Expensive lesson learned. Don't let boats sit for long periods of time

[AZQCBoater]

Hello Boating Peps.

So my boat has been sitting for two years and hasn't ran for about that time.
Reason for not using the boat is another story.

I finally decided to start getting it lake ready again.

Took the boat to the mechanic. Here is what was needed.

Complete annual normal maintenance stuff. Eg oil change, impeller, out drive lubed and serviced.

The expensive Items.

New fly wheel,
New Starter.
New Fresh water pump
New Fuel pump and filter.

So she is lake ready again.

So Lesson learned if you are not going to use the boat sell the boat.
I hung onto the boat thinking someday I will get it back into the water and start enjoying boating again.

The worse thing you can do to a boat is let is sit for long periods of time.

I looking forward to getting back onto the lake and enjoying life again.

 

[mr 88]

IMHO the flywheel , starter , fresh water pump , fuel pump and filter had nothing to do with it sitting for two years. The only thing that would ever concern me would be the gas not stabilized . Everything else is routine maintenance or was on the way out before you stopped using the boat . Some people may fog the engine or pull the spark plugs and shoot some fluid film etc. into the cylinders if they are worried about the rings hanging up.

 

[MTboatguy]

Most of that stuff does not happen just because she sat for a couple of years, I fired a Mercury 650 yesterday that has sit for 8 years and it rumbled to life and idled like it was still new, something was going on with your engine before you parked it.

 

[kpg7121]

My Starcraft powered by a 3.0 Cobra sat for close to 3 years without me running it. When I was ready again I changed the oil, gear lube, plugs, impeller, charged battery, fresh gas, greased gimbal bearing. I primed the carb, turned the key & she fired right up. She ran a little rough
​​​for a few minutes then smoothed out. It all depends on how you lay 'em up. Alas, the transom rotted so I had to part her out. Not doing no transom at my age.

 

[AZQCBoater]

I'm just going by what my mechanic said about the issues because the boat sat. I cannot do this work myself so I'm going by his word.

So further details to this story.
The boat was working perfectly fine last time on lake.
Went to start her up and the starter just made a whirling sound. So had the starter replaced along with all the other annual maintenance stuff. Got the boat home now its making a grinding sound with starting. Took boat back to mechanic and they said fly wheel has a bad spot with four bad teeth. They pulled the engine and replaced the fly wheel. During the test run fuel flow was erratic They replaced the fuel pump and it ran perfect. Then the fresh water pump started leaking. They replaced that. So now the boat is lake ready. Hope to do a sea trial this weekend and give her a good run before I take anyone else with me.

 

[AZQCBoater]

I forgot to add they did the plugs, and distributor cap.

Myself I replaced the carpet "needed it badly" and Seats. Wanted lounge seats instead of captain chairs.
Over the next couple of months I will have the engine cover, bow cushions reupholstered.
Just wanted to get the mechanical stuff out of the way before doing reupholstery work.

Oh I did drain as much fuel I could have and added fresh gas with fuel additive before starting for the first time.

I have someone this Friday coming out to give it a good buff and wax job. Don't feel like doing it myself.

The boat in Question is a 1996 Glastron Gs205 anniversary addition.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you should have only had to replace the ring gear and not the complete flywheel

the starter is questionable, as most likely the bendix simply needed lube

 

[AZQCBoater]

They said fly well. May have been ring. The engine was pulled anyway.

 

[Iskander-M]

Agree on the point that if your engine sits for a wile you can find some new issues when coming back. Not to mention all the gum in the fuel system if you dot winterise it all correctly.

i do my full service at the end of season and come back in the winter about a couple of times just to run the engine for half hour. Always keep a aull tank of fuel mixed with Sea foam and Stabill off course.

 

[kpg7121]

i forgot to add they did the plugs, and distributor cap.

Myself i replaced the carpet "needed it badly" and seats. Wanted lounge seats instead of captain chairs.
Over the next couple of months i will have the engine cover, bow cushions reupholstered.
Just wanted to get the mechanical stuff out of the way before doing reupholstery work.

Oh i did drain as much fuel i could have and added fresh gas with fuel additive before starting for the first time.

I have someone this friday coming out to give it a good buff and wax job. Don't feel like doing it myself.

The boat in question is a 1996 glastron gs205 anniversary addition.

pics!

 

[QBhoy]

You’ve either been terribly unlucky with already inherent problems raising their head now....or your mechanic is at it and taking the Micky. Sitting for 2 years if left preserved properly should be too much of an issue really.

 

[AZQCBoater]

I will get picts soon. I hope to get the first sea trial this Saturday. I did nothing to winterize it.
The mechanic seem honest enough. I was expecting worse like a frozen motor.

 

[H20Rat]

You learned a valuable lesson, boats have a personality. She didn't like sitting idle for that long, so random unconnected things 'failed'. Although unlikely, that pretty much happens to me all the time! For me at least, it is usually batteries. They always fail in 3's. If I have a boat battery that dies, I might as well per-emptively replace the tractor and UTV batteries, they are probably going to fail the next weekend.