bracketracer
Active Member
- Aug 23, 2016
- 560
- Boat Info
- 2001 380DA
Fully updated Raymarine MFDs, Quantum radar, full LED lighting conversion, and lots more.
- Engines
- Twin 454 Horizons
Been around boats for most of my life.
First boat I actually owned was an old Bayliner 26' deckboat with a Force 150 cylinder 2-stroke on it. Bought that in 9/09. Used that on the NY Finger Lakes for a few years. Really was an old clunker, but could move a bunch of people around comfortably at about 8kts, so it did exactly what I needed it to do
Second boat I bought around December 2013. 1996 Four Winns 245 Sundowner. Pretty well cared for (or so I thought). Did some upgrades, had to replace a floor, and other odds and ends. Didn't get it in the water until 6/15. Perfect boat for the wife and I. Used it about 2 dozen times that first year. Got it in late this year, first time out, has a cylinder misfire. No problem. Just do a tune up, easy stuff. Seemed like a similar engine to my old 88 5.0 Mustang, but this was a Windsor (sorry, Volvo Penta 5.8EFI). Very very long story short, spark plugs were corrosion-seized into the heads. Even with manifolds and risers off, the only way to remove them was to break insulators, drill out with glass drill bit until insulator was no more, jam a #6 extractor in there and pray for release. I got them all out. Used a borescope with a small magnet on the end to get things out of the cylinders, a small vacuum to do the same. Put it back together, and found that I had missed a chunk of a drill bit in #2. Shortening the story further, it's now got a new long block, and runs better than ever. Hopefully selling it tonight.
Third boat, we're closing on tomorrow. 2001 380DA. Under 300 hours, and picked it up for a relative steal. Will be bringing it up to Lake Ontario from Erie sometime soon, and will have my first experience through locks in the Welland Canal. Should be interesting.
Cliffs: broke some spark plugs in 24' cuddy boat, got pissed off, bought big honker boat.
First boat I actually owned was an old Bayliner 26' deckboat with a Force 150 cylinder 2-stroke on it. Bought that in 9/09. Used that on the NY Finger Lakes for a few years. Really was an old clunker, but could move a bunch of people around comfortably at about 8kts, so it did exactly what I needed it to do
Second boat I bought around December 2013. 1996 Four Winns 245 Sundowner. Pretty well cared for (or so I thought). Did some upgrades, had to replace a floor, and other odds and ends. Didn't get it in the water until 6/15. Perfect boat for the wife and I. Used it about 2 dozen times that first year. Got it in late this year, first time out, has a cylinder misfire. No problem. Just do a tune up, easy stuff. Seemed like a similar engine to my old 88 5.0 Mustang, but this was a Windsor (sorry, Volvo Penta 5.8EFI). Very very long story short, spark plugs were corrosion-seized into the heads. Even with manifolds and risers off, the only way to remove them was to break insulators, drill out with glass drill bit until insulator was no more, jam a #6 extractor in there and pray for release. I got them all out. Used a borescope with a small magnet on the end to get things out of the cylinders, a small vacuum to do the same. Put it back together, and found that I had missed a chunk of a drill bit in #2. Shortening the story further, it's now got a new long block, and runs better than ever. Hopefully selling it tonight.
Third boat, we're closing on tomorrow. 2001 380DA. Under 300 hours, and picked it up for a relative steal. Will be bringing it up to Lake Ontario from Erie sometime soon, and will have my first experience through locks in the Welland Canal. Should be interesting.
Cliffs: broke some spark plugs in 24' cuddy boat, got pissed off, bought big honker boat.