O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

[180Fisherman]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

No biggie. Sounds like you fixed the problem. check/replace that impeller and you're on your way. You'll be having many years of boating enjoyment.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

A couple of take-away points:
Never take the family on the maiden voyage. Never. (you did right)
Motors need to be run, especially outboards. Low hours is not a good thing; it's not at all the same as miles on a car.
As was said, always carry tools and parts (fuses, hose clamps).
When you buy an older boat, price the cost of a replacement engine (even a used one) and put it in the budget. Chances are, every motor is going to get replaced sooner or later. You know the saying--hope for the best and plan for the worst.

 

[robbyr1]

Update 2:WORST CASE SCENIARIO!

Update 2:WORST CASE SCENIARIO!

I just took my boat to a mechanic after it overheated on my maiden voyage. BLOWN MOTOR! $3000! How's that for a kick in the pants!

 

[sigma]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

If you have the ad or anything in writing stating it was in good condition you need to take him to small claims court now.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

I suggest a second opinion. $3000 is a serious chunk of change.

Did you hear any noises? Like knocking etc.. Or just smoke?

 

[robbyr1]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Sigma,

I'd love to sue him (actually, I'd like to blow up his house) but I don't think I have a leg to stand on. We both signed a piece of paper that says "as is, no warranties, no liens, etc.

I feel like puking right now. Please don't everyone pile on and tell me what a dumbass I am; I already know.

I can't believe that I'll have to pay $3000 for someone else's mistake.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Sigma,

I'd love to sue him (actually, I'd like to blow up his house) but I don't think I have a leg to stand on. We both signed a piece of paper that says "as is, no warranties, no liens, etc.

I feel like puking right now. Please don't everyone pile on and tell me what a dumbass I am; I already know.

I can't believe that I'll have to pay $3000 for someone else's mistake.

What does "blown engine" mean? Did your mechanic tell you what is wrong with it?

Before you shell out another 3 grand get a second opinion. Better yet, post here what your mechanic told you happened to the motor and maybe someone here can help you to get it fixed for less money.

 

[robbyr1]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Mechanic pulled the spark plugs & did a compression test: cylinders 1 & 4 were at 160, 2 & 3 were at 30.

 

[thedukeryan]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Damn $3k for a engine??? I think I would pass on that. Last year my buddy dropped a 350 in my Wellcraft for $500 out the door. He had the engine and was able to do it in a afternoon. What engine do you have? Just find a good ole boy to pull it and drop a new/used one in. Its more than I wanna mess with but it is not rocket science. Last year I was looking at a 23' cuddy that a Marina was brokering. It needed a new engine due to the previous not being winterized. The owner wanted the boat sold. It was a late 80's early 90's ebbtide in good shape. The marina said they could work a deal between me and the owner and do $4k for the boat, trailer and replacement engine installed. I say if the old engine cant be saved just drop a used one in. I will say that last year I sold my old Bayliner and the new buyer burned up the impeller while running it out of water. He ended up burning up the engine. I offered him $500 just cause I felt bad for him. He made it very clear that he expected no money from me and took full responsability for it. The problem you may run into is the seller can easily say that the engine ran tip top when he sold it and that the damage was done after the sale. I would like to hear more details about what exactly is wrong with the engine and what caused it.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Mechanic pulled the spark plugs & did a compression test: cylinders 1 & 4 were at 160, 2 & 3 were at 30.

Ok. So maybe you've blown the head gasket, maybe you've burnt holes in the #2 and #3 pistons, maybe you've cracked the block.. I don't think you can write off the motor just by reading low compression in two cylinders.

If you are mechanically inclined my advice would be to get a service manual and remove the head on your engine. You might find it's not as bad as you think.

I don't know if you can remove the head on this engine without pulling it out of the boat, other may chime in.

What you will find is that it doesn't cost $3000 for you to try and figure it out yourself!

 

[642mx]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Mechanic pulled the spark plugs & did a compression test: cylinders 1 & 4 were at 160, 2 & 3 were at 30.

Sounds like a head gasket or a valve... if there was a hole in the piston it wouldn't have any compression in those cylinders. If I where you, the only money I would spend is enough for a good shop manual.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Volvo 3.0L is just like my 2.5L. Super easy to work on and very durable.

