Repower options - 97 Sundancer 330

[peakay]

Hey there,

We are looking at a 97 330 Sundancer (Vdrive with carbed mercruiser 7.4s) that is in a distress sale due to water injestion in the engines. We are being told one engine needs at least a rebuild and the other is "pickled" and should be saveable, but has bent pushrods (??). Engines have 650 hours indicated and boat is otherwise in nice shape from what I can tell.

Here are my questions:

1) Assuming this needs a full repower, what engines are recommended?

2) What should I budget to get this done? I will not be doing it myself.

3) How do you prevent this from happening again? The engines looks pretty and well maintained with fresh looking manifolds and risers, so i was baffled as to how both coud suddenly injest water. In doing research I've read that these boats are notorious for this issue, but I do not know the cause and if its possible to completely prevent upon repowering.

Thanks in advance for any help you can lend.

 

[JVM225]

Hey there,

We are looking at a 97 330 Sundancer (Vdrive with carbed mercruiser 7.4s) that is in a distress sale due to water injestion in the engines. We are being told one engine needs at least a rebuild and the other is "pickled" and should be saveable, but has bent pushrods (??). Engines have 650 hours indicated and boat is otherwise in nice shape from what I can tell.

Here are my questions:

1) Assuming this needs a full repower, what engines are recommended?

2) What should I budget to get this done? I will not be doing it myself.

3) How do you prevent this from happening again? The engines looks pretty and well maintained with fresh looking manifolds and risers, so i was baffled as to how both coud suddenly injest water. In doing research I've read that these boats are notorious for this issue, but I do not know the cause and if its possible to completely prevent upon repowering.

Thanks in advance for any help you can lend.

Google MichiganMotorz. Give them a call and see what your options are and get an idea of prices.

 

[Golfman25]

So that year isn't the classic year for ingestion problems (it was started in 1999 on the 340s). So something must have happened. I think you have two options for re-power. New, I have seen the 6.2 stroker engines. Gives same HP as originals, but has a different torque curve, so higher RPMs. Could also look at re-built 7.4s if you can find a good pair. It will cost more than you budget.

 

[JohnGordon]

My brother in law has a couple of 97 7.4 motors that were completely rebuilt last year by a local machine shop and are ready to go. Fresh water cooled. Not sure where you are, so delivery may be pricey.

Let me know if you would like more information.

 

[Stee6043]

I'd personally stick with 7.4's. Can you drop in any other motor without impacting how the V-drives mate with the motors?

If transmissions were not impacted I'd consider going with 6.2's. I've seen 330/340's with the 6.2's and I would have killed for that extra 6" between the motors back when I owned my 340. I can't imagine the power difference is so substantial. But that room in the engine room...life changing stuff.

 

[peakay]

So that year isn't the classic year for ingestion problems (it was started in 1999 on the 340s). So something must have happened.... It will cost more than you budget.

Well that is good to hear, but if they got water in both motors it would seem there is some sort of problem along those lines. On budget, don't I know it! trying to see what people think it shoudl cost and then will apply a murphy's factor. will probably still exceed even that # if we go forward.

Google MichiganMotorz. Give them a call and see what your options are and get an idea of prices.

I'll have to call them. Looking on the web site shows the engines are well over 10k each, which seems a bit much for chevy V8 motors?

My brother in law has a couple of 97 7.4 motors that were completely rebuilt last year by a local machine shop and are ready to go. Fresh water cooled. Not sure where you are, so delivery may be pricey.

Sure, please PM me info. I'm in California, but even if i ordered from michigammotorz there is a hefty freight charge. I have carrier accounts through my business so might be able to save there.

I'd personally stick with 7.4's. Can you drop in any other motor without impacting how the V-drives mate with the motors?

I don't know, but one thing I like about this boat is it has V drives as it is in saltwater, but man, that engine room looks cramped!

 

[El Capitan]

I wouldn’t buy nor repower until I learned for sure how that happened to two engines.

 

[peakay]

I wouldn’t buy nor repower until I learned for sure how that happened to two engines.

