Check out this short video-Abandoned motor runs after 10 yrs!

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

Hello All,
short story--I bought a 1984 Bayliner Cierra 25' boat for the Volvo 290 Duoprop outdrive... anything beyond that was gravy. Boat was abandoned 10 years ago after the owner died... it sat uncovered and the hull is shot. Motor was left uncovered and was covered in leaves, dirt, mouse nests and any other terrible "crap" you could dump on an engine...

Well I tried to turn the motor over in the boat and it wouldn't budge... figured it was seized and shot, so I pulled it out to strip it for parts and get the boat cleaned out to be crushed. I started looking at the motor and pulled the alternator off---the first surprise was that the alternator was seized and the belt was rusted in the pulleys. So I then tried turning the motor over and it moved, stiff as heck but it moved. Out came the plugs and nothing but rust.... I filled the cylinders with kerosene and turned it over slowly and let it pour out and carry away the rust and crud.

The distributor guts where rusted to heck so I through a Mallory electronic unit in.... I also pressure washed the motor out of enthusiasm. The risers are dated August 1998... and after I split them and checked them out they went back on. I added some fuel and some water and heres how it ran... no stuck valves and the carb didn't even act up!

Simply amazing how an engine can sit for ten years and get rained on, peed on, filthy and so on and still be OK... I ran it for about an hour and fogged it out. Its going to end up in a 25' sedan cruiser I'm putting together. The way this motor turned out was a stroke of luck.... I haven't seen any other similar situations turn out this good. Heck--I've seen motors rusted completely solid just over the winter after sitting uncovered never to run again....

 

s430.photobucket.com/user/andoverct/medi...zps8740f6f5.mp4.html

Tony

["D"- Man 827]

Well what did you expect it's a Chevy!!!

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

I WANTED to say that... but figured I would keep it to myself---but now that you mention it! 

 

Tony

[Ken B 3,164]

Nice score Tony.  Was the block drained prior to its abandonment? Keep an eye out for water in the oil... I'm not sure what kind of pre maintenance items you have planned but with a boat as big as yours I would want to do as much as I could afford to do before taking it out. I would probably take the carb apart just to make sure there is no crud in it and it wouldn't hurt to replace the water pump either.. Keep it close to the ramp the first time out, the real test is a boat test under a load.

I can remember a few summers ago I was out in one of my race boats when the lower unit let go. All of a sudden I was alone on the lake on a hot mid summer day with no hat and no sun lotion, FAR from the ramp. I paddled almost 11 miles to get back to the ramp, took most of the day. As a matter of fact, my arms and shoulders still hurt. Another time I was out zippin around in my 19 ft Master Craft ski boat with my two boys when it just up and died. Problems always seem to happen when there aren't too many people out on the lake, on a windy day and FAR away from the ramp. LUCKILY I had a new condenser and new points on board and soon enough I was off and going... Also lucky I had my older son with me as well because yep, it was windy, yep, far from the ramp and yep, everyone all of a sudden disappeared. Stupid me I took the anchor off the boat to use on another boat and I didn't put it back. AS I was working on the engine the wind kept blowing the boat towards a real rocky shoreline. Straight inboard on a Master Craft, you DON'T want to hit anything and I just put a new 300 dollar prop on the boat. At least I didn't forget to put the paddle back in the boat, my son was pretty busy with it while I replaced the parts!

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

Hi Ken--the block was full of REAL green prestone.... which is A) old school way of winterizing marine engines and a real No-No as most people simply back the boat into the water the first fire off in spring and there goes the real anti-freeze into the lake/river/ocean... I drained it prior to firing it off and the H20 impeller was already swapped.... The carb will be addressed.

 

The 25' boat I'm putting together is going to be sold.... I don't like sedan cruisers (everybody else seems to so that's good for sales) .

 

The basic and quick story---I bought a 1984 Bayliner Cierra flybridge for some parts and the outdrive---this is the boat this engine came out of. The boat is being stripped of all its stainless, copper, brass, lights, controls etc.. and then is being shredded by the big fiberglass eating machine for $200.... the boat is shot sorry to say. I got everything I wanted and the motor was 100% bonus and for what I paid its a complete home run.

 

2 months after buying the above boat I found a 1986 Bayliner Cierra 25' Sedan Bridge and bought that because it had a $3500 Volvo Duo Prop drive... I wanted that drive BAD for my 32' Bayliner. I paid almost nothing for this rig, its clean and nicely laid out.... it came with a remanufactured 350 Chevy. So I pulled that out and its for sale to someone that needs an engine---that should bring in $3000 full dress and ready to run. The 305 from the above boat is going back in and it will be for sale for $5500 in the spring. A lot of wrench turning but that's what I enjoy and I should make a decent profit after working out all the details with the  guy that lets me use his shop etc... we are basically partners on the whole deal.

 

So... I get a Duo Prop drive on my 32 footer which is suppose to increase my MPG by about 15% basically for turning the wrenches plus some spending cash in my pocket. Not a bad score in my book.... so far I have about 30 hours of labor into the whole process... the Duo Prop drives really are the best ever.... read up on them via google

 

Tony

 

Heres a pic of my Bayliner with my kids on board in Wethersfield Cove and another of the Bayliner I'm putting together on the trailer....

[Ken B 3,164]

Your boat is real nice Tony. You have a real solid plan and it seems you have been doing this for quite some time. Where do you go mostly? CT river?

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

Hi Ken / Everybody,

yes I'm a river rat.. my slip is 33 miles u from the mouth... I spend a lot of time running up and down and visiting the islands and coves etc... The ocean and I don't get along very well.

 

Been working on boats for 20 years now... I was a full time boat mechanic for roughly 4 years, then switched over to fixing computers because the job came with health insurance. Best job I ever had was the boat deal... ---BUT--- no health insurance is a killer when the wife ends up pregnant. I enjoy it tremendously....

 

Tony

[Ken B 3,164]

Ya learn something new every day about someone. I never knew you were into boats, very cool. Now if I ever get a boat like yours I now know where to go to for advice... I know what ya mean about boating on the ocean. Myself, I wouldn't want to go out on it in a boat, especially one as big as yours unless it had two engines. A break down out there can get ugly fast and I can't imagine what Sea-Tow would charge for a tow back in.. I never worry too much about a break down on Candlewood lake, Sure, it sucks when it happens but its an enclosed body of water with house's covering the shoreline. I have been out on the CT river quite a few times, there are some very nice sites to see indeed... If ya don't mind take some pics of the scenery on the river when the leaves are in bloom....

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

Hi Ken, its not the problem with having a single engine.... its that I get sick really fast and really easy. I get out in 4' + seas its all over in 20 mins or less.... I keep a spare fuel pump, distributor, starter and tools along with a few other necessities on board. I've had to do some major repairs while anchored 2 hours from home... but I'm pretty confident in being able to get back. I also buy a sea tow policy for under $100 and it covers the tow if I ever need it. I also carry a 7.5 hp Evinrude configured for a sail boat---(extra long shaft), believe it or not a 7.5 hp motor will push my boat at about 5 mph which sounds slow but is a sure heck of a lot faster than the current pushing me farther away or having to drop anchor and hope for help.

 

I will try for pics..... and anytime you need boat help just ask.

 

Tony