New member thinking of getting a stingray.. ADVISE NEEDED PLEASE

[mynameissean1234]

So I got the boat!! I ended up getting it for $4600 it ran great on the test run. Totally awesome.. We drove it around for a while and the temp never got to high it sounded good. Then today idk what happened but it got messed up. The starboard side of the manifold got really hot and the boot connecting from the riser to the elbow going to the y pipe (exhaust), and that boot as well melted and ripped open. I was only on the boat for about 3-4 mins and then this happened. It started to smoke pretty bad.

I was right by the dock so I pulled in. I pulled the blue plug where the tube from the thermostat connected to the bottom of the manifold and water was flowing out of it. Then I hooked a hose up to that hose and water flowed through the manifold and riser. The manifold and riser are not leaking and don't look to bad.. Idk what to do. I'm pissed hahaha a very memorable first ride hahaha

 

[Mischief Managed]

You need to post this in the mercruiser I/O forum to get a good response, but it sounds like the impeller in the raw water pump is bad and/or your exhaust manifold is clogged. The impeller is a routine maintenance item and they are typically changed at less than 5 year intervals on Alpha II drives like you have. Manifolds can last for decades in cold fresh water and a couple of years in warm fresh water, but they do need to be checked. You probably also toasted your water shutter on the starboard side at least, check both.

This is what I meant when I said a 20 year old boat would need repairs and maintenance...

 

[tpenfield]

So I got the boat!! I ended up getting it for $4600 it ran great on the test run. Totally awesome.. We drove it around for a while and the temp never got to high it sounded good. Then today idk what happened but it got messed up. The starboard side of the manifold got really hot and the boot connecting from the riser to the elbow going to the y pipe (exhaust), and that boot as well melted and ripped open. I was only on the boat for about 3-4 mins and then this happened. It started to smoke pretty bad.

I was right by the dock so I pulled in. I pulled the blue plug where the tube from the thermostat connected to the bottom of the manifold and water was flowing out of it. Then I hooked a hose up to that hose and water flowed through the manifold and riser. The manifold and riser are not leaking and don't look to bad.. Idk what to do. I'm pissed hahaha a very memorable first ride hahaha

See, you thought getting a boat would be a lot of fun . Isn't it amazing that the previous owner can keep the boat in great running condition, only to have if fail miserably for the buyer within the first few hours of operation

as stayed the Mercruiser forum is the place to go with subsequent posts about the problem. I too had an impeller go on me right after I bought the boat :facepalm:

 

[Maclin]

Wondering if they had an impeller fail bad, and then overheated, and they just put new impeller in without looking for broken off pieces from the old one that got pushed out into the plumbing.

 

[jkust]

Unfortunately, this isn't terribly uncommon. My recent boat purchase, the owner was kind enough to tell me that an exhaust shutter was found in the lower unit at winterization time. Of course that means it got hot from a worn impeller. I immediately took it to my marina to replace the very worn impeller and both exhaust shutters. Had he not mentioned the shutter issue, which I wouldn't have even realized, I'd be in your shoes right now. Luckily that was the end of the trouble and has performed as it should.