1980's 360 Aft Cabin

R

rholleman

New Member
Mar 22, 2013
2
New Iberia, LA
Boat Info
Boatless
Engines
Boatless
I am in final stages of purchasing a 1984 Sea Ray 360 Aft Cabin with gas engines. I am a long time boater but new to Sea Ray and new to gas engines. Last boat was a Gulfstar 38MC with Perkins Diesel power.

Previous owner passed away so I have no one to ask questions about the boat. The family tells me for fuel the owner would bring in barrels of ethanol free gas. I plan on crusing often and will no doubt fuel up at marinas that I would assume sell gas with ethanol. What should I look for on the switch from ethanol free to fuel sold at a marina?

Also, anyone who owns/operates a 360 Aft Cabin I am looking for as much info as I can. Again since I am not familar with gas engines, I need to know the proper proceedure for engine start up. How long to run blowers before starting? Any hatches that need to be opened prior to start up? Does anyone have an estimate on fuel consumption at different speeds/rpm's? Any tips, things to look for etc greatly appreciated. For direct contact email rholleman@mindspring.com

Thank you in advance
Roy
 
Welcome,not all marine gas has ethanol,non where i boat does ,check around or call the marinas you will be buying your fuel from and ask them.You dont want paper filters for the fuel system if you run ethanol and some use an aditive to stabilize ethanol fuel ,like startron, seafoam, stabil ,and others.Blowers should run for two to three minutes before starting ,you should always stick your head in the bilge area wherever fuel exists ie engine room or ares with fuel tanks if seperated,also i take a look at any liquids in the bilge to see if there is a possible petroleum sheen on it.Had a friend that was given a boat as payment for a complete restore on a car ,second time he was going to go out it exploded because the gas leaked out into the bilge and just as they left the dock BOOM,they all survived but were hairless and had one hell of a sunburn.
 
Older gas boat with no maintenance history will take a little time to get to know before venturing too far. Of course a survey of the boat and separate survey of the engines are in order. The survey may be required to obtain insurance. I would strongly recommend a fume detector for the bilge in addition to the normal sniff test. I would also replace the original Sea Ray canister fuel filter with Racor spin on units with the drain plug so you can check for water very easily. If the engines are Crusaders like mine have the distributors check for proper functioning mechanical advance as they are prone to broken springs and frozen counterweights making the advance not work and results in loss of power and excess fuel consumption. Fuel consumption will vary from 1.5 mph at hull speed to about .7 to .8 mpg at 3100 rpm cruise with the 4 barrels closed and will fall to .5 mpg at wot.
 
Hello Roy,
I have owned an '83 355 AC since '95 so I may be able to answer some of your questions. You don't say how your boat is powered. Most of them had 350's but some, like mine, have 3.9 ltr v-6's. Like any thing else a lot depends on how the boat was maintained and how you use it. I find the 355/360 to be the best compromise for me and the way I use the boat.
If you haven't already you may want top consider a Halon system for the bilge. I think the '84 has bilge lights but if they don't I would add them. I always open the hatch over the generator and sniff the bilge when I am starting the engines cold. I will operate the blowers for a couple of minutes and then the start is normal. I leave the hatch open and watch/listen as the motors start and warm up. Once I feel everything is normal I close it up and get ready to shove off.
Let me know what other questions you have and I will try to answer them. Post some pictures when you can.
 
I bought a 360 ac that seems to be in good shape with diesels. I am changing the interior up but it is well put together.
I am wondering how the boats hold up generally. It seems solid.
Can it take 6 foot waves in open sea?
Any real world fuel consumption rates?
Thanks
 
It really is so very clear and concise.
 
I know this is an old thread. We have a 1982 355T which is very similar to the 360 AC. Crusader 454s / 350 HP are current engines. These replaced the original Crusader 270 HP motors which the previous owner told me were quite underpowered for the 13,000 lb boat. Our fuel consumption is consistent with above. We rarely are cruising fast and average about 1-1.5 mpg.

I am trying to connect with others who have similar vintage early 80s 355T or 360 AC boats.

I need to get advice on many things!
 
I have a 360 ac. I just refurbished it. I have dual diesels.
 
We are in the process of updating/refurbishing as we use her. Last year per the #1 captain we updated creature comforts to make staying the night better. All primary systems currently work with some noted points that need attention. The port engine is out for a winter rebuild after an internal coolant leak last season. We will see how it goes. We are new to boating like this, been on boats before but..., so we are learning as we go.

What all did you refurbish?

I should be keeping a photo log of things because we have done a lot of work outside and in and the boat was reasonably taken care of in the past. Just from 1982 so dated.
 
Hi there
We redid all electrical connections to the new code which also cleaned up the wiring below.
We put all batteries in their own box but actually made each box because could not fit otherwise. It now meets new code.
I put all new carpet in and new furniture.
I had a diesel tank repaired and might put in a third one for the generator but switchable to engines to increase to 400 gallons.
I plan to put in a new macerator toilet system but should wait untill end of summer I think.
I painted the entire top with interlux perfection 2 part epoxy because the gel coat was a little thin in spots.
 
Wow you have done a lot to her. All that in one season?

We have replaced the flooring, re-done all interior cushions and soft goods, re-furnished, removed one of the built in fold down units on the port side, lots of cleaning.

We had more exterior paint work on the hull than expected but she is sound. I did not take her bare but really did a good job on the hull.

I am going full access on whatever I can get to while the port engine is out.
I am wondering if at same time I should pull the shaft and prop as that seems logical. However, if if I am going to do that I should probably do both port and starboard. That is an example of something I have no idea about. How much to have a shaft and prop inspected, tested and re-furbished if needed. I am sure there are places that do it locally but I don't know where.

I am wanting to replace all the rubber guts our vacuflush system as a starter, the pump runs a little too frequently right now so I plan to start with that.

Last year was our first full season with the boat. I have come to learn it is just an ongoing project! Fortunately it is a project my wife also enjoys which helps a whole lot I am sure you can understand. I am focusing most heavily on mechanical related things this season due to the engine re-build. I wish I could do both at once but I am not wealthy. Plan is port this season and starboard next season.
 
For a general question.

Does anyone know a good place to get scrap or yard parts for a boat like this? Or reliable replacement parts. As an example I need a new ladder for the swim platform and it is hard to find a replacement and not easy to fix. Questions like those drive me crazy. And lights - slowly replacing to LED lights anywhere I can.
 
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