Everything that could go wrong

[Edrowski]

Hello everyone of iboats. I come to you all in search of encouragement and your knowledge. Ok so I have a 84 bayliner Capri with the aq125a and 270 outdrive. Now I'm no mechanic so I'm having trouble with some of these issues. Had a boat guru come diagnose everything and this is what he said. So first and probably the biggest is my transom. he was poking around and looking at it and said it isn't good but it's not bad. I did the test with a hammer tapping on it and it sounded decent. Is there anything else I can check? Next biggest problem is my bellows. He said they need replacing or I'll sink like a rock. Said parts are about 100-200 depending. And he said about a 5-6 hour job. Does this sound right? Don't want to get ripped off or anything or is it something I could do myself? And finally I have some other odds and ends like a leak in the exhaust manifold. A leak in the manifold that connects the heads. I'm only 19 so I'm having a heart to heart and going over my options. Whether to try and sell it as is or take on the problems All help is appreciated

 

[Dave-R]

Welcome to the world of owning and operating a boat. Not sure what to think about the transom. Without looking at it, I can't give any advise there. The bellows you can do yourself, and also the leaking exhaust manifold you can do also. There is enough information out there that you should be able complete these jobs. All you need is a little knowledge and a lot of fortitude . When you do work on your boat you will gain experience, that will always be helpful down the road. Go for it. Dave-R

 

[no704]

I have a similar boat. At a minimum replace the drive bellows change the fluids and greese the pds.

 

[Scott Danforth]

bellows are normal maintenance for your boat. should be done EVERY 2 years along with changing the raw water inlet casting and impeller on your motor/drive combination.

2 hour job. bellows kit about $120

see link #3. http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engin...ives/366271-vp you newbs have to start reading the stickies.

and yes, your 34 year old bayliner will have rot

 

[mklearl]

Soft transom=run IMHO. Even if you buy brand ee you are going to learn more about boat and engine maintenance than you ever wanted to. But there's no sense in learning and sinking money into something that won't make it worth your while in the long run. Good luck!

 

[tpenfield]

A 34 year old Bayliner definitely puts you on a learning curve. Actually, a 34 year old anything will put you on a learning curve. . . . You will want to become a boat mechanic unless you have reasonably deep pockets to pay for repair work. The guru estimate does not seem too bad, maybe a bit on the safe side. But as noted, much less cost and more learning to DIY.

 

[kenny nunez]

If you have an exhaust leak out of #4 the head is eroded at the surface where the manifold mates to it, This was a problem with the Volvos. There was a tool that Volvo made that cleaned and bored out the hole and a steel ring was inserted. The other alternative was taking the boat to a welding shop and having it built up and grinding the surface back. Also you will need a new exhaust manifold. You have some decisions to make.

 

[dennis461]

Sounds like your boat is in as bad a shape as mine when I first bought it...for cheap.
First time out, used a local boat ramp on a small river, my myself, my son, and our dog.
Exhaust leaked like a sieve, engine would not get above idle, water was filling up the bilge from several small holes.
So we stayed near the ramp, stayed out of deep water and..

Had a pretty good time!

I don't dare add up all the money I've spent since then.
But, the Volvo Penta can be made into a very reliable boat (as most any boat) if you learn the boat and are prepared to repair/replace the important pieces.

As for the cylinder head, in the old days, few engines had aluminum heads, so a specialized tool and part from Volvo was needed.
Nowadays almost all engines are aluminum, so a good engine rebuilder can easily repair the head.
I used a junk yard car engine cylinder head on my boat.

Start reading the stickies as suggested, and there are two bellows and a hose that should be replaced at the same time.
I'd also get a good look at the shift cable, could replace it at the same time.
And while your at it, replace the rubber hose inside the boat which covers the shift cable (if it's rotten water can get in and fill your bilge).