85 bayliner ciera

[ex0r]

Hey there. Me and my dad are looking at a bayliner ciera that is for sale around us. The guy wants $2500 for it. The boat itself appears to be in fair condition for it's age. The interior and seats etc are prestine and the helm has a cover over it when he's not using it. He said the reason he wants to get rid of it so cheap compared to the typical price for that boat, is because the location he uses it at is too small (its a channel on a lake), and he just wants to get rid of it.

He started it up for us, it fired right up, the electronics worked on it. We hooked muffs up to the intake on it, but we were concerned because we couldn't see (with the exception of the drain hole at the very bottom/back of the lower unit), any water pumping out of the outboard anywhere. We aren't completely familiar with boats, but I am not sure if not having a weep hole is typical on I/O motors. I am not sure what motor is in it, but the air intake canister on the top says volvo pinto, so I am assuming it's the volvo motor.

The videos I've seen online of the boat (Not this particular one, but the same model) running in the water don't appear to have a weep hole either, and it looks like the I/O is almost completely submerged in the water during operation, so are we just crazy in assuming that not seeing any water expelling from the sterndrive is a cause for concern, or should we look into it further?

 

[Bondo]

I am not sure what motor is in it, but the air intake canister on the top says volvo pinto, so I am assuming it's the volvo motor.

Ayuh,.... With most I/Os, most of the waste water is expelled with the motor's exhaust,.....

On a bayliner that old, knowin' exactly which motor, 'n drive model is very, Very important,....

Some of 'em, ya can't get parts for,....

Another thing, a bayliner that old probably has a pile of rotten 'bout gone wood in the transom, 'n stringers,...
Any flotation foam is probably soppin' wet with water too,.....

From yer description, I wouldn't go near it,.....

 

[ex0r]

Hey, thanks for the reply.

The very first thing I did was investigate and inspect the transom by both sight and feel. I know this isn't all-telling, but it made me comfortable enough to be convinced that it's solid. . As I mentioned in my previous post, the boat is in very good condition for it's age. The captains seat, the outside bench seats, and the entire below-deck cabin are immaculate, and you can tell it was taken care of over the years. The instrument panel still has the original vinyl cover that snaps over it to keep it out of the weather. The paint itself on the boat is barely even faded. The only concern I really had was that I didn't see any water coming out of the motor, as I am used to seeing it from the other boats that I've had, which haven't been sterndrives. (I have an 18' pontoon with a 20hp outboard, and i've had an older 76 reinell with a mercruiser motor, but that one you can tell is ejecting what when it's going through the water). Also, when we first looked at the boat, he had it in the water, and when we came back to look at it it was trailered so I know that it floats and doesn't leak water.

I was just concerned with not seeing water coming out of the motor, because aside from my mercruiser i've never had a sterndrive and wasn't sure if they were supposed to weep or not.

Here's the posting with some pictures of the boat:

http://jxn.craigslist.org/boa/5615736495.html

 

[PatinIdaho]

No Title

Looks like a 245 Bayliner. The stringers and transom are probably ok.
Probably has a AQ280 outdrive. That hole on the bottom needs to be plugged when running on the muffs or the engine will not get any water and you will probably burn up the seawater pump impeller.
That hole is also a water intake as well as drain and with out a plug in it there is no way the engine will get anything but air when on the muffs.
I unhook the hose circled in yellow and put the garden hose in it.
Same boat by the way.

 

[ex0r]

Yeah, we didn't have it running but for a few seconds just to hear it start up and run. For future reference, what do you recommend plugging it with? Just a piece of rubber or something?

Is this a reliable/good boat to take to the lake? Looking to do some local lakes around here until we are comfortable driving it, then we will head to the great lakes of Michigan.

 

[PatinIdaho]

Anything to plug the hole when on muffs. Be sure to unplug it for normal at the lake use!
On mine even with the hole plugged and a new impeller it will not get water so that is why i unhook that hose and use it for water.

Reliable depends on you and maintenance entirely
Good boat imho a little small for me after having it a year.

Also if you buy it here is a sight for all Bayliner owners with TONS of info.
http://www.baylinerownersclub.org/index.php/forum/index

 

[ex0r]

So we bought it, and hooked it up via a garden hose like you suggested. On-land it ran fine. Took it out for its maiden voyage and had nothing but issues. First, previous owner put a new shift cable on it, and somehow reversed the cables at the shifter. Found out the hard way when we went to launch from the launch and ran the boat directly into the back of the truck :/

Secondly, both of the rubber boots in the exhaust burned through and smoke was pouring out everywhere when I was attempting to get it out of the boat launch. Why they'd make a rubber boot for exhaust is beyond me, but they both need replaced.

Lastly, it appears the outlet for the motor is on the side, where the bugle pump evacuates. When we had the Hosed hooked up to the hose circled in your picture, it was shooting a steady stream of water out that hole.

Aye aye aye

 

[ex0r]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but didn't want to clutter the forums.

