Official 1980's Weekender/Sundancer 300 thread

I recored my hatch a few years ago. Remove from boat, and trace a template of the outline of the inner hatch. Use a grinder or other cut off wheel, and separate the outer skin from the rotted wood inside. I made my new inside using two pieces of exterior plywood. I cut one the size of the outer area beyond the gasket, makes a hollow square, like a picture frame. The second piece is the solid square in the middle. I used thickened epoxy and attached both to the inside of the outer skin. I then covered everything with a few layers of glass fabric, 10 oz I think, and epoxy. I finished it off with a coat of White bilgekote paint. I then used some peel and stick weather strip to fit in the grove and thats it! You never touch the outer gelcoat finish. I'll have to see if I have any pics.
 
Finally got the cover off and started getting ready for spring and my repower. While I wait for the new motor to arrive, I decided to replace a dingy thru hull for the port deck drains and also decided it was time to replace the fuel fill hoses and vent lines. What a PIA those hoses were! Getting the old ones off was the worst part as they had not been touched since new I'm guessing. I had to remove the clamps with a nut driver and 5/16 socket and every 1/4" extension I could find. Working with only about 4 inches of clearance and reaching back over a foot to the hoses, I slit the hoses with a razor knife and used some pump pliers to twist the hoses while I used my other hand and a long screw driver to lever up on the hoses. I managed to get them off the nipples that way. I removed the trim panels along the gunwale and got access to the fill and vent fittings, easy to reach them then.
Snaking the new hoses in wasn't too bad but getting them lined up and on the tank fittings took some doing and was made easier using a light coat of fogging oil wiped on the fittings prior to lining up the new hoses. It took a good bit of force to get the new hoses on the barbs, but they eventually went on.
BTW put I put the clamps on the barbs prior to sliding the hose on, then all I had to do was snug up the clamps.

The side with the engine still installed was a bit harder but with the outboard manifold and riser removed for replacement, I had just enough room to do that side as well.

I'm glad I changed them as they were original and showing their age. Hoses on my '89 were dated 1988! Thats a long time to stay in service.
 
I ground out all the old, rotted, wood. Then I cut a piece of exterior plywood as well. Using un-thickened epoxy to et I all the nooks and cranny's (what exactly is a Cranny, anyway?).
I suppose I will use a router to cut out a recess for the weather seal.
Thanks for the help!
 
While out on a cruise out with our yacht club to Pirates Liar over the last weekend, look at what we found for sale, and thought she would be a good addition to our family so, we bought it! She's a 10' 3" Caribe inflatable with a 15 HP Yamaha, and lots of extras to boot...







...and here she sits at our yacht club guest dock.

 
Had a water leak on my 88 DA 300. I had just replaced the fresh water pump and thought I might had left a connection loose. Come to find out I had a leak elsewhere. I ended up having to remove the aft cabin wall to find out where the leak was. It was a pin hole in the water line in between where it comes off of the tank to the first elbow before it goes through the wall. Now I get to try to find some new connections. Lowes wasn't any help.
 
Probably quicks connectors they thread on with a stainless washer a plastic sleve and a o-ring? Can be found at mobile home repair places ,usually.
 
1956olds said:
Probably quicks connectors they thread on with a stainless washer a plastic sleve and a o-ring? Can be found at mobile home repair places ,usually.
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Thanks for the help. Found them at a mobile home repair place like you stated. Everything was water tight when I left last night. We shall see.
 
Seems to be about time to start replacing batteries....with add'l plan to upgrade to a smart charger. PO setup was 3 deep cycle on 3 bank charger and we stuck with that in the first round (group 31, 675 CCA)....we've gotten about 2 seasons' of service so far; one seems to have bitten the dust. I don't plan to add more batteries, am just hoping to make some slight improvements where possible. Not sure I'm ready to jump to the $300+/battery range, either, so would appreciate some budget-friendly recommendations.

We have shore power at the slip to charge during the week, then spend weekends rafted with friends, not running the lake/charging via alternator. We do have a generator, but it's not very reliable right now due to age/difficulty finding parts. What batteries/combo would make sense/what do the rest of yas use? (I'll measure the trays to be sure of what will fit....can't think off the top of my head whether there's a lot of wiggle room.)

