The official "Stray Current II" thread. '07 260DA

[aerobat77]

Definitely needs automatic tabs, adjusting trim is a full time job.

leave the tabs , be a pro in drivetrim.

take off with tabs up , drive down . as soon as she starts to plane immediately trim up the drive . failing to do will result she will list over in such a severity you are ready to jump .

i have bennett auto tab control and it will not cure the handling characteristic until you will become a pro in trimming the drive perfectly and using as little tabs as possible .

thats the thruth for a +2005 240 and 260 sundancer.

 

[Stray Current]

I got a marine HVAC guy out yesterday to charge up my system, working great now so time will tell how long the charge lasts. If I can get a season or two out of the system I'll yank it and get it fixed or replace it eventually.

I had a tiny bit of water in my bilge again. I'm starting to think it's just water from old porthole leaks finding it's way back now that I'm using it and running at different angles. It was bone dry after I shop-vacced it and then ran for a few hours last night.

Seems like my punch list is down to my little idle issue, vacuflush rebuild, and finishing up my canvas when the tools and parts show up

Rüger the boat dog approves!

 

[spikedaddy99]

So cool, thanks for the pics and write up George.

 

[Stray Current]

I replaced my throttle position sensor today, and it corrected my idle and just-off Idle issues. Idling back at 640 in gear vs the 770 it was, no more intermittent suge, and no more stumble coming slowly up in gear. Also my troll control is working again.

I used a Delphi brand part from advance auto, for a 1998 Chevy K1500 w/ 350 v8. Seems to be a dead ringer. I believe mercruiser uses same Delphi part

 

[Stray Current]

Perhaps I had spoken too soon! Sunday morning the same issue started happening again. I verified my +5v and ground at the tps and went ahead and bought a genuine mercruiser IAC.

much better. Idles 550-560 in neutral but dead on 600 in gear. Full adjustment in troll control from 500-800 and no more stumble or dead spot. Put 6 hours the new parts so far and hasn’t skipped a beat.

still trying to track down the 1/4-1/2 gallon of salt water I’m getting in the bilge after each run . Thinking ac may be leaking not ducer tube.

can’t find wetness anywhere but the engine bay

 

[aerobat77]

i can tell you from my 06 240 sundancer - the bilge should stay dry and a mpi should idle close too 600 in and out of gear ... i would chase the salt water in the bilge especially

 

[Stray Current]

i can tell you from my 06 240 sundancer - the bilge should stay dry and a mpi should idle close too 600 in and out of gear ... i would chase the salt water in the bilge especially

Working on it, such small quantities and seems to roll out from under gas tank. No through hulls up there. No signs of water or humidity in the cabin or under cockpit sink or cable chases to helm.

My gut says rub rail leak, it stays dry until next run afterbafter shop vacced out

 

[aerobat77]

did you ride in rough seas with waves splashing up to the rail ?

you checked the transom or the engine leaking water when running ?

 

[Stray Current]

did you ride in rough seas with waves splashing up to the rail ?

you checked the transom or the engine leaking water when running ?

Barnegat Bay is almost always a washing machine. It's so shallow the wind always has it choppy.

There's nothing i cans see tracing down the transom or dripping from the engine, and I crawled right down and stuck my head in there. this boat had water in it at some point judging by the water line on the engine coupler when I had the engine out. I think I'm going to pull the hatch over the gas tank and see if there's any standing water in there finding its way back.


I literally just got a phone call from another guy with a 260 that I almost bought who's now trying to find the same issue. He said when he looks in the drain plug there's a small black hole that the water comes out of almost directly in line with it in that little sump.

Is the visible bilge in this boat a liner in the hull with space between?

@Lazy Daze ?

I know a quart of two of water is no big deal, but I'm a little OCD about stuff. I'm sure I'm not alone

 

[bbwhitejr]

View attachment 84221
These freaking things are like unobtainium.

Depot? No
Blowes? No
Plumbing supply? No
Werst Marine? No

I have a dozen shipping from freshwatersystems.com

Nothing like paying 20 bucks for shipping 5 bucks worth of parts! I just want the damn things because there's no fresh water system until I have them.

I ordered those and did not fix my problem. Mine were dripping on the backside of the connector where the clamps over time will loosen.
Bennett

 

[Stray Current]

I ordered those and did not fix my problem. Mine were dripping on the backside of the connector where the clamps over time will loosen.
Bennett

I'm just going to switch everyone that leaks over to a barbed fitting.

 

[Stray Current]

3:45 am and the boat gets quiet. 5ecd shutdown in LOC fault (seawater pressure loss) won't restart. Fuse 4 blown and replacement blows immediately.

Got into the manual and started digging. F4 is ignition coils and injector power. Dead short to ground, even with coils and injector unplugged

looks like the coil got so hot when it melted down that it took out the plug as well, everything's melted together.

Obviously I need a new ignition coil, and a pigtail. Hopefully I don't have to replace the harness.