If there is a problem with the engine it is a cracked head, bad valve, or blown head gasket. It shold not exceed a grand even if the head needs replaced.

One time overheating to 240 degrees even will not "blow" the engine. I had a cat 3116 diesel so hot it would hardly run, having no electrical system & no dash guages made it so I had no clue it was overheating. It was fine. Had a tad more oil consumption after that but ran just fine. So I think they are trying to make money from a new boater. Run and get a 2nd opinion.

 

[thedukeryan]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Can you say for sure that the engine was damaged before the sale? If it was damaged after the purchase I think your gonna have a hard time getting any money out of him. Was the damage caused from the hoses hooked up incorrectly or do you know. Try to get a reasonable price for what it will take to fix it. $3k is way out of line. Once you get a reasonable quote try to get the seller to do 50/50. If it is something you don't wanna mess with then get multiple quotes. The whole $3k cause "its blown" doesn't sound right to me.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat UPDATED WITH BAD NEWS!

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat UPDATED WITH BAD NEWS!

I called the guy I bought it from & asked if he had any ideas (I was hoping he said he spray painted something and that's what was smoking.) He said the check the hoses for the water intake, maybe he switched them when he hooked everything back up. Yes, he did switch the hoses!

I know you bought the boat as is, but with the intention everything was good to go, I would call the guy and tell him what his mistake cost you, and have the conversation recorded, it does hold up if the judge hears the conversation.
And you might be awarded your money back or partial payment or all.

 

[madurodave]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

3k for a "blown" engine? no dice my man

 

[mattb1974]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat UPDATED WITH BAD NEWS!

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat UPDATED WITH BAD NEWS!

I know you bought the boat as is, but with the intention everything was good to go, I would call the guy and tell him what his mistake cost you, and have the conversation recorded, it does hold up if the judge hears the conversation.
And you might be awarded your money back or partial payment or all.

This would never hold up in court, this is a private sale with an "as is" clause, the judge would give the buyer a lecture about the meaning of "BUYER BEWARE" and send him on his way with no $ and a red face. If he bought it from a dealer, it would be a different story.

Call the guy, explain what has happened and that his mistake just cost 3K and see if he will split the cost, then spend $500 and fix it yourself.

 

[thedukeryan]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Court is not the way to go. You will end up wasting more time/money and have nothing to show. Be polite but firm and ask that the seller split it with you. Get a honest quote and present it to the seller. You will be surprised how honest most people are. Don't let it get you down. I am sure the $3k quote was a big scare but I would be very surprised if your out over $1k.

 

[superpop]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Unfortunately there are a lot of rip off artists out there and even more crooked shops. $3000 grand for a motor replacement is just silly. Sounds like the shop is trying to take advantage of the situation. On the other hand I would not have a good ol boy that you do not know do the job either. Everyone on Craigslist thinks they are a mechanic while most do not have the skills or tools to do the job properly. A sloppy install is worse than overpaying. Talk to a few shops and get competitive bids. Your location can have a big impact as well. A few years ago I knew a guy who hauled his boat over from Western WA to Eastern WA to have the outdrive pressure tested and resealed. All the Seattle shops wanted a grand or more for the service and a good shop over on the other side of the state did it for around 400.00. So it was worth the 2 hour drive for him. I think going to the PO is going to be a waste of time. It was sold as is, he could simply say that he would have noticed the problem long before you did and not done any damage other than maybe an impeller. Too many variables for the PO to have liability. Take it as a lesson learned, I blew $1200.00 on bogus and overinflated repairs with a shop in Renton, WA when I got my first boat and I learned to fix everything myself after that.

 

[superpop]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

And hopefully you knew when you got into this hobby that it is stupid expensive. I did the math once and just stopped because it was pretty stupid what I was paying on a trip by trip basis.

 

[mattb1974]

Re: O.K. I'm buying a boat.....UPDATE: bought one BAD news....

Even if the guy knew something was wrong with that thing before selling it to you, you have no leg to stand on and no legal recourse. He can lie to your face and tell you everything is OK even if everything isnt. The key here is whats on paper ....."as is" meaning you accept the boat AS IS. If you would have asked for a warranty maybe he would have given you one but he would have charged alot more for the boat. You didnt ask for a warranty and you didnt get a warranty.

suck it up
break out your wallet
chaulk it up as lesson learned
get the manuals for the engine
move forward