Buying boat, need to confirm engine hours on "fresh" engine
 

Hey guys,

I am looking at a boat that has supposedly 25 hours on a "refreshed" 502. The hull has apparently around 250 hours on it. But the tricky thing is that this 502 was put in it 25 hours ago, it is not the original engine. I'd hate to buy a boat with 250 hours on the hull and get some tired 502.

What are my options for figuring out the history of this boat? Does a scan tool tell me this? Would it tell me the original hours on the engine or since it was rebuilt?

Thanks!

Get the info on who did it and recpt's.

A scan tool will only tell you how many hours the computer has logged, not what's really on the engine, so let's say you get a brand new crate 502 longblock, but keep the accessories, intake and EFI from the old engine. The engine may be new, but the computer will indicate hundreds of hours. The only way to really tell would be to tear into it and examine the cylinders and heads, along with compression and leakdown tests and perhaps an oil analysis.

Demand receipts or to speak with whomever "freshened" (which can mean drastically different things to different people) the engine.

Scan tool shows original hours on the computer, unless it was changed out. You could have a shop do a compression test/leak down on the motors. Also the receipt/talking to the person that did the work should help verify the new power.

receipts is the only way my friend. And even then that could be manipulated. I suggest you have a survey and the engine double checked.

Get a shop do a compression /leak down test.

I bought a boat two years ago and had 13K in receipts for
engine rebuilds. 10 hours into my ownership everything went to hell. The engines where complete junk there was nothing
to salvage. Cast crank, cast pistons, bad lifter bores, bad seats in the heads. I left all of it at the machine shop.

If I would have spent the $$$ and had a compression / leakdown test done, I would have save over 16K in two new engines. And that was with me doing all the work.

I'm trying to help track down the specifics on this thing, but the owner doesn't seem to know a lot. It sounds like he saw the boat, loved it, bought it and didn't drill the guys he bought it from about it.

So I'm trying to do my due diligence on this. Getting a leak down test is preferable, but going to be difficult to do for several reasons.

I've been able to get it worked out so I can get a truck to pull it to a lake for a water test. If I get it out there, wrap it out and pull off a reasonable expected top speed for the hull is it safe to assume the engine is in pretty solid shape?

Just My