Winter is gone, and it's getting warmer. We started back on the boat again. We left last season with some unresolved issues, and want to address them.

As suggested in this topic, we disconnected the hose in the back and forced water into it from a hose. Got nothing. I ended up disconnected the red 'valve' on the top front, that has the two larger hoses and the two smaller hoses hooked up to it (The hoses coming from the water pump it look like). I put water directly into the opening via a hose from here, and after about a minute, water starts draining out of the bottom of the motor. I took the the exhaust manifold on the side opposite the captains chair, and the water appears to be coming from behind one of the motor mount holes (There is a triangle shaped bracket that bolts to the block). The water is pouring out of, or near the bottom hole on this mount. I could've swore somebody posted pictures of this motor gutted before, and mentioned that that hole isn't a through hole, so I am not sure why it's leaking water out of it, or if that's even where it's coming from, but it appears to be.

Is this a normal problem? I'd like to hope that I can remove the bolt, put some thread tape on it and put it back in to seal it from leaking, but I am not sure what all is involved in repairing it.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Post a picture of whatever "Hole" yer talkin' about,.....

 

[dennis461]

You need to update the post with type of boat motor, type of drive, make model engine etc.

I suspect the boat was left with drain pet-cocks open or rust holes in exhaust manifolds.
You also need to find the raw water pump and inspect impeller. If it sat all winter with an old impeller, it's not going to work very well.

Did you replae the rotted bellows?

 

[ex0r]

So.... after looking further, I found where the water was coming from. Directly behind the motor mount is an engine drain plug (one of the bigger ones), and it's gone. The one in the rear is in-tact though. Looks like I have to put a new expansion plug in there.

Also, if by bellows you mean the black things that attach to the exhaust manifolds, then yes, I replaced both of those. I do suspect the water pump may be bad though (either that or having that expansion plug out is causing the system to not pressurize with water), as I still can not seem to get the water to come into the engine yet.

It's an 86 bayliner, and I have the Volvo Penta 5.0L motor. It has the AQ280 sterndrive on it.

 

[Maclin]

If the impeller is not pumping water then those rubber exhaust hoses will burn up in about 10 minutes. They have to have water coming out with the exhaust to keep them below melting temp. Sounds like last July the impeller had already failed.

There are only 2 drain plugs on the V8 engine you have, both same size and same location opposite each other low on the sides of the block. What you described sounds like a casting core plug. There are different sizes of those in the engine block and heads. Those are not supposed to fail.

 

[ex0r]

This is an image of the block. It's upside down. The two large holes on either end are the core plugs. The one behind the motor mount (right side) is missing. I am not sure that it failed, it could have been removed.

The impeller was what I was going to check next, although the water pump is attached to the front of the motor and is powered by the alternator belt so I am not sure how easy it is to remove and service.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would skip this boat for a number of reasons

first, that is not the original motor in the pics. would like to have the history on the motor

second, a missing core plug is a sign of bad winterization

third, anyone who fires up an AQ series drive without a cork or something in the bottom nose hole while on muffs doesnt know his own equipment

4th, its a 30 year old bayliner - make sure you have it surveyed

 

[ex0r]

According to the manufacturer and the parts list we received from them, that is the correct motor that belongs in the boat. (Volvo penta 5.0l with an aq280 drive)

as far as 'passing' on the boat, it's not an option anymore. We already purchased it (last year) and at this point feel it's worth more to invest fixing the couple of problems it's had (one of which was already addressed for free).

aside from the water not pumping through it originally, it runs solid and strong.

 

[Maclin]

This is an image of the block. It's upside down. The two large holes on either end are the core plugs. The one behind the motor mount (right side) is missing. I am not sure that it failed, it could have been removed.

The impeller was what I was going to check next, although the water pump is attached to the front of the motor and is powered by the alternator belt so I am not sure how easy it is to remove and service.

Drain plug holes are threaded, designed to have a brass pipe plug installed and removed however many times that needs to happen for winterization and whatnot. Core plugs are installed once for the life of an engine. If one falls out that is a sign of abuse or improper material.

 

[Bondo]

The one behind the motor mount (right side) is missing. I am not sure that it failed, it could have been removed.

Ayuh,..... Most common cause for this is freezin' with water in the block, which usually cracks the block, as well as pushin' the core plugs out,...

 

[Scott Danforth]

According to the manufacturer and the parts list we received from them, that is the correct motor that belongs in the boat. (Volvo penta 5.0l with an aq280 drive)

while a 5.0 may be original, the 5.0 in the pic would not have been unless the motor was removed, repainted, different heads installed, corvette valve covers installed and an edelbrock intake installed.

 

[ex0r]

while a 5.0 may be original, the 5.0 in the pic would not have been unless the motor was removed, repainted, different heads installed, corvette valve covers installed and an edelbrock intake installed.

The image you are looking at is NOT my boat or motor. That was another user posting theirs, and I believe it was only for reference to show the inlet for the water, nothing more.

My motor is actually the one that goes in it. It has the red valve covers on it, as well as the original intake and carb.