3 dual purpose?

2 starting batteries plus 1 deep cycle for house? I've read mixed info here and on other sites about having different battery types on one charger so can't tell if I would be inviting a headache/more maintenance/more frequent replacement. (If that just referenced mixing lead vs. other and not mixing deep cycle/DP/starting, please set me straight.)

1 starting for port, 2 dual purpose for starboard/house?

Suggested cranking amps?

Regardless of whether we use the same batteries or a mix, we'll be getting in the habit of selecting a starting battery vs. house battery between the two that are on the same selector switch to better mitigate the risk of a complete drain.

TIA!!
 
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Here's my setup...



 
Thanks, Talon....but I think upgrading to those batteries will break my bank. :smt009

Charger is a match....am I correct it's ferroresonant/"not smart"?
 
I still have the original charger/convertor too, with the original 3 battery set up. My boat doesn't have a generator.
For the single battery on the port motor I use a starting battery. The only thing I added was an on/off switch for that port battery. The boat didn't come with one from the factory.
For the two batteries attached to the starboard motor that also power all the 12 volt stuff on the boat, I use two dual purpose batteries.
I believe the original charger.convertor to be a smart one. At least that's how it's described in the brochures Sea Ray put out for the boat back then.
Anyway, I keep it on when I'm hooked to shore power during the season, and for extended periods over the winter under the shrink wrap on the hard, and have never had a problem with it cooking batteries.
 
JVM225 said:
I still have the original charger/convertor too, with the original 3 battery set up. My boat doesn't have a generator.
For the single battery on the port motor I use a starting battery. The only thing I added was an on/off switch for that port battery. The boat didn't come with one from the factory.
For the two batteries attached to the starboard motor that also power all the 12 volt stuff on the boat, I use two dual purpose batteries.
I believe the original charger.convertor to be a smart one. At least that's how it's described in the brochures Sea Ray put out for the boat back then.
Anyway, I keep it on when I'm hooked to shore power during the season, and for extended periods over the winter under the shrink wrap on the hard, and have never had a problem with it cooking batteries.
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I may have the manual so will look again and check online some more, but I'm taking your experience as good news because I just plain need it at the moment! We're in the same habit leaving charger on, but the water level is fine on all three, including the one we killed, so that seems to support the thought that the charger is smart. We converted to LED bulbs through most of the boat, but do use the fridge while on the hook, and First Mate LOVES his tunes, so the stereo is nearly always on, as well. I think I'm going to give him a choice of one or the other for the long weekend....and I'm betting he'll pony up an extra cooler and ice so he can keep the music going!

Do you use big dog batteries like Talon posted? Some of this feels like six of one, half a dozen of another: $100 battery lasts a few years, $300 battery should last several....so the overall spend is the same over time, but in different sized chunks at once?
 
I had to add 1/2 gal of engine coolant to each engine. Odd that both took the same amount??


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trflgrl said:
I may have the manual so will look again and check online some more, but I'm taking your experience as good news because I just plain need it at the moment! We're in the same habit leaving charger on, but the water level is fine on all three, including the one we killed, so that seems to support the thought that the charger is smart. We converted to LED bulbs through most of the boat, but do use the fridge while on the hook, and First Mate LOVES his tunes, so the stereo is nearly always on, as well. I think I'm going to give him a choice of one or the other for the long weekend....and I'm betting he'll pony up an extra cooler and ice so he can keep the music going!

