NEED A VP PROS OPPINION!

[ingham01952]

Hello everyone. I am looking into buying a 2004 Ford wins Vista 288 with twin motors Volvo penta 5.0 GXI – E be specific. Over the years this form has been very helpful in getting information. Sometimes conflicting information, but information nonetheless. I am about to purchase a new boat and I am hoping to get a professional opinion on the exact model engine and outdrive. I know they all have their ups and downs for example… The one downside to this motor for my application is that it is not freshwater. Beyond that I know very little. I’m gonna post a picture with all the information and I can’t wait to hear what everyone has to say. It is not BOAT so don’t feel bad saying it sucks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

your looking at a 21 year old boat.....the condition things are in today is what matters.

the 5.0 liter SBC is an OK motor if it was maintained
the SX drive is an OK drive if it was maintained

 

[ingham01952]

your looking at a 21 year old boat.....the condition things are in today is what matters.

the 5.0 liter SBC is an OK motor if it was maintained
the SX drive is an OK drive if it was maintained

Thank you. I was seeing if anyone would throw a
“That was a bad year for that model etc”
Any info is good info I guess.

 

[alldodge]

There is a Pro here but he has not shown back up for some time, and I for one miss his expertise

It's a forum, so ya get a bunch of kinda sorta maybe stuff

 

[ESGWheel]

I have a 2005 GXi-E with an SX-M in my Larson. I have been happy with it and both are still going strong. Saw its initial years in saltwater but I boat in a lake for last 10 years.

You will suffer from paint in the fuel pumps but that is with multiple years and models, so not unique to the E. You will not find a wiring diagram for it however even with the factory manual. It’s an oddity that they did not publish it as far as I can tell and from the many comments on this forum.

They are relatively straight forward to work on and parts are still readily available.

 

[Scott06]

Nothing wrong with that combo if maintained. Lots of 5.0 and Volvo SX drives out there.

Key is how it was maintained as that can ruin anything very quickly. Other key is your mechanical aptitude. If you can do some of your own work that is helpful given the age of the boat.

 

[ingham01952]

thank you everyone!

 

[ingham01952]

hey guys!
I assume this is an aftermarket fuel pump?
“Carter”

 

[ingham01952]

Rule of thumb, no aftermarket parts…
However, I am looking at a nice boat with what seems to be the only downside being Carter aftermarket fuel pumps. These seem to be considerably more money than Chinese jobs on Amazon. Nearly $800 everywhere I see them. Any opinions.

MANUFACTURER	CARTER FUEL SYSTEMS
PART NUMBER	P61638S

 

[alldodge]

It's been replaced but Carter makes a lot of pumps under many OEM's, they just paint and add another label

 

[Scott Danforth]

Factory. . Airtex or Carter (same company)

 

[Scott Danforth]

Carter is an OEM supplier. About $100 from Napa or Summit

 

[alldodge]

Merged

 

[ingham01952]

It's been replaced but Carter makes a lot of pumps under many OEM's, they just paint and add another label

Thank you. You have been helping me with questions since my first big boat last year! trying to ensure I don't make the same mistakes.

 

[QBhoy]

The usual distributor cap will throw its hand in at some point for sure. But good engines.

 

[BRICH1260]

How many hours are on the engines? They are generally good engines and drives. It will all depend on how they were maintained. How old are the exhaust manifolds? You might plan on replacing them in the near future if not replaced recently.

 

[ingham01952]

How many hours are on the engines? They are generally good engines and drives. It will all depend on how they were maintained. How old are the exhaust manifolds? You might plan on replacing them in the near future if not replaced recently.

400 hours in fresh water lakes its whole life!
no major repairs have been done or needed up till now.

 

[BRICH1260]

400 hours is not all that much. I would plan on changing the oils and filters if not done recently. Maybe plan on doing the distributor caps, rotors, plugs and wires sometime in the near future to create a maintenance baseline going forward. Also change the drive oil, if not done recently. No need to be fearful of the 5.0 gxi`s or the SX-m drives.

 

[Lou C]

In the first post you said it wasn't used in fresh water
then you said 400 hrs fresh water
which is it?
If used in brackish or salt, for sure you should be inspecting the exhaust elbows and manifolds, in salt water they require replacement about every 5-7 years. So where the boat was used, does matter.

 

[Scott06]

In the first post you said it wasn't used in fresh water
then you said 400 hrs fresh water
which is it?
If used in brackish or salt, for sure you should be inspecting the exhaust elbows and manifolds, in salt water they require replacement about every 5-7 years. So where the boat was used, does matter.

I think from wording in post 1 he is talking about the engines are not freshwater cooled aka raw water cooled.