Official 280 Sundancer Thread

scoflaw said:
Going to mount a GPS, radar unit on the dash. Did some sniffin around for a good spot to locate 12v and a ground. Nothing looks real easy to access. Thinkin about the trailer switch, if I could figure how to get it apart. Any ideas?
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You could also pull it from an EIM feed that is switched from the the helm. I thought about doing this when I installed mine, wiring to ACC1 or FWD ACC (I believe these are the two on the fwd EIM), but I wasn't sure how hard it would be to find the relavant wires in the bundle (my understanding is they should come out of the EIM and be capped).

Can anyone comment on this? I may change it next year.
 
scoflaw said:
Going to mount a GPS, radar unit on the dash. Did some sniffin around for a good spot to locate 12v and a ground. Nothing looks real easy to access. Thinkin about the trailer switch, if I could figure how to get it apart. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I agree with the previous comments, if you are going to tap in to an existing circuit for electronics, the last one you want to mess with would be the trim circuit. The trim position and limit sensors are prone to failure and shorting which could cause you all kinds of problems if sensitive electrionics were attached.

bajturner said:
You could also pull it from an EIM feed that is switched from the the helm. I thought about doing this when I installed mine, wiring to ACC1 or FWD ACC (I believe these are the two on the fwd EIM), but I wasn't sure how hard it would be to find the relavant wires in the bundle (my understanding is they should come out of the EIM and be capped).

Can anyone comment on this? I may change it next year.
Click to expand...

Yes, these spare circuits are available and that is a great suggestion. They can be a little hard to get to but they are there. Every wire is marked, just consult the schematics included in the manual. I located a spare off the AFT EIM that had a terminal splice on it. I had to do quite a bit of un-taping to find it- but it was there. On the Forward EIM, it will be harder because access to the forward EIM harness is more difficult since the harness itself is not accessable without removal of the EIM.

For the record, I tied my Plotter in to the circuit running the 12 Volt Socket.
 
bajturner said:
You could also pull it from an EIM feed that is switched from the the helm. I thought about doing this when I installed mine, wiring to ACC1 or FWD ACC (I believe these are the two on the fwd EIM), but I wasn't sure how hard it would be to find the relavant wires in the bundle (my understanding is they should come out of the EIM and be capped).

Can anyone comment on this? I may change it next year.
Click to expand...

Yes you can do this. In fact I installed an additional set of LED cockpit lights using one of the ACC leads. But, It depends on what you are installing. I think those circuits are under ten amps. If you want to install something like a Raymarine C, or E series display that powers everything (including radome), you are going to need more capacity. That was the reason I went outside the EIM circuits.

Henry
 
Ok I am turning here for help. I have a 2002 280 Sundancer and for the second time it has for no known reason ingested water and would not restart. The condition were simular each time in that they were in November after backing into a slip with 4 people aboard shut off boat tied up had a cpuple of drinks and then will not restart. The first was a year ago and the second two weekends ago, the first resulted in a broken block at the starter bolt hole, this time it appears that only a broken flywheel tooth (only?). I installed the new exhaust flapper when the engine was installed as per the service buliten and thought all was good but here we go again. Has anyone else experianced this? I contacted Mercury and the say there is no record of this problem. I am not sure where to go next the new flywheel is being installed now and then we can see if there is anyother engine damage.
 
Does your boat have the "dry joint" manifolds? If not, "run on" after you shut it off, manifolds or risers that are in rough condition will do it. What did merc have to say?
 
It does have the dry joint manifolds. If it is run on i can not detect it when shutting down. Merc says there is no problem.
 
5,7 had water in them. I removed the plugs and fogged the motor and it cranks ok except for the noise where the bad tooth is.
 
My guess would be that either the Manifold or the riser failed. I brought up the spacers because the twin 4.3 has them but I guess the 496 sits a bit higher. The only other thing I can think of is the head gasket, but you would notice a performance drop. I would start by pulling the exhaust and take it from there.
 
It was my belief that, with the dry joint, it was impossibe for water to get into the motor. Try posting your problem on the "Iboat" forum. Lots of boat mechanics hang out there.
 
Wondering if anybody, with the twin 5's, that does their own maintanance, is able to grease the couplers from the ER. Some tight back there.
 
scoflaw said:
Wondering if anybody, with the twin 5's, that does their own maintanance, is able to grease the couplers from the ER. Some tight back there.
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If you can figure out a way to reach the grease zerk fitting for the drive coupler with twin 5.0’s in a 280 ‘dancer please post a how to.
The other option is to pull the drives and grease the shaft. That’s what I do. Of course you cannot do this with the boat in the water, obviously.
 
Merc recomends greasing the shaft every 50 hours with prolonged idleing. Not sure why idleing is any harder on it. Any longer lasting grease available than the merc spline grease?
 
Presentation said:
If you can figure out a way to reach the grease zerk fitting for the drive coupler with twin 5.0’s in a 280 ‘dancer please post a how to.
The other option is to pull the drives and grease the shaft. That’s what I do. Of course you cannot do this with the boat in the water, obviously.
Click to expand...
I grease mine from the inside. Now that you are slim and trim I think you could do it. I have a grease gun with a real long hose. I get it on the zerks and my wife pumps the grease gun. I started a thread on this a couple months ago with no response. http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/46391-Greasing-drive-coupler?p=512574#post512574 Apparently no one but Woody gives their couplers any grease between drive removals.
 
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Jetmart said:
Is there a grease fitting on the 4.3's that you access from the ER?
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Lean over your engines and reach down until you find the couple stub that the drive shaft slides into. I'll bet you find grease fittings. Google couplers that are for your engine and I think you'll even be able to see the zerks in the pictures.
 
Woody said:
I grease mine from the inside. Now that you are slim and trim I think you could do it. I have a grease gun with a real long hose. I get it on the zerks and my wife pumps the grease gun. I started a thread on this a couple months ago with no response. http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/46391-Greasing-drive-coupler?p=512574#post512574 Apparently no one but Woody gives their couplers any grease between drive removals.
Click to expand...
I lube mine 1-2 times a year, and it gets mercruiser spline grease, not regular grease. You can get the merc spline grease at NAPA.
 
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