Official 1980's Weekender/Sundancer 300 thread

1987 Sundancer 300 with twin Mercruiser 5.7 I/O.

Somehow the previous owner ended up with two different temperature sensors/thermostats on the engines, so according to the gauges one engine runs at about 120F and the other about 170F. Can someone point me to the best place to get the correct thermostats so my engines aren't running above/below temp.

As an aside, I was told it was better to run engines at lower temps in salt water to prevent buildup of deposits, is that true?

Steve
 
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1987 Sundancer 300 with twin Mercruiser 5.7 I/O.

Somehow the previous owner ended up with two different temperature sensors/thermostats on the engines, so according to the gauges one engine runs at about 120F and the other about 170F. Can someone point me to the best place to get the correct thermostats so my engines aren't running above/below temp.

As an aside, I was told it was better to run engines at lower temps in salt water to prevent buildup of deposits, is that true?

Steve

You can get thermostats from many different places online or likely locally too.

I recommend running the thermostat that the engine is designed for. Salt deposits won’t matter if you get premature bearing wear due to the motor not completely warming up.
 
Taylormarine.com 3507040 flocking it is expensive
 
Is it more likely that there is a bad ground or the starboard side gauges have bad bulbs lol.
 

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Now before you say Holly crap you painted the side panels. Chalk paint is not like any paint you have used before. You reduce the paint 50% with water. You only need to vacuum the material to get it ready. You then use a spray bottle of water and spray the area you are going to paint. It works more like a dye than a paint. Once you do the first coat and it dries for 24 hours you use a painter's foam sanding block and sand the material. The sanding softens the material again and once vacuumed it looks and feels like the original material. I did two coats on the port side and two and half on the starboard. The reason for spraying with water to get the material wet is so the chalk paint will wick into the material. After watching hours of videos I took the blunge with icy gray. The results are far better than I could have wanted. The pink and the stain are gone and I have another personal touch.


I know this is a bit old but what brand chalk paint and where did people buy this? I want to just try changing some ugly pink colored things to gray in my cabin instead of new upholstery.
 
The only gauge on my entire dash that still works is the engine rpm/tach synch gauge. How do I even start to trouble shoot these gauges and begin to get them working again? Any suggestions would be helpful.
 
The only gauge on my entire dash that still works is the engine rpm/tach synch gauge. How do I even start to trouble shoot these gauges and begin to get them working again? Any suggestions would be helpful.

If all the gauges are out I’m thinking there has got to be a common problem. I wonder if a common ground could be your problem.
 
"If all the gauges are out I’m thinking there has got to be a common problem. I wonder if a common ground could be your problem."

I will check for a common ground, that said most of the gauges have activity/movement, they are just wildly inaccurate and unreliable. Do gauges just go out of spec after years of use, do they need calibrated or do their sensors need replaced?
 
Hi guys, can any one tell me where I might find a few boat wreckers. Im look for a wide back to back seat for my 30 weekender 1989. I heard they were used in various models.Both my front seats are only forward facing.
 
Just got our sea dek style flooring in from orthodek a local company. Looking good and hoping to go out and enjoy it soon. The layout changed and we ended up going all the way under the seats and didn’t cut out for them.
Hi David, Im Roy. I have an 89 WE with a pair of 5.7s . I would like to ask you a question. You pass seat is a back to back. Does it lay down into a bed? Is the seat hinged on a track to the side wall?
 
Hi everyone just upgraded from a 74 220 to a 1988 300 sundancer so will be here looking for help and maybe helping others
 
Needing some help. I lost both alternators on my 88 300 Sundancer a few weeks ago. I was hoping to replace them next weekend and went to order them but there seems to be numerous options out there. Can anyone confirm what alternators they have? I have twin Merc 350 with alpha drives. The list I saw has several manufacturers listed with numerous wiring options. Thanks!!
 
Hi David, Im Roy. I have an 89 WE with a pair of 5.7s . I would like to ask you a question. You pass seat is a back to back. Does it lay down into a bed? Is the seat hinged on a track to the side wall?
Hey sorry for missing this. It hooks to the floor and does fold down and lay flat as a bed
 
My new girl
 

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I know this is a bit old but what brand chalk paint and where did people buy this? I want to just try changing some ugly pink colored things to gray in my cabin instead of new upholstery.
Not been on here for awhile but good timing. I bought the Home Depot house brand. It has held up incredibly well. Make sure you get a chalk paint brush they sell them by the chalk paint away from the other brushes
 
1987 Sundancer 300 with twin Mercruiser 5.7 I/O.

Somehow the previous owner ended up with two different temperature sensors/thermostats on the engines, so according to the gauges one engine runs at about 120F and the other about 170F. Can someone point me to the best place to get the correct thermostats so my engines aren't running above/below temp.

As an aside, I was told it was better to run engines at lower temps in salt water to prevent buildup of deposits, is that true?

Steve
I know this is a few month old but; your engines came with 145 thermostats in it because Merc had no idea if the engine was going in a fresh water boat or a salt water boat. Boating on a Lake that never gets above 80 and spending most of my summers in the North Channel in 65 water at hull speed the temp gauges don't usually move above 125. I changed out my thermostats for 165 and the engines liked the warmer temps a lot better. They still only reach about 140 at hull speed but at 3200 they reach 165 in a few minutes.
 
When you changed out the lights to LED did you have to do anything speical? I would like to do the same with my cockpit area and head?
Just make sure LED's have cooling, (Heat sinks) some of the strong LED's can burn the bulb holder and maybe the boat too!
Regards,
Isken.
 

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