Just bought a new boat, what should I know?

SkaterRace

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
715
I bought a new 2018 Glastron GT 185 today at the boat show, been looking at these boats for a few years and the numbers finally made sense for me. Anyways it is my first I/O boat and my first boat newer than the 70's, I've been boating for 9 years now and have a good grasp on how to handle a boat on water and at the dock. What should I know about I/O and/or boats like the one I got?
 

harringtondav

Commander
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
2,438
Reply with the out drive's manufacturer. Probably either Merc or Volvo Penta, and engine model.

Hopefully the boat came with the Stern Drive Mfg. owners manual. This should cover your maintenance activities.

But maybe not. My '96 4.3 Alpha II came with full winterizing instructions. My in-laws '98 - same Merc package, said "Take it to your authorized Mercury Dealer".

So:
Winterizing is a must if you live where winter temps drop below 32F/0C. Again, the process depends on which engine you have. The goal is to drain every bit of raw water in the engine.
Engine oil & filter should be changed annually.
Out drive lube also changed annually. If low annual hours, maybe biannually, but remove the drain plug each year to check for water or milky lube.
I don't know about VP, but a Merc out drive should be pulled annually to check the condition of the gimbal bearing, dirve shaft bellows and U joints.
Power steering fluid level should be checked regularly as well as crankcase oil level.

Since your boat is brand new, some of this may seem like overkill, but it's good practice. As the boat ages it will become mandatory practice.
 

SkaterRace

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
715
Reply with the out drive's manufacturer. Probably either Merc or Volvo Penta, and engine model.

Hopefully the boat came with the Stern Drive Mfg. owners manual. This should cover your maintenance activities.

But maybe not. My '96 4.3 Alpha II came with full winterizing instructions. My in-laws '98 - same Merc package, said "Take it to your authorized Mercury Dealer".

So:
Winterizing is a must if you live where winter temps drop below 32F/0C. Again, the process depends on which engine you have. The goal is to drain every bit of raw water in the engine.
Engine oil & filter should be changed annually.
Out drive lube also changed annually. If low annual hours, maybe biannually, but remove the drain plug each year to check for water or milky lube.
I don't know about VP, but a Merc out drive should be pulled annually to check the condition of the gimbal bearing, dirve shaft bellows and U joints.
Power steering fluid level should be checked regularly as well as crankcase oil level.

Since your boat is brand new, some of this may seem like overkill, but it's good practice. As the boat ages it will become mandatory practice.

Thanks it is a Merc 4.5L 200 HP engine and I am not sure the outdrive model. I assumed that general maintenance would be covered in the manual, if not google and this forum should he of great help.

I do live where it freezes in the winter (-40C the other day) so winterizing is a must for sure.

Pulling the drive seems like it would be pretty expensive each year, is that something that should not be based off hours compared to time?

For lube checks, I will be using it maybe 5-7 times a year so low hours for sure.

Overall seems like a lot of maintenance compared to what I am used to with old outboards. I used to have them serviced every 3 years and then just repairs when needed which was not often unless I pushed them.
 

harringtondav

Commander
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
2,438
I believe the 4.5 is a closed cooling system with heat exchanger. This protects the engine block from freezing, but the the exhaust system and circulating pump still must be drained. Merc has a "single point drain" system on these engines. But you may want to see what this forum says about that. I believe extra steps beyond Merc's stated process are required.

Pulling the out drive is within the capability of anyone with basic mechanical skills. With a new boat under warranty you could probably pass for a couple years. I'm betting you have an Alpha II, and that is not a man killer like the Bravo to remove. You trim up, disconnect the speedo tube, trim down close to ground, remove the upper steering cylinder pivot shaft. Place the shift control into full forward. Then remove the six nuts attaching the drive to the bell housing. Then pull it rearward, and off. Lots of help here at iBoats if you struggle.

No doubt I/Os are more work than an O/B. They don't self drain, and the drive shaft assembly is complicated, needing regular inspection. But the advantages are worth it, in my mind. Quiet, more fuel efficient, and more usable room in your boat and on your swim platform.
 

