Official 280 Sundancer Thread

bajturner said:
Before the beginning of last season I had the shift cables replaced because the shifts were clunky, stiff, and in the case of the port engine, not always crisp. The new cables corrected the stiffness and the big clunks, but highlighted a different problem with the port drive. Apparently, over time the cables stretch and make it impossible to synchronize the engine interrupt with the mechanical engagement. This contributes to the stiffness, and is the root cause of the big clunk.

Once the cables were replaced, the problem with the port engine became very clear. It would not shift smoothly into reverse, rather it would rattle around until it caught. The problem was a worn dog-clutch. I possibly could have gotten through the season with it but I just replaced the entire lower unit instead.

Here is a picture of a dog clutch:

View attachment 25083
Click to expand...

Thanks for this info. This sounds exactly what my issue may be with one of my drives. It won't engage as easily as the other and will want to rattle around until I give it a bit more lever to get it to engage. I'll check and adjust the cable, but this clutch may be worn on mine also.

Tom
 
2003 280DA
Have an overheat problem at low rpms. When I rev the engine the temp drops.
Impeller in outdrives were just changed, could it be a thermostat or the main water pump?
 
Mine did that when I had mine changed. Thoughts it was all those things, thermostat... Changed everything and still did it. Eventually it stopped maybe a break in period?
Could be something else though so be careful
Sent from my VTAB1008 using Tapatalk
 
Does everyone here have a bone dry bilge? If not, why not?

I'm picking up a couple of cups of water after 5 miles of cruising. Will not leak a drop at the slip, or when running the motors at the dock. Don't see a water trail either.
 
Ours has gone from bone dry to wet until we discovered the blower vent cover caulking had failed and rain water was running down the camper side under the blower cover and down the blower ducts. Fixed that and then we started getting water from a bad steering pin seal on the transom. Fixed that and then we started getting water from one of exhaust raw water cooling rails. Fixed that last fall and now we are back to dry.

Henry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I think I've seen the answer to my question somewhere in here but I just can't find it. So here is the question.

On Friday my family went out and spent the night on the hook. Everything worked fine. Saturday Am when I started the engines up, everything ran fine, but all of my gauges were dead. I've checked the 3 fuse panels that I'm aware of (1 near the aft near batt switches / 1 near the helm in the access panel / 1 engine room behind batts) and nothing is tripped. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance for your help!!
 
Hi guys,

I'm looking to upgrade my 210 Select to a 280 SDA - and I am looking at model year 2009/2010/2011. What advise can you give me? :) I noticed a "big" change in proportions from 2009 to 2010 model. Any opinions on how it affect stability? (the 2010 is not as wide as the 2009 was) - and what else should I look out for? And how is dual vs single engine?

But any advice appreciated !
 
kaz911 said:
Hi guys,

I'm looking to upgrade my 210 Select to a 280 SDA - and I am looking at model year 2009/2010/2011. What advise can you give me? :) I noticed a "big" change in proportions from 2009 to 2010 model. Any opinions on how it affect stability? (the 2010 is not as wide as the 2009 was) - and what else should I look out for? And how is dual vs single engine?

But any advice appreciated !
Click to expand...

The 2010+ 280DA is an entirely different boat than the 2002-2009 280DA. Although the dimensions are not exactly the same, the 2010+ 280DA is essentially the replacement for the last generation 260DA. The 2010+ 310 DA most closely matches the 2002-2009 280DA.

With that said, there is alot of information in this thread although it is really geared toward the 2002-2009 model. There is even some discussion about twin vs single here as well.
 
jason78 said:
The 2010+ 280DA is an entirely different boat than the 2002-2009 280DA. Although the dimensions are not exactly the same, the 2010+ 280DA is essentially the replacement for the last generation 260DA. The 2010+ 310 DA most closely matches the 2002-2009 280DA.

With that said, there is alot of information in this thread although it is really geared toward the 2002-2009 model. There is even some discussion about twin vs single here as well.
Click to expand...

Slight correction....the 2009 270DA was re-badged as the 2010 and newer 280DA (not the 260DA). The 280DA was introduced in 2001 and the hull and cabin layouts were unchanged from 2001-2009. Upholstery and cabinetry were refined during that time period as tastes changed but the vessel is the same. The current 2010+ 280's are completely different boats than the 2001-2009 280DA.

I can't comment on ride characteristics because I haven't driven the new 280. I think the big difference is that the 01-09 models offered the option for twin engines. I could be wrong but I don't think the newer versions offer twins. Jason is correct, the new 310 most closely matches the dimensions of the 01-09 280 but the new 310 is way more spacious in the cabin....LOA and beam are about identical though.
 