Agreed. Getting more info on it next week....things are de;ayed due to the CV19 situation.

 

[Scott06]

Remanufactured from Michigan Motorz are $4500-$5600 each assume you’d need manifolds risers and elbows. I bought a partial engine package from MM in 2016 worked out very well.

I would just plan on from a financial point both engines needing replacement. If you can fix the one so much the better.

 

[peakay]

I would just plan on from a financial point both engines needing replacement. If you can fix the one so much the better.

Yes, that is the plan. How much do you think installation of them should be at a boat yard? With the limited engine room and given it would be a new boat to me, I don't think I should attempt it.

 

[370Dancer]

2 motors getting water ingestion at the exact same time = sink, or at least the hose off the a/c outlet blew and filled the engine compartment, or they left the dock water on and went home for a day or two.
Salt ingestion, or fresh?
Bent rods sounds like water in during the engine running. Yards in Florida are 125-150 per hour no matter what they are doing. Whatever you are quoted, double it.

 

[Scott06]

Yes, that is the plan. How much do you think installation of them should be at a boat yard? With the limited engine room and given it would be a new boat to me, I don't think I should attempt it.

Really hard to say without seeing your boat. Wouldnt think you’d be more than 4-8 hrs per engine depending on how difficult/ how much boat is around it.
If you’re mechanically inclined and have done and engine or two on a car I wouldn’t be intimidated by it. Biggest issue is having access to a lifting device like. A forklift or boom truck/wrecker to lift it out. Way easier than pulling a car engine if you enjoy that kind of work. I don’t golf so this is the kind of stuff I do to relax...

 

[Roch Speiser]

Am curious. Im at a crossroads...i have a starboard 7.4 on a 1995 370 that took a crap. Needs replaced and one quote was $10,100 and second was $15,600 with transy sent out for check. Long story why.. Either way needs replaced. Lower quote was remanned. Is that a good number, soup to nuts installed or go to new $15k one soup to nuts? Not an engine geek but hopefully enough common sense to make right choice. Thanks

 

[PlayDate]

Am curious. Im at a crossroads...i have a starboard 7.4 on a 1995 370 that took a crap. Needs replaced and one quote was $10,100 and second was $15,600 with transy sent out for check. Long story why.. Either way needs replaced. Lower quote was remanned. Is that a good number, soup to nuts installed or go to new $15k one soup to nuts? Not an engine geek but hopefully enough common sense to make right choice. Thanks

Probably need some more data. Your $10-15k quote is reasonable but I don't know how much time they are spending moving equipment off the old engine to the new one. The equipment on that engine is 25 years old which means most of it is questionable. For starters....I would make sure that whatever path you pick.....you don't use anything off the old engine.

The labor time to pull and replace the engine on your boat is 1.5 to 2 days work if the engine is a drop in replacement which works out to $2-3k of labor plus the haul out costs.

I am also curious about the transmission check. Is there a reason they think that is necessary? No question the trans cooler should be replaced.

 

[Roch Speiser]

Transmission: I had a cap't transport boat from point A to point B, engine failed and he drove it 5 1\2 hrs on one engine without locking out prop...doing only 5 mph...mechanic says worth checking transy, marine surveyor disagrees says he would have needed to be damn near on plane to cause damage. engine has been out of the boat for sometime now, late May....15K estimate:

 

[El Capitan]

Oh dear!

 

[Roch Speiser]

Feel my pain? lol....trying to get a consensus on cost to replace. Also expecting to get surveyors report today hopefully.

 

[El Capitan]

Here’s what I’ve learned in my experience. I’ve either paid now or paid later. On big decisions and big jobs I’ve always come out ahead getting the job done for the long haul vs a short term savings.
Now every project I have suffers from scope creep but it’s done properly.

 

[Roch Speiser]

I wholeheartedly agree with you that’s the way I am. At 58 years old this is our last boat. Just trying to strike the best deal.

 

[PlayDate]

The prices look competitive. I'm with your surveyor....I would skip the $1,400 plus labor to remove the trans from the boat. R&R is 26 hours which is a day long by my experience.

Where are they getting the engine from?