SkaterRace

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
715
I believe the 4.5 is a closed cooling system with heat exchanger. This protects the engine block from freezing, but the the exhaust system and circulating pump still must be drained. Merc has a "single point drain" system on these engines. But you may want to see what this forum says about that. I believe extra steps beyond Merc's stated process are required.

Pulling the out drive is within the capability of anyone with basic mechanical skills. With a new boat under warranty you could probably pass for a couple years. I'm betting you have an Alpha II, and that is not a man killer like the Bravo to remove. You trim up, disconnect the speedo tube, trim down close to ground, remove the upper steering cylinder pivot shaft. Place the shift control into full forward. Then remove the six nuts attaching the drive to the bell housing. Then pull it rearward, and off. Lots of help here at iBoats if you struggle.

No doubt I/Os are more work than an O/B. They don't self drain, and the drive shaft assembly is complicated, needing regular inspection. But the advantages are worth it, in my mind. Quiet, more fuel efficient, and more usable room in your boat and on your swim platform.

Thanks and I am sure hoping the extra work it worth it even more so because I paid a pretty penny for the luxury of a I/O compared to an O/B they had there.

Pulling the drive sounds very complicated for me, happen to know about how many hours a mechanic takes/charges for that? I'm a computer guy, I can build you AI but anything mechanical is beyond me.

Single drain sounds pretty nice, I'm sure that the extra sets would be worth it, almost always are with boats. take extra care and they last forever.
 

harringtondav

Commander
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
2,438
Others can chime in. I've never paid a shop to touch my boat in 23 yrs. Shops are pricey. My river neighbor pays a marina $200-$250 for winterization. And I doubt this includes a drive pull. Then he pays them another $200 to recommission it in the spring. That second service is downright sucker rape.

Your new Merc Sterndrive has permalube U joints and gimbal bearing. So you should be good for several years without needing a drive pull. But eventually the bellows will age and result in costly repairs if they fail.

Keep your boat covered, keep water out of the boat. Watch your lube reservoir level. When it starts dropping excessively, you need to take action. The winterization, oil changes and annual drive lube checks/changes are a must. Whoever does it. Keep in touch with this fourm's Mercruiser Engines and Sterndrives forum when in doubt.
 

71beepbeep

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 2, 2017
Messages
39
I didn't know anything about boats or boating when I purchased my boat a few years ago. I purchased a licensed Mercruiser service manual to help me out. I hate paying someone for a job I can do myself. That manual has saved me a ton of money.
 

harringtondav

Commander
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May 26, 2018
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harringtondav 71beepbeep

You guys sharing a boat? Come clean now...:laugh:

​​​​​​​

Ha. I noticed the same thing earlier when I saw one of 71beepbeep 's earlier posts. So "beepbeep", I gotta ask, is your SEI a 174 or a 190?, and what did you pay for it? Dealer or private party? I'm daydreaming about a 2footitus upgrade, and curious of the market value for my Larson.
 

MudIsFun

Seaman
Joined
Oct 12, 2003
Messages
62
What to know... to quote the best skipper every....

Quint: Front- bow, back- stern, if ya don’t get it right, I throw your ass out the little round window on the side!
- Jaws
 

Cortes100

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
175
First congrats on your new toy. You're going to have a few more painful months before spring arrives.
I have the GTS model with the 4.5, 200hp. Only diff is the GTS comes with a few more bling features. So far been an awesome boat. Love the engine performance.

Since you just bought, I can only assume it's winterized already sitting at the dealer, but it don't hurt to ask.

I believe the 4.5 is a closed cooling system with heat exchanger. This protects the engine block from freezing,.....

Um that's not correct, they are raw water cooled and everything needs to be drained for winter storage.

During the summer season, I check the regular fluids, fill with gas and go boating. The winter storage is a little more complicated that an outboard, but nothing to lose sleep over. Hah, you can worry about that in 8-9 months.
 
