5.0 GL - Missing parts?

aurora_owner

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Hello everyone,
New to the forums, boats, and I/O engines in general. I recently purchased a 2000 Starcraft Aurora 2415 with a 5.0 GL. I haven't picked up the boat yet so the only picture I have of the engine compartment is the one attached. I know it's missing the flame arrestor and cover, but does anyone else notice anything obviously missing/broken/wrong?

I plan on cleaning everything thoroughly when I get it and replace belts/pulleys/spark plugs, clean the carb, flush and change the oil and filter, and drain and flush the fuel system and replace the fuel filter. Is there anything else I need to do before starting it up (or attempting to..)?

Finally, any reason not to go aftermarket for the flame arrestor? An OEM shield and cover look too expensive so I'd like to buy a used or aftermarket shield and fab or 3D print a cover myself.

Thanks everyone!
 

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Scott Danforth

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the bilge is filty - red flag
the pulleys are rusty - red flag
it looks like there was water in the bilge - red flag


all three issues above scream lack of prior maintenance

I personally would be pulling the motor and going thru everything. the starter may have been submerged

flame arrestors simply need to meet USCG approval. the cover is simply a vanity cover with the spark plug information on it (same info in the manual) the the name Volvo on it. it is not worth the effort unless you want a piece of plastic sitting over the spark arrestor.

look on CL near you. i myself am selling a bunch of VP marine parts on CL and have a flame arrestor. Send me a PM if interested.
 

aurora_owner

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the bilge is filty - red flag
the pulleys are rusty - red flag
it looks like there was water in the bilge - red flag


all three issues above scream lack of prior maintenance

I personally would be pulling the motor and going thru everything. the starter may have been submerged

flame arrestors simply need to meet USCG approval. the cover is simply a vanity cover with the spark plug information on it (same info in the manual) the the name Volvo on it. it is not worth the effort unless you want a piece of plastic sitting over the spark arrestor.

look on CL near you. i myself am selling a bunch of VP marine parts on CL and have a flame arrestor. Send me a PM if interested.

Thanks for the feedback! Agreed about lack of prior maintenance. Definitely knew this was going to be a project going into it (and the price of the boat reflected that). Which is odd because the rest of the boat is immaculate.

Forgot to add, motor supposedly only has 98 hours on it.

The valve hose from the risers is supposed to bolt under the arrestor cover, correct? That's the only reason I was considering buying a cover - to prevent water from getting into the open end of the hose.
 

Lou C

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Did the boat partially sink, or did the blige get flooded because the plug was left in when it was in storage out of the water? Check the starter and check the oil pan for rust. Also you may need to replace the battery cables if corroded, check the ground cables that bolt to the studs on the bell housing.

You will have 4 hoses that connect to the flame arrestor retaining stud:
one from each valve cover to bring blow by oil fumes up to the flame arrestor
one from each exhaust elbow, which is actually a check valve to reduce or eliminate vacuum in the exhaust system.

Get a good flame arrestor and I would not bother with one of those covers, they don't really serve a purpose.

98 hrs? the former owners should be embarrassed!
 

alldodge

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motor supposedly only has 98 hours on it.

Might be off a digit (980), or just sales talk, but no way to tell in any case. Would take a well maintained 900 hour or a 90 hour motor any day
 

aurora_owner

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Did the boat partially sink, or did the blige get flooded because the plug was left in when it was in storage out of the water?

Don't know the answer since it was bought at auction but bilge plug is probably a good guess. The rest of the boat is in great shape so I don't think it partially sank.

The mechanical hourmeter reads 98.4 hours... but who knows if it's accurate.

Anyway thanks for the advice everyone and I'll keep you updated on the rebuild!
 

Scott Danforth

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Don't know the answer since it was bought at auction but bilge plug is probably a good guess. The rest of the boat is in great shape so I don't think it partially sank.

The mechanical hourmeter reads 98.4 hours... but who knows if it's accurate.

Anyway thanks for the advice everyone and I'll keep you updated on the rebuild!

be more afraid of a 20 year old boat with only 98.4 hours on it vs a 2 year old boat with 2000 hours on it. the boat with 2000 hours in 2 years is getting used, maintained and serviced. the boat with barely any hours is rotting away from non-use and non-maintenance.

think about it, that boat sat at least 364.8 days per year between uses. yes, only 0.2 days per year usage. I average 200 hours a year most years.

with only 98.4 hours, most likely 20 hours were put on the boat in year one (3 major weekends), about 18 hours in year two , about 10 hours in year three, about 10 hours in year 4 then it may or may not have had an oil change. etc. then it probably sat for 3-4 years, was sold, and owner #2 put about 40 hours on it over the next few years and then the boat sat unused with the plug in it for about 14 years.

seriously doubt the impeller was changed or the bellows serviced (VP recommends bellows change at year 3 or 100 hours, and every 2 years or 100 hours after that)

just stating, be wary. the condition of that bilge is a red flag
 

aurora_owner

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Yes - completely agree. I bought it knowing the engine could be a total loss. The price was good enough that I could scrap the whole boat if I have to and sell the trailer to cover my costs.
 

Scott Danforth

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I go back to my comment. pull the drive and inspect, and pull the motor and inspect.

at that point, if its bad, you could rebuild stock or make a stroker out of it.
 

Scott06

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I think the OEM plastic shield above the flame arrestor besides being a surface for written comments is to keep any inadvertent water From getting in the carb. My mercruiser unit covers both the carb and distributor from any water off the sun pad.
 

Scott Danforth

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I think the OEM plastic shield above the flame arrestor besides being a surface for written comments is to keep any inadvertent water From getting in the carb. My mercruiser unit covers both the carb and distributor from any water off the sun pad.

Calling bullshit......... Its two functions are marketing of the Volvo name and marketing to hide the spark arrestor. On a Mercruiser....., its to market Mercruiser, and on the remans to have the flamed decals

If you have water off the sun pad, the stock spark arrestor is sufficient
 

GA_Boater

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All of them have covers today, even boats without sun pads.

The big reason is when an owner opens the doghouse or engine hatch they can't see the motor. So off to the dealer to check the oil or belts. Rate books get to add an extra line for cover removal for most engine service. Devious to say the least, but service departments love 'em.
 

Scott06

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Calling bull****.........

call bs If it makes you feel better mine only has the serial numbers and basic tune up info plus 5.0 lx on it. If it was just marketing garbage they wouldn’t have made it longer to cover the distributor.
 

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muc

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Scott06 is correct. Flame arrestor covers primarily purpose is to keep water out of the TB/carb. Before the manufacturers installed them, we used to use frisbee’s or aluminum pie plates to provide protection. If you look at the newer engines that don’t have these covers, you will see that the flame arrestor is designed so water won’t go down the TB.
 
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