Do you use big dog batteries like Talon posted? Some of this feels like six of one, half a dozen of another: $100 battery lasts a few years, $300 battery should last several....so the overall spend is the same over time, but in different sized chunks at once?
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I usually use Interstate Batteries. They are made by Johnson Controls. The starting battery on the port motor is an Interstate 27MXHD, and a pair of Interstate SRM27's were on the starboard motor up until this year. I switched labels for price on the starboard side this year.
I get the Interstates through a friend who owns an auto repair shop, and gets regular deliveries from the Interstate guy.
I change the Port battery one year whether it needs it or not, and the starboard batteries the following year whether they need it or not. At least one side has new battery power every year.
I could probably get 3 or more years out of each battery, but they are cheap enough in the scheme of things, and I would rather have the piece of mind on the water.
This year I got new starboard batteries, but got them from Walmart instead for about $80.00 apiece. They are identical to the Interstate's I usually get in every way except color, and are also made by Johnson Controls. They just have a different label on them. The Walmart number is 27DC. It has the exact same specs as the Interstate SRM 27's, except at about $80.00 each, they are even cheaper than what my friend's cost (what I pay) is from the Interstate guy.
I think Costco has a version of it too with the Interstate name on them but in black instead of white and green. They also have the exact same specs.
Walmart around here doesn't have a replacement for the starting battery I use on the Port motor though, so I'll keep getting the Interstate label for that.
I don't mind using my boat batteries for only 2 years. I never worry about having a battery problem, and I often spend the whole day on the hook with the fridge and stereo running. I also swapped out all my cabin bulbs to LED's, but I have two teenage kids and their friends who are all addicted to their smartphones and need to have them charging at all tiimes on the boat. My boat didn't come with any 12 volt oulets at all, so I installed several of them to keep the crew happy.
If my boat is at the dock, the electric is plugged in, and the Convertor (battery charger) is on.
I have a classic muscle car, and a newer Corvette in the garage. Each only gets used about 1000 miles a year. I keep battery tenders (smart trickle chargers) on both to keep the batteries charged if they are going to sit for a week or more.
The last battery I had in the 68 GTO was 10 years old when I replaced it. I swapped it out because of it's age. I just didn't want to tempt fate. I never had a problem with it, and when I replaced it, another friend of mine put it in a project car that he was working on. He got another 2 years or more out of that battery.
I'm convinced that absent a defect of some sort, the key to long battery life is keeping them fully charged at all times.
If you have the Sea Ray owner's manual for your boat, and still have the original Convertor (charger), then look at page #37 under the heading of convertor in that manual. It is on the right side at the top of the page. It explains that the 12 volt stuff is run off the Convertor when hooked up to shore power and the breaker is on, tells you that it won't overcharge the batteries because it is designed to cycle on and off to keep them proerly charged, and under a "Note" under this section it tells you to "Leave the convertor running at all times to maintain the 12 volt system".
Can't argue with that!
If the original convertor is not doing what it is designed to do, then it could have reached the end of it's useful life. But if it is working properly, you should keep it running at all times at the dock.
 
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I have an '88 300 Dancer. I want to replace the weather striping/rubber molding around the windshield. Does any one know of a source/part number. Think it is Taylormade but not sure.
 
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Probably have to go thru Marinemax and have them get it from Taylor since I think they no longer sell to consumers.
 
Shakedown cruise today. Launched yesterday.
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Both engines only hit 3800 RPM's at WOT. Are they still sleepy from the long cold winter? They start fine and idle smooth. Everything looks great except for the WOT test. Isn't odd that both are the same?


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Are your fuel filters new? Maybe a tune up after all the fogging oil burns off would help, don't forget to check the timing. Also, was that RPM reading from the dash tachs? If so, connect a digital tach or timing light with tach and verify that the dash units are reading correctly. I find it odd both engines only turn up to 3800, I'd expect some variation. Are your throttles opening all the way?
Let us know what you find.
 
I'll be looking into it next weekend. I did pull one cap and there is a little corrosion on the contacts.

Yes that is the dash tach reading. Not sure if throttles are opening all the way.

I'll keep it updated.

What should the correct timing be? I'm guessing 8* BTDC?


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Thanks for the detail, JVM225! I do have the owner's manual and I think I just wasn't registering some of what I'd been reading....maybe information overload with simultaneous boat/auto/home appliance issues, not to mention WaveRunner despair this weekend. When it rains, it pours!

BUT....breathing deeply and taking a step back after posting here paid off. Told First Mate the plan to reset our battery logic while replacing the bad one--likely migrating to a starting battery/dual purpose or starting battery/deep cycle combo--and went to the boat Thu night to map it out and decide which to buy first and how to switch them around Fri morning before the long weekend. To our surprise, the starboard engine started with no hesitation, when it had given us trouble on last launch as well as a follow-up visit from each of us independently. Found loose lead and we were back in business. We still plan to change our overall setup, but at least now I can focus on getting the generator issues resolved so we can have AC while on the hook!
 
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