Last edited:

harringtondav

Commander
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May 26, 2018
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Um that's not correct, they are raw water cooled and everything needs to be drained for winter storage.
Thanks for the correction. I misinterpreted another post. I see CC is an option.

See the attached Merc YouTube on the single point drain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHZpXgTU4o Their comment that this process is for short term storage and "not part of the winterization process" has me a little concerned. The 4.5 will likely be in any new boat I purchase. Yours and the OP's boat are close to what I'd buy. I'm giving it a few more years to see how the 4.5 stacks up to my bulletproof 4.3...and to save a few more pennies.

Your https://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...5l-200hp/page2 has some good discussion. Again I'm concerned about the undocumented need for antifreeze.

Do you use antifreeze?. If so, how do you fill your 4.5 with it? If my pockets are deep enough, I may go with CC. I'm 100% fresh water, but long term it may be worth it.
 

71beepbeep

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 2, 2017
Messages
39
Hey harringtondav, they do look alike. It’s a 1996 SEI 194 with a 4.3lx. I bought it from an older lady that had purchased it brand new. It has always been stored in a garage. It has around 320 hours and looks like new. I paid 5,700 for it a couple of years ago.
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
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Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,621
Get the service manual for both the engine and the outdrive. (maybe you can get a PDF version to keep on your computer . . .

Read/skim through it and it will pretty much tell you what you need to know.
 

Cortes100

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
175
See the attached Merc YouTube on the single point drain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHZpXgTU4o Their comment that this process is for short term storage and "not part of the winterization process" has me a little concerned.

Your https://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...5l-200hp/page2 has some good discussion. Again I'm concerned about the undocumented need for antifreeze.

Do you use antifreeze?. If so, how do you fill your 4.5 with it? .

Frick I was wondering where that thread went, I'll have to go update.
Anyways, yes that youtube vid is the 4.5 drain system. The drain does empty all the water. The comment about short term storage just means this is one step of the winterization process.

Antifreeze, have done both, yes and no. First you drain the system of water, then introduce AF via muffs or pour into the blue vent hole. I'll update that thread with more detail.
 

SkaterRace

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
715
I didn't know anything about boats or boating when I purchased my boat a few years ago. I purchased a licensed Mercruiser service manual to help me out. I hate paying someone for a job I can do myself. That manual has saved me a ton of money.

It's expensive to fix stuff when I break it, also I look at it this way, I can learn to do it myself or work on my business. Both have a cost with them and working on my business generally pays better than what it would cost for a mechanic.

I have a guy I deal with that charges $50 an hour and I will use him for everything that is not covered under warranty. He is pretty good too, used to work and be shop head for the biggest repair shop in the area where I boat and he left to start his own because he makes more at that rate than he did at the shop. Also more free time he says.
 

SkaterRace

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
715
First congrats on your new toy. You're going to have a few more painful months before spring arrives.
I have the GTS model with the 4.5, 200hp. Only diff is the GTS comes with a few more bling features. So far been an awesome boat. Love the engine performance.

Since you just bought, I can only assume it's winterized already sitting at the dealer, but it don't hurt to ask.



Um that's not correct, they are raw water cooled and everything needs to be drained for winter storage.

During the summer season, I check the regular fluids, fill with gas and go boating. The winter storage is a little more complicated that an outboard, but nothing to lose sleep over. Hah, you can worry about that in 8-9 months.

Thanks and I was going to get the GTS but got an amazing deal on the GT instead. Got it for about $5k under market and also Trump's trade war has effected boats (here in Canada) so because I got last years model I got one from before the whole tariff crap happened.

Good to know the 200HP will be enough, I saw there was an option for 250HP and I was worried maybe I messed up going for the lower HP.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
One of my neighbors has the new whatever the 24 foot Glastron GT is called. It's a decent entry level boat as it is his very first. His warranty issues were mostly electrical accessory related and he hated that he had to take it off of his lift and bring it back to the city to the selling dealer a couple of times the first season.
 
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