I've heard of letting out the magical smoke, but I've never seen anything let out the magical marshmallow fluff...

 

[aerobat77]

you messed severly something up with your heavy modification on the ECU to connect to the simrad space shuttle monitor posted in post #30 . i believe you are the first one to report such a massive meltdown - never heard this on the mpi engine .

 

[Stray Current]

you messed severly something up with your heavy modification on the ECU to connect to the simrad space shuttle monitor posted in post #30 . i believe you are the first one to report such a massive meltdown - never heard this on the mpi engine .

Ha! The space shuttle control panel and main engine have been pretty much flawless so far once I got everything configured (furiously pounds wood with both fists) I really like it!

This ignition coil was with the generator. Pretty textbook loose connection burn failure. I've got a set of ignition coils coming and I believe I even found an AC Delco pigtail to fit them where the harness burned. The coils are coming from my Kohler distributor, and once I get the harness that I found online I will post it if it is in fact a match. Figures it's the rear cylinder...


in other news with this project I managed to get my new OEM front curtains snapped and mounted this past weekend.

I ordered a new transducer tube for the factory smartcraft transducer where I believe it's leaking, and I received my duckbills and bellows kit for the vacuflush. I'll do the write-up on both of those when I'm ready.

Hopefully Pennsylvania will be up and running soon, I have a nice shiny semi-custom aluminum i-beam triple axle trailer on order with EOH brakes and weight distribution hitch.

 

[aerobat77]

fingers crossed its only a faulty connector , like said i never heard that !

your modifications are cool ideas , but make sure you do not mess up with all the stuff !

 

[GCHOG]

HI George , boat looks great , sorry to hear of your problems. 2 things, #1, about the water in the bilge, check your rub rails carefully, I had a problem 2 years ago, port side had a gap and I ended up removing s/s strip and rubber rail, replacing some screws and adding a few more and sealing up the top and bottom with 4200. result; no more leak. It doesn't take much of a gap for a leak. #2, make sure you use a Merc marine throttle position sensor. On my previous 245 , i used a auto tps and it didn't work at all. I had to go with OEM. problem solved.
I finally got in last Sat., so far , everything good.
Give me a call if I can be of any help.

 

[Stray Current]

fingers crossed its only a faulty connector , like said i never heard that !

your modifications are cool ideas , but make sure you do not mess up with all the stuff !

should be!

as for the mods, the interconnection between the ecu and Simrad is a mercmonitor. Made by mercury marine and totally compatible. The gateway for the other screen is also mercury endorsed and totally plug and play

HI George , boat looks great , sorry to hear of your problems. 2 things, #1, about the water in the bilge, check your rub rails carefully, I had a problem 2 years ago, port side had a gap and I ended up removing s/s strip and rubber rail, replacing some screws and adding a few more and sealing up the top and bottom with 4200. result; no more leak. It doesn't take much of a gap for a leak. #2, make sure you use a Merc marine throttle position sensor. On my previous 245 , i used a auto tps and it didn't work at all. I had to go with OEM. problem solved.
I finally got in last Sat., so far , everything good.
Give me a call if I can be of any help.

good info, thanks! I’m back to blaming the transducer. Can’t find anything to indicate moisture dripping from the bond flange. It’s either the ducer or a seacock leaking between the hull and liner.

as for the tps, I’ve put almost 40 hours since that was changed. It’s been running very well. Put almost 70 on the generator since launch. Hoping to have that back up by next weekend


How’s your 260 now that it’s in? Any project pictures?

 

[Stray Current]

My new semi-custom load rite trailer finally came in. It has EOH brakes on all 3 axles and I'll be setting it up with a weight distribution hitch. Towing behind a '19 MaxTow F150 rated for 12,900/1,290. The EcoBoost is an absolute demon, more power than my old 7.3 Powerstroke diesel!

I got "little satan" up and running again. I swear this thing generates misery more efficiently than electricity! it got a nice 16-hour run when we went out overnight Saturday night. All SEEMS well with it (for now, I'm sure)

I figured out how to setup my iPad to mirror my Simrad screen so I can see radar, voltages and anchor drift in the cabin. Pretty damn cool, and even a little practical!

Full moon Saturday and a little Sunday sunset cruise.

We really love this boat

 

[Stray Current]

shes out for generator, main and outdrive oil changes. Found out the engine has the wrong dipstick and was reading full @3.5 quart vs the 5 a GM small block should hold. Dremel has the solution!

Outdrive oil was good with no water intrusion or signs of thermal breakdown, the drive shower works!

New airmar transducer sleeve installed, hopefully this cures my slight water ingress running on plane only.

 

[Stray Current]

Got the trailer bunks, winch post and bow stop set. now all the trailer needs is the bunks shortened a bit and dropped 3" for the sub 13' towed height, target bunk adjustment, and I’ll be building the 12k pound weight distributor hitch system tomorrow and cutting the winch stanchion down. the EOH brakes are amazing!

Almost roadtrip ready!