First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

[95Monterey]

Found a '95 Monterey 180SAR with Volvo 3.0L GLSX and never have worked on marine systems. Overall the boat is in really good shape cosmetically except for some vinyl. Its been sitting unused for 3-4yrs. The engine compartment shows a water line because the plug was left in while sitting in the elements and filled part way. The owner had bought it for their deceased husband and stated they might have had it on the water maybe 20 times since buying it new. Overall, it seemed to be the case; the trailer was in great shape as well. Anyway, thought after dumping all the fluids to do a pressure test. Should I be looking or doing anything else? What kind of damage could have occured with water sitting a little past the oil pan besides the starter needing to be cleaned up or replaced? I can't see how any water got in the engine and this part of Texas doesn't get that many freezes. I will post some pics soon.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

Pull the drive. You want to do that anyway. Very good chance you got water in the bellows. If so, expect u-joints and gimble bearing to be toast as well.

 

[95Monterey]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

Would there be any indications/signs by just free spinning the prop?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

Would there be any indications/signs by just free spinning the prop?

All that will tell you is the prop spins freely.....not much else.


You should drain and refill the engine and drive.

You'll also probably need to inspect and replace the spark plugs, dist cap, rotor, possibly the spark plug wires, replace the fuel filter etc.


This is all normal stuff.

If the water made it up to the starter, you'll probably need to replace or rebuild it.

if you find any water in the oil, you may need to look further for water intrusion.

Start all this by going to the top of this forum and looking for the service manual. There's a lot of other stuff there too. (first three messages)


Good luck,


Rick

 

[95Monterey]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

thanks for pointing me in a good starting point. and will look for those service manuals on here. I had ordered one online but just didn't want to wait to get going on this. very eager to get the family out on the water but wanted to make sure I checked over everything the right way before destroying a good boat.

 

[Bondo]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

this part of Texas doesn't get that many freezes.

Ayuh,.... It only takes 1....

 

[JimMH]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

Bondo is right it only takes one freeze to crack a block. Check for water in the oil if there is good chance the cold weather got to it. Never been a fan of weilding a cast iron block. but you will be looking as some $$$ if you have to replace it.

 

[pete44]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

It got 8 degrees here in the heart of dixie a couple of weeks ago. When I looked at my dash mounted compass it was cracked. FILED13 it!

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

Also depending on how long the water sat in there you may want to check the transom, engine mounts, stringers, for rot. Even though they are encased in glass they are not waterproof inside like you would think they are. Look in the resto. forum there is a boat same year and brand as yours that was not subjected to a filled bilge that needed alot of deck/stringer work due to rot. And yes drain ALL of the fluids and replace, and everything that has been suggested above as well.

 

[95Monterey]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

thanks for all the responses. great access to info here. I got my syphon pump buddy and drained the fluids; so far no bad colors for the fluids or metal shavings found. I did come across what appears to be blocking plugs on my exhaust manifold. It looks like there should be 2 plus the brass drain plug, but one is missing. Is it possible to get this replugged?

 

[littlebookworm]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

Congrats on your new boat. Not sure what you mean by "blocking plugs." If you mean the screw-in plugs which seal the manifold drain holes, you can buy replacements at any home center, hardware store, or boat supply house. Take one with you to match thread and size. Before you put them back it, clear out the drain hole with a piece of wire coat hanger. Put a little sealant on the threads and you're good to go.

 

[95Monterey]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

No, I could not feel any threads inside. They are recessed a little and flat with an exterior lip. There is just the one brass pipe drain. I did call a dealer and they stated they are brass pressed covers; something to do with the molding process. They said I could order some ($10) and tap one in, but most of the reasons they come out is because of a crack. I inspected the whole area and around the inside lip but could not see anything wrong. Guess I will try that method unless somebody else has dealt with this before.?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: First time owner. Should I drain all fluids???

They said I could order some ($10) and tap one in, but most of the reasons they come out is because of a crack.

Or the water inside froze.