Official 280 Sundancer Thread

So, I finally figured out what is wrong with my vacuflush causing it to clog almost every weekend. The hose going from the toilet to the vacuum generator has delaminated on the inside therefore restricting flow to just a few millimeter space. I need to replace that hose, but have no idea how I’m going to do that. It looks like I will need to disassemble the starboard wall of the aft cabin to get to the line. Any ideas? I’m really concerned about this one.
 
Well, problem solved. I just started tearing into the aft cabin and got the starboard side open. It’s actually only held on with four screws. Then I had access to the hose. It is seriously caulked at both the opening into the head and the wall between the cabin and the engine compartment. You have to cut all that away, also 4 wire straps behind the aft cabin wall and one between the side of the boat and the holding tank. Then with a lot of twisting, pulling and cursing you can pull it into the head compartment and out. I was lucky my marina had a 12 foot length of hose, only needed about 9 1/2 feet to do it. It’s now all back together and working like a champ. Hopefully no more clogs, as that was a major source of stress on the weekends.
 
Well, problem solved. I just started tearing into the aft cabin and got the starboard side open. It’s actually only held on with four screws. Then I had access to the hose. It is seriously caulked at both the opening into the head and the wall between the cabin and the engine compartment. You have to cut all that away, also 4 wire straps behind the aft cabin wall and one between the side of the boat and the holding tank. Then with a lot of twisting, pulling and cursing you can pull it into the head compartment and out. I was lucky my marina had a 12 foot length of hose, only needed about 9 1/2 feet to do it. It’s now all back together and working like a champ. Hopefully no more clogs, as that was a major source of stress on the weekends.
Do you have photos?
 
Hello fellow boaters, does anyone know the dimensions of the aft birth? I want to order a mattress topper and forgot to get the measurements last time I was down at the boat.
 
Okay, here are photos of the sanitation line going from the head to the vacuum generator.

Photo Aug 28, 1 14 16 PM.jpg

This is the starboard side of the mid cabin. The black hose with the green strip running along the bottom is the culprit. you can see it is held down with some wire ties that are screwed in. The cabin paneling came down after removing just four screws, one from each corner. You can see the metal L Brackets it was mounted to.

Photo Aug 28, 1 13 17 PM.jpg

A close up inside the mid cabin. It is 1 1/2 inch sanitation hose.

Photo Aug 28, 1 45 22 PM.jpg


here is the hose once I had it completely out. Just short of 10 feet long.

Photo Aug 28, 2 08 55 PM.jpg

Here is the new hose going in, I started pushing it in from the head. The angle there makes it hard to push in, but with enough pulling and twisting, it gets there eventually.

And here is the blockage in the original hose. You can see that the inside has delaminated, almost closing the hose off.
Photo Aug 28, 3 23 22 PM.jpg
 
Okay, here are photos of the sanitation line going from the head to the vacuum generator.

View attachment 91380
This is the starboard side of the mid cabin. The black hose with the green strip running along the bottom is the culprit. you can see it is held down with some wire ties that are screwed in. The cabin paneling came down after removing just four screws, one from each corner. You can see the metal L Brackets it was mounted to.

View attachment 91381
A close up inside the mid cabin. It is 1 1/2 inch sanitation hose.

View attachment 91382

here is the hose once I had it completely out. Just short of 10 feet long.

View attachment 91383
Here is the new hose going in, I started pushing it in from the head. The angle there makes it hard to push in, but with enough pulling and twisting, it gets there eventually.

And here is the blockage in the original hose. You can see that the inside has delaminated, almost closing the hose off.View attachment 91384
Thanks for posting. Good info to have.
 
I have a 2005 Searay 280. Looking for a direct replacement for the factory horn, if at all possible. I have seen some other options posted, just not sure I want to go those routes. Any suggestions?
 
Does anyone have the spec for the bow spotlight bulb handy?
 
I have a 2005 Searay 280. Looking for a direct replacement for the factory horn, if at all possible. I have seen some other options posted, just not sure I want to go those routes. Any suggestions?
You should be able to get a direct replacement (plug-n-play) from your dealer. You can get the same (or similar) horn other places, but you may just have to splice wires.
 
Had a first happen to me this past Sunday. We had been in the Trump Boat Parade and got back into the slip and got everything cleaned up and battened down. We had to go home Sunday night because yours truly had to work Labor Day. I get a call that night about 10:30 from one of the lucky one that had Monday off and was still at the lake. He says Dave, I think you have a bilge pump working, but no water is coming out. He see's that my switch for the bilge pump is glowing amber. Up turns it Red but it will not shut off. The Perko's will not shut it off.
So I load up and drive an hour and a half back down to the boat and sure enough, cannot turn it off any way but cut a wire to the pump. I did not know that the switch operated pump was a direct wire as is the float mounted pump. Switch has gone bad.
 
Haven’t had my boat out of the water yet since the survey. Are the twin 4.3’s setup to have oil drains on the transom? Or do I need to get an oil extractor?
 
Haven’t had my boat out of the water yet since the survey. Are the twin 4.3’s setup to have oil drains on the transom? Or do I need to get an oil extractor?
2001 was about the year that Merc started using that feature so you may/may not have it. However, the drains aren't "on" the transom. They are inside the boat and can be pulled out through the two garboard drain plugs (if the SS lead hasn't been broken). BUT... you can check this while you're in the water by looking under your engines. If you only have one garboard drain plug (which you can check while still in the water by taking a breath), you won't have this feature.
 
I have 2001 twin 4.3 EFI. Steering was getting pretty bad and I checked the PS fluid. It was empty so filled it up and it steered smoother than it ever had. After a few times out steering is stuff and clunky again. I checked the Starboard reservoir and it’s empty again and the bilge is full of PS fluid. The back of the pump looks wet around the connections. I followed the lines back best I could and the lines look dry towards the transom. Question is are the port and starboard pumps connected? Is Teflon tape ok to use on the threaded connector? I am thinking to try and remove the threaded connector and put it back on with some Teflon or sealant and snip some of the rubber hose connection off and put a new hose clamp.
 
Battery switch settings question. The battery switch uses batteries 1 and 2 to start the port engine and the house lights. Battery 3 starts the starboard engine and generator. When I start and am under way I have the battery switch on 1 for port engine. My question is if battery 2 is being changed with the battery switch set to battery 1?
 
I have 2001 twin 4.3 EFI. Steering was getting pretty bad and I checked the PS fluid. It was empty so filled it up and it steered smoother than it ever had. After a few times out steering is stuff and clunky again. I checked the Starboard reservoir and it’s empty again and the bilge is full of PS fluid. The back of the pump looks wet around the connections. I followed the lines back best I could and the lines look dry towards the transom. Question is are the port and starboard pumps connected? Is Teflon tape ok to use on the threaded connector? I am thinking to try and remove the threaded connector and put it back on with some Teflon or sealant and snip some of the rubber hose connection off and put a new hose clamp.

I wiped off the pump and fittings, changed the cap, and filled the reservoir again. Went for a ride and there is a quart of PS fluid in the bilge. The pump and fittings are dry so my next best guess is the PS cooler. Can anyone verify the location of the cooler for a 2001 4.3 EFI? I am getting conflicting results in searching. Some say its behind the distributor near the transom others say on the port side of the engine under the exhaust (which is dry from what I can see) I still have the question if the port and starboard sides are plumbed together or not.
 

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