Just purchased a 1992 230br Celebrity...

[EToHwisconsin]

Hey guys first off thanks for all the great knowledge that's out there on these forums

I just bought a 230 celebrity with a 7.4 454 mercruiser.
The engine has 720 ish hours and runs well except for a miss
Every now and then at full throttle. I had the owner replace the plugs
Before I got though. I tried to seek out service records as all
The work was done at one marina but they had no files of any bellows/gimbal work.

There is about a quarter inch of play in the bravo stern drive. The trim gauge doesnt work either.
I've read that water pump impeller replacement should be done with every used boat so
I'm going to attemp that.

Other than what I've said is there anyone who could offer me some advice
On where to go next in ensuring the boat will serve me for many seasons?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Just purchased a 1992 230br Celebrity...

Welcome to iboats . . . (it seems that I am saying that a lot this morning )

I have the 1991 Mercruiser 454 with Bravo O/D.

Water pump is lower starboard side of engine . . . good luck reaching it and seeing everything you need to see. I usually have to feel my way around down there. but definitely change the impeller. Make note of how the fins go on the old impeller and put the new one in the same way. I usually use a 3" hose clamp to collapse the fins a bit in order to get the impeller back into the pump body. I lube the thing with some dish soap to help glide it in, and it helps during the initial start-up of the engine as the pump is 'dry' at that point.

My outdrive has a bit of slop side to side . . . no biggy. If you see that the steering arm is really loose, then maybe some maintenance is in order.

The 454 is a fairly bullet-proof engine. . . . with 720 hours, you may want to do a compression check. Also the exhaust manifolds should be checked (drain them and take off the elbows for an internal inspection). New OEM style (gray) gaskets should be purchased and used for the inspection. If the manifold/riser leaks into the exhaust chamber, then water gets into the engine and trashes the valves (been there, done that)

You should probably check the boat itself for any signs of structural issues, based on its age.

So, enjoy and post some pics when you can.

 

[EToHwisconsin]

Re: Just purchased a 1992 230br Celebrity...

Thanks for the welcome!

The water impeller is first on my list. Second is checking the gear lube. I know i can search the forums and the internet, but is there any other way to check for any water intrusion into the gear lube via a resevoir on the transom?

Also, I sometimes get a few drips of water coming out where the exhaust bellows meets the manifold. The boat runs fine, just misses sometimes at WOT. I understand that water will sit in the bellows as a result of where the water line meets the actual boat - hence the use of risers. Could that be an underlying issue?

I checked for rot pretty thoroughly before i agreed to anything. Also demanded that we launch it before I make a serious offer. The only thing after the sea fare I requested was a fresh spark plug change.

Theres several things im looking forward to doing after this summer to the boat to ensure that my components are reliable.

As you can see, the hull's coat shows its 20 year age. I plan on compounding it, waxing, and polishing before this summer is over as well. But as they say, a nice looking boat that doesn't run on the water is a nice looking boat on a trailer.

 

[EToHwisconsin]

Re: Just purchased a 1992 230br Celebrity...

Wouldnt let me edit my post...

My trim gauge doesnt work either. I've had to go by ear - but i've read that it's best to just buy a whole new one than try to fix a faulty one. That requires removing the stern drive - though.

We'll see on that but the gauge is there for a reason and it's on the fix list.

I didn't get too great of a deal but somewhere around 5,000 was what i paid.

Nada does 4,200 low 5,800 high

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Just purchased a 1992 230br Celebrity...

You can replace the trim limit switch and trim gauge sender without removing the outdrive. I read the manual for the outdrive and it said the thing had to be taken apart to replace the senders . . . I said to myself "I'm not doing that" . . so I found a way to replace them. It is a bit tricky, but I did it. PM me and I can walk you through it.

Some people just cut the wires off and splice the new senders into the old wiring. but I don't think that is a good way to go.

The senders are sold as a set and the aftermarket kind seem to be just as good as the OEM kind. I opened mine up and added extra grease just to fend off any way intrusion.

Anyway, the outdrive looks in prime condition for a 20 year old . . .