OFFICIAL - 450DA Owner's Thread****

[Jus the two of us]

We got 145,000.00 for our 98 450. We had been looking at 55s but was on the fence. No broker, The guy new I wanted 135, He said I will give you 145 but I want it right now,SOLD. They are great Boats, Easy to run and easy to work on. We love the 55 but I miss the 450 simplicity.

 

[H2Oload]

Thanks Frank. it’s advertised at 100 k.
which I think is high for a 95

I think any 45 that has been kept up will be above 100k. Even a 95 and go up each year from there.

 

[Saverio]

Oh ok
I been seeing a bunch under. Now prices are all over the place from COVID

 

[The Bill Collector]

Our '98 has been taken care of with a blank check since we bought her. I have upgraded stuff 2x now in 13 years. The P.O. dropped $50k into her the year before we bought her. If I was to get $150k+ in a sale, what am I going to be able to buy with that ?

 

[Saverio]

Are there any option that some have that others don’t ? Is the cord reel standard or an option

 

[fwebster]

It is an option but you don't want one. The cable master sits in a 3 ft diameter tub right behind the port engine which severely limits your access to everything on the back and outboard side of the port engine.

Most of us just set up a second set of power cords and leave them on our slips permanently where you just unplug and hang the cords on a piling. Far easier to deal with than a Cablemaster.

 

[JC3]

I had the cable master as Frank Stated, it makes getting to the thru hole there very very difficult. It was nice to have but i would just as soon not have it. I was always worried about that thru hole and area there. GOD speed. JC

 

[The Bill Collector]

The once every 5 years that I need to address whatever I'm working on between the port engine and the transom, yes I bitch about my cablemaster, but other than that I happy with it every time I'm in a transient marina hooking up power or disconnecting to leave.

 

[kvduff]

I have the cable master and did find it to be a pain in the rear when I had a leaky port rudder shaft. After removing the cable master motor from atop the drum I was able to reach the rudder shafts to remove and replace the old stuffing. Certainly would have been easier without that drum, but like Bill collector said it is nice when pulling into a transient dock.

 

[JC3]

Engines: CAT 3116 OR CAT 3126

 

[Saverio]

Engines: CAT 3116 OR CAT 3126

So I checked it out this afternoon
It has the 3126 rated at 420hp
So it’s missing the cockpit fridge or ice maker not sure what’s there. It’s just filled with bottles and storage. It doesn’t have the cable retrieval set up. Or central vac. The dash panels and switches were replaced. Camper canvas was replaced last year. The cushions are in good shape. There’s a tv in the cockpit with a leather cover. The bilge was dry. The motors looked good and never touched up paint wise.

 

[The Bill Collector]

Coçkpit is a Uline ice maker on my boat and I have the central vac, but a nice Dyson would be great... engines surface appears good shape, but get a CAT diesel mechanic on board.

 

[JC3]

The same motors i had. I loved mine. 9 years and not one problem. I had the central vac and maybe used it once. I did take out the cockpit Ice maker and used that space for storage. A complete Camper canvas would have been a welcomed addition. The motor mounts will need some attention (RUST) (Paint etc...). The engine survey + oil analysis will tell the tail on them. You have some great 450 DA owners on here. Listen to them as they will try and help you through the process. JC

 

[Saverio]

The pro owned a kitchen cabinet company. I think he replaced some doors.

 

[fwebster]

This isn't to criticize a boat you found but to give you kind of a heads up on what may be in front of the next owner.

The iceman cabinetry is designed by Sea Ray to fit the ice maker they spec'd for the boat which kind of locks you into using a U-line box unless you do some cabinet work to fit another brand into the hole that is there. I replaced mine a few years ago but all my woodworking tools are in Tennessee so rather then get on a long waiting list at a local cabinet shop I had to write the $1200 check for a new icemaker.

All the surface rust on the engines indicates that the bilge has been wet, even if you found it dry when you saw the boat in person. I suspect the original shaft seals gave up on keeping water out quite a while ago. They have been replaced by a PSS type seal which is why you found the boat dry.

The transmission oil coolers have been replaced recently. This is usually done either preemptively or after one fails and a transmission gets seawater in it. Please make a fluid sample on the transmission lube oil a contingency on any contract that obligates you to buy this boat.

The 90˚ stainless steel exhaust elbow appears to have leaked seawater on the port starter at some point.

The amount seawater the boat has had in it in the past is usually a good indicator of future problems due to rust and corrosion. I suggest you reserve some of your boat buying $$ to handle the deferred maintenance you may have in front of you.

Good luck in your search.............

Frank

 

[tdheck]

Hi all,
i was out on my 1996 450DA when the system monitor lit up like a Christmas tree. All lights went red and the alarm went off. Nothing wrong mechanically with anything on the monitor. I checked everything. Couldn't get the alarm to go off, so when i got it back to the dock I had to pull the dash and disconnect it. Anyone experience any similar issues? Two Sea Ray dealerships today have never heard of this. They are recommending I replace both the panel and bilge components for $1400. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[fwebster]

The systems monitor For the ‘96 model is not available in the Sea Ray parts system any longer. I would think the dealer would check availability before quoting a $1400 repair.

The most likely cause for them going bonkers is moisture. While the dash panel is removed you might remove the systems monitor and store it inside a dry place place for several days. Other than that, eBay could be your friend.

 

[JC3]

Well FrankW can answer this as a resounding yes! The VERY FIRST DAY we took possession of our boat in Ft. Lauderdale at 11:30pm the Blaring alarm went off. I called Frank and told him my new boat was sinking. I will never forget that night and will forever be indebted to FrankW. As it turns out the boat did not sink and the culprit was a faultity System Monitor. I disconnected the batteries to get the alarm to quit and the next day bypassed the system monitor till i could get a new one. GOD speed on finding a replacement. JC

 

[tdheck]

Thanks Frank and JC. I have the part numbers from the original parts manual. i called the Sea Ray dealership in Michigan City Indiana to check availability. The guy said the the part number for the panel monitor was superseded with a new number. The part number for the control module below deck was still the same part number. He said both parts are in stock and available from Sea Ray. He quoted $890 for the panel system monitor and $513 for the control module. Of course, if Frank is saying these parts aren't available anymore, I'm guessing Sea Ray is selling me the wrong parts. I might try your recommendation to remove the monitor and store in a dry place for a few days. The weather here on the southern tip of Lake Michigan has been extremely hot and humid. There is no moisture leaking through the canvas that could be causing the issue.

JC - Did you replace both parts when you replaced the system monitor. The Sea Ray dealer said there is no way to test which component is malfunctioning and that they have always replaced both components (panel system monitor and control module). They also said that if one goes bad it can cause the other to malfunction, which is why they said to replace both.

I also called the Sea Ray dealership in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin as they are a massive organization to see if they have ever seen this issue. They said they have never seen this happen before. That's why I went here to seek assistance. This forum is fantastic and you guys are really amazing at helping those of us less technically savvy figure things out. I've had my boat for six years now. Love it. I've learned how to deal with so many issues on this forum. Really appreciate the help.

 

[JC3]

Well there is nobody less tech savvy than yours truly! I only replaced the dash/panel monitor. The nice red button one with the outline of the boat and engine, bilge etcc... on it.
Never had another problem with it in the next 9 years. I think I paid less than $200 dollars for it back then. I think I found it at Marine Max Miami? (I think). I am surprised you found one. It was hard to find in 2007. GOOD luck. JC