

Sounds like your bellows are fine. It is always a good idea while the boat is in the water running to lift to engine cover and inspect for any type of water intrusion.

The water/fuel seperator is normally on the front side of the engine, it looks like a remote oil filter.

The outdrive is actually simple to remove. It should only take 1 to 2 hours to do based on how mechanical you are. There are some good videos on You Tube on moving outdrives.

I do agree with you about there being no sense of satisfaction like doing work yourself. I try to do everything myself as well, but i do like to get a second opinion. The worst thing you can do is do something wrong and sink your boat.

Good luck with everything and enjoy the boat!!

 

[87SeaRay230]

Hello,

Thank you for your post and your encouragement. I will definitelly consider getting a pump for the oil change. I have not seen the water fuel separator, I am waiting to burn all the junk fuel and I still have 1/4 left. The only problrem I have right now is rough idling and it often shuts off when in neutral. Any ideas? my guess is the bad fuel is still burning. I dont want to change too many things before burning all the fuel because then I will not know which changes have made a difference

I have a status update:

-Fixed the reverse. All I had to do was adjust the cables that operate the transmission
-Did all the woodwork and covered it with teak oil (looks awesome)
-Have been waxing it but i think i need either a better wax or one that has a compound in it. have been using
meguiar's that comes in a black container and it seems to be too thin. any suggestions ?

Questions:

-Can I use bosch platinum 4 spark plugs? reason, no gap to check & better technology
-My motor smokes for 3 mins when cold. Is it normal?
-Can I run my boat with the biminni top out ?
-What can I use to fill some hull scratches .3mm deep
-My boat's max speed it 35mph is this normal ?


Here are some photos of the progress:

Before (notice tint)

After (no tint and shine)

Enjoy!

Talk to you all soon

MH

The motor oil drain plug is usually on the port side of the oil pan. Can be a real pain in the butt to get to. If you are going to change the oil, i would highly recommend getting an oil change pump and pump it out through your dip stick its alot easier and less messy.

Sounds like your bellows are fine. It is always a good idea while the boat is in the water running to lift to engine cover and inspect for any type of water intrusion.

The water/fuel seperator is normally on the front side of the engine, it looks like a remote oil filter.

The outdrive is actually simple to remove. It should only take 1 to 2 hours to do based on how mechanical you are. There are some good videos on You Tube on moving outdrives.

I do agree with you about there being no sense of satisfaction like doing work yourself. I try to do everything myself as well, but i do like to get a second opinion. The worst thing you can do is do something wrong and sink your boat.

Good luck with everything and enjoy the boat!!

 

[Sundancer]

If your oil is over a year old, I'd probably change it. It's usually done every fall as part of the winterization to keep the acids in the oil from chewing away on the metals inside.

I'd go ahead and change the fuel filter and add some fresh fuel to the mix. It will dilute the bad fuel and should help if it's a fuel related problem. The shift interrupter might need a little tweaking. It "interrupts" the timing briefly as you move from forward to neutral to reduce the pressure on the gears as you shift. It could be causing part of the problem. The bogging down could be a few things from clogged jets, stuck choke, clogged filter., etc. It's hard to say. Just keep at it, eliminating variables.

Pulling the drive isn't hard. Just make sure the gear selector is in "forward" when you pull it. Then watch where the shifter catches the lever when you put it back together. It's not hard, but is often overlooked the first few times you put the drives back on.

Good luck! Sounds like you are making progress!

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

Great looking boat and crew.

I would suggest taking on one problem at a time. Getting through the old fuel should help. Check out the thread on finding manuals for your boat on this site and figure out as many details on your boat as you can. Having info on the exact equipment helps out the folks focus a reply.:grin: