skibum
Well-Known Member
Posting this for the benefit of the wanna be boaters, and those currently considering buying a boat. Keep things like this in mind as you join our club.
I'm glad it's over. My boat turns 19 this year. She's got some wear and tear and a few battle scars, but overall she's in really good shape. Last season, she started taking on some water. It was not too bad at the beginning of the season, but it got significantly worse by late September when I called the end of my season. I'm in a high & dry marina, so I had my mechanic stop by and check it out when I first noticed it back in April. The bellows were about 8 years old but still intact, as was the shift cable boot. There was some water coming in through the swivel shaft seal. which I had replaced back in 2015 along with a new stainless steel swivel shaft. My cool fuel module was also starting to leak at the water line connections. My mechanic said at the time that it was okay to keep using it and he put me on the schedule to look at it near the end of the season. By late September, my bilge pump was pumping a couple of gallons out every 15 minutes or so. My mechanic pulled my engine and gave things a look over. I needed just about everything you can do to a drive. Bellows, shift cable, swivel shaft seal, trim senders, one of my trim cylinders was leaking and needed to be rebuild, and the gimbal ring was beginning to developing some slop. The little anode wire (looks like a paper clip) for the Mercathode also needed to be replaced. It was then that my mechanic pointed out that the transom assembly on my boat was not the correct one for the 496 HO engine installed in my boat. I am the 2nd owner. The boat was 2 years old when I bought it. I knew that it was sold with a 350 in it, and that the PO installed the big engine in it. Had no idea it needed a different transom assembly than a 350. At that point it was a no brainer. I got 18 good solid years out of it, so I made the call to replace the whole thing with the correct HP version of the transom assembly. I had them shrink wrap my boat, and gave them a check for $6k to cover the work they had done and to buy the new transom assembly. The mechanic shuts down for the winter and reopens in mid March.
Over the winter, I started accumulating parts. I figured that while the engine was out, I'd just go ahead and replace anything that was more difficult to do with the engine installed. I believe that I hold the world record for having the world's oldest 8.1 aluminum exhaust manifolds (yes, I actually got 18 seasons out of them - and they look like they were still good), so I ordered 2 complete exhaust manifold kits (~$1700), a new cool fuel module housing and the hose bib that connects to it(~$700), a new hot water heater and crossover kit (~$340), new spark plugs and wires (~$175), and 6 gallons of coolant (~$170). In for a penny, in for a pound, I also ordered the quiet motor conversion kit for my head since it was time to fix the bellows and replace the duck bills anyway ($327). Finally (so, I thought), I dropped off one of my props to get cleaned up because I forgot to raise my drive up a little bit a few times last season and the rear prop got dinged in the gravel when they set the boat on the rack. That one's on me. I know that can happen if I forget to raise it up a little. Oh... $236 for that.
When the mehanic reopened his shop, I stopped by and dropped off all of my parts. He got to work on it right away. I told him to give everything a thorough going over, and replace anything that looked marginal while he had it out. When he got all of the engine parts installed, he had the marina put my boat on a trailer and he took it to his shop. He removed the old transom assembly and installed the new one. When he removed the Y pipe from the old transom, he found another issue. Part of the flange was corroding away. It wasn't leaking yet, but you could tell by looking at it that it was only a matter of a couple of years before it would definitely become an issue. I don't plan on having this much work done again anytime soon, so I made the call for a new one ($1000).
She's all done but the test drive now (and the last $2400 for the mechanic). I should find out next week how it all works out. It's a bit of a roller coaster of emotion as you first get word that the engine has to come out and major work needs to be done, to the feeling that there is no end to where money needs to be thrown, to the anticipation of the call from the mechanic with additional problems, to the relief that all of the parts are back in place (and paid for), to the fingers and toes crossed anxiety of wondering if it will run properly after being all tore apart, or if it will be a season of working out little problems everywhere. Man... I need a drink.
I'm glad it's over. My boat turns 19 this year. She's got some wear and tear and a few battle scars, but overall she's in really good shape. Last season, she started taking on some water. It was not too bad at the beginning of the season, but it got significantly worse by late September when I called the end of my season. I'm in a high & dry marina, so I had my mechanic stop by and check it out when I first noticed it back in April. The bellows were about 8 years old but still intact, as was the shift cable boot. There was some water coming in through the swivel shaft seal. which I had replaced back in 2015 along with a new stainless steel swivel shaft. My cool fuel module was also starting to leak at the water line connections. My mechanic said at the time that it was okay to keep using it and he put me on the schedule to look at it near the end of the season. By late September, my bilge pump was pumping a couple of gallons out every 15 minutes or so. My mechanic pulled my engine and gave things a look over. I needed just about everything you can do to a drive. Bellows, shift cable, swivel shaft seal, trim senders, one of my trim cylinders was leaking and needed to be rebuild, and the gimbal ring was beginning to developing some slop. The little anode wire (looks like a paper clip) for the Mercathode also needed to be replaced. It was then that my mechanic pointed out that the transom assembly on my boat was not the correct one for the 496 HO engine installed in my boat. I am the 2nd owner. The boat was 2 years old when I bought it. I knew that it was sold with a 350 in it, and that the PO installed the big engine in it. Had no idea it needed a different transom assembly than a 350. At that point it was a no brainer. I got 18 good solid years out of it, so I made the call to replace the whole thing with the correct HP version of the transom assembly. I had them shrink wrap my boat, and gave them a check for $6k to cover the work they had done and to buy the new transom assembly. The mechanic shuts down for the winter and reopens in mid March.
Over the winter, I started accumulating parts. I figured that while the engine was out, I'd just go ahead and replace anything that was more difficult to do with the engine installed. I believe that I hold the world record for having the world's oldest 8.1 aluminum exhaust manifolds (yes, I actually got 18 seasons out of them - and they look like they were still good), so I ordered 2 complete exhaust manifold kits (~$1700), a new cool fuel module housing and the hose bib that connects to it(~$700), a new hot water heater and crossover kit (~$340), new spark plugs and wires (~$175), and 6 gallons of coolant (~$170). In for a penny, in for a pound, I also ordered the quiet motor conversion kit for my head since it was time to fix the bellows and replace the duck bills anyway ($327). Finally (so, I thought), I dropped off one of my props to get cleaned up because I forgot to raise my drive up a little bit a few times last season and the rear prop got dinged in the gravel when they set the boat on the rack. That one's on me. I know that can happen if I forget to raise it up a little. Oh... $236 for that.
When the mehanic reopened his shop, I stopped by and dropped off all of my parts. He got to work on it right away. I told him to give everything a thorough going over, and replace anything that looked marginal while he had it out. When he got all of the engine parts installed, he had the marina put my boat on a trailer and he took it to his shop. He removed the old transom assembly and installed the new one. When he removed the Y pipe from the old transom, he found another issue. Part of the flange was corroding away. It wasn't leaking yet, but you could tell by looking at it that it was only a matter of a couple of years before it would definitely become an issue. I don't plan on having this much work done again anytime soon, so I made the call for a new one ($1000).
She's all done but the test drive now (and the last $2400 for the mechanic). I should find out next week how it all works out. It's a bit of a roller coaster of emotion as you first get word that the engine has to come out and major work needs to be done, to the feeling that there is no end to where money needs to be thrown, to the anticipation of the call from the mechanic with additional problems, to the relief that all of the parts are back in place (and paid for), to the fingers and toes crossed anxiety of wondering if it will run properly after being all tore apart, or if it will be a season of working out little problems everywhere. Man... I need a drink.