Last edited:
Has anyone had to replace the little spring loaded studs that are in the telescoping camper top/bimini poles? I had one break yesterday and had to engineer something to keep the camper top from flapping all the way home. Not sure if this is a Sea Ray or Taylor item.

Mike
 
Mike,

I believe those are just a stud that is welded to a vee shaped piece of spring steel. The vee is compressed and just pushed up into the tube until it pops out of the hole. You probably can get them from a local boat canvas shop.

Henry
 
Hope this is what your looking for.

Try Valley Tool & Die Inc. North Royalton Ohio. I just ordered those about 4-5 months ago. Their phone# is 440-237-0160. The part# I ordered is B131XS Valco Snap-Button.

Glenn
 
scoflaw said:
Does everyone here have a bone dry bilge? If not, why not?

I'm picking up a couple of cups of water after 5 miles of cruising. Will not leak a drop at the slip, or when running the motors at the dock. Don't see a water trail either.
Click to expand...

I get about the same but over a full day of boating. It drives me crazy and I still haven't found where the water is coming from.
 
Bucit said:
I get about the same but over a full day of boating. It drives me crazy and I still haven't found where the water is coming from.
Click to expand...

Some water may be coming in through the Bilge Pump lines when coming off plane since the thru hulls are so close to the water line. I have been told by a friend with a 280 that installing a Whale In Line check valve in the two lines eliminated the problem he was having. I have not personally tried it yet.
 
Thanks guys, while looking tfor the tool & Die online, I asaw the Sailrite link and ordered 4 of them, That is what I love about this group!

As for dry bilge, last year I has a small amount (maybe 1/2 cup/day) coming in thru the drain plug hole. I put a rubber plug on the inside, and it stayed bone dry. I removed both drain plug fittings and reseated them with 3M 5200 last week. I just put her back in Saturday, so we will see.
 
themikehyde said:
As for dry bilge, last year I has a small amount (maybe 1/2 cup/day) coming in thru the drain plug hole. I put a rubber plug on the inside, and it stayed bone dry. I removed both drain plug fittings and reseated them with 3M 5200 last week. I just put her back in Saturday, so we will see.
Click to expand...

How hard were the drain plug fittings to get off? Did you happen to take any pics?
 
jason78 said:
How hard were the drain plug fittings to get off? Did you happen to take any pics?
Click to expand...

I used a dental pick to clean the paint out of the 3 phillips head screws on each plug. The top screw on each on mine was nutted on the inside to the bonding wire. Luckily the nut was stuck tp the wire and I was able to unscrew it and it came off. I was doing this by myself. Once the screws were out, I just pryed the fittings out. I clealed the fittings up with a wire wheel, sanded the hull with a small DA sander. I applied the 5200 around then recsrewed them in. I pushed the 2 long threaded screws thru, then was able to use needle noce pliers to put the wires and nuts back on, then tightened them with a 1/4" ratchet/extension. I am hoping this will solve that problem.
 
My bilge leak was coming in thru the bilge pump. While I attempted to tighten the hose clamps on the pumps, I saw that the snout was snapped off 1 of them.
New pump installed, I'll find out if a check valve is needed.

What is this transducer plug attached to my transducer for?
 
Tonka Boater said:
Slight correction....the 2009 270DA was re-badged as the 2010 and newer 280DA (not the 260DA). The 280DA was introduced in 2001 and the hull and cabin layouts were unchanged from 2001-2009. Upholstery and cabinetry were refined during that time period as tastes changed but the vessel is the same. The current 2010+ 280's are completely different boats than the 2001-2009 280DA.

I can't comment on ride characteristics because I haven't driven the new 280. I think the big difference is that the 01-09 models offered the option for twin engines. I could be wrong but I don't think the newer versions offer twins. Jason is correct, the new 310 most closely matches the dimensions of the 01-09 280 but the new 310 is way more spacious in the cabin....LOA and beam are about identical though.
Click to expand...

thanks to Jason78 and Tonka -

yes - certainly seems like Sea Ray ate a foot or two - I compared the 270DA 2009 brochure with the 280DA 2010 brochure and it is hard to spot the difference.

So basically Sea Ray just shrunk the boats :) and maybe did not "increase" the prices?

It leaves a kind of foul taste in your mouth though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,182
Messages
1,428,063
Members
61,088
Latest member
SGT LAT
Back
Top