I am new to the boating world and looking at a used 240 or 260 SD. Some advice I received recently said to figure about 60 miles per season (I live in the northeast). But, what is considered old? I am looking at a 260 with 450 hours on it (a 2001). Is this like buying a car with 200k miles?
Engines:How old is too old?
- Thread starter JD1
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Groucho
Well-Known Member
I agree...you should be fine with 600 or 700 hours if it has been well maintained...sometimes problems with the outdrives come first. See if you can get the maintainence records, if they have them that tells a story in itself.
sb in gp
Active Member
I'm a firm believer that you can tell a lot about how long the motor will last by the overall condition of the boat. If the boat is cared for in every other regard, then it is likely the motor was too. A surveyor can do a compression check, and I've read where you can have a chemical analysis done on the oil to help protect you.
Shameless plug: If you're looking for a clean 260, click on the URL in my signature line for some details on mine (and contact info). I am moving to a bigger boat.
sbw1
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- Oct 10, 2006
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I put 3800 hours on my first SR that had a 350 cubic inch small block making 260HP. Bought the boat new and the next owner ran it for a few years before I lost track of the boat. Longevity is all about maintenance and how you run the boat. 450 hours could be a lot or nothing at all. Some sherrif boats with Crusader inboards go 6000 hours. After that the engines are simply replaced.
jhild
New Member
- Nov 2, 2006
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- 1999 BW 18 Ventura /
Sold: 2003 176BR
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Sold: 3.0L Alpha
I agree that 450 hours is not necessarily an issue. As others have pointed out, it’s really a care/maintenance question. I will add, however, that it’s probably time to change (or at least check) the risers if that hasn’t been done recently – particularly if this boat has been run in saltwater, without a closed cooling system. (Can’t tell from your post. “Northeast” could imply salt, fresh, brackish, or all of the above.) A water ingestion or overheating problem would likely make the engine hours irrelevant.
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JVM225
Well-Known Member
450 hours on a well maintained boat motor is no big deal. Boat motors don't really wear all that much. Just think about how many miles a car motor would have if it had run for 450 hours. Does the average car run for 450 hours in a year?
The key is maintenance. Regular inspection of manifolds and risers is routine maintenance on a boat. Bad manifolds and/or risers are probably responsible for the demise of more boat motors than wear and tear.
The key is maintenance. Regular inspection of manifolds and risers is routine maintenance on a boat. Bad manifolds and/or risers are probably responsible for the demise of more boat motors than wear and tear.
sbw1
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- Oct 10, 2006
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Interesting point about car hours. I average 43 mph according to my trip computer and commute about 25,000 miles per year. Assuming that a well cared for car will go 300,000 miles, that works out to an engine life of about 7,000 hours. That pretty close to what a sherrif's boat will last with regular use and proper maintenance.
