Ristin
Seaman
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2017
- Messages
- 58
1984 18' open bow Seaswirl Sierra 3.8L OMC
This boat has been a maintenance nightmare since purchase last month. So far I've had to replace the bulb in the bow light, replace the still original bilge blower (worked but not well), clean surface rust off the cigarette lighter so my cell phone charger would work and clean some surface corrosion off the windshield wiper switch so the wiper would work. (An item I'll never use) HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Seriously through, this boat has been awesome so far. No leaks, engine starts right up, runs strong, doesn't use oil, no water in the drive housings. This ole girl has far exceeded my expectations.
Now, this could be my imagination or that crazy part of my brain that's looking for problems where none exist but it seems like the engine exhaust noise is louder during cruise and full throttle operation compared to the first few times we took it out. I don't run flat out very much, I tend to cruise at 3100 RPM which gives me 26mph. Last trip out I thought the engine exhaust was louder but didn't say anything to my wife because I thought maybe I was just getting used to the boat and starting to notice things that I hadn't noticed before.
Later in the day my wife says, "wow seems like the boat is louder than before"
Oh.great.
I stopped and pulled the engine cover off and didn't see anything amiss. At idle the engine is quiet and the exhaust gasses burble up between the drive case and the transom. Assuming this is normal as it has always done that at idle and upon inspection in the garage there appears to be a port that allows this. My assumption being that this is a relief to avoid excessive back pressure at idle. Yeah, I'm making a lot of assumptions.
I don't smell exhaust in the engine compartment nor do I get exhaust smell while running the blower.
Is there something I should check or am I just being paranoid?

This boat has been a maintenance nightmare since purchase last month. So far I've had to replace the bulb in the bow light, replace the still original bilge blower (worked but not well), clean surface rust off the cigarette lighter so my cell phone charger would work and clean some surface corrosion off the windshield wiper switch so the wiper would work. (An item I'll never use) HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Seriously through, this boat has been awesome so far. No leaks, engine starts right up, runs strong, doesn't use oil, no water in the drive housings. This ole girl has far exceeded my expectations.
Now, this could be my imagination or that crazy part of my brain that's looking for problems where none exist but it seems like the engine exhaust noise is louder during cruise and full throttle operation compared to the first few times we took it out. I don't run flat out very much, I tend to cruise at 3100 RPM which gives me 26mph. Last trip out I thought the engine exhaust was louder but didn't say anything to my wife because I thought maybe I was just getting used to the boat and starting to notice things that I hadn't noticed before.
Later in the day my wife says, "wow seems like the boat is louder than before"
Oh.great.
I stopped and pulled the engine cover off and didn't see anything amiss. At idle the engine is quiet and the exhaust gasses burble up between the drive case and the transom. Assuming this is normal as it has always done that at idle and upon inspection in the garage there appears to be a port that allows this. My assumption being that this is a relief to avoid excessive back pressure at idle. Yeah, I'm making a lot of assumptions.
I don't smell exhaust in the engine compartment nor do I get exhaust smell while running the blower.
Is there something I should check or am I just being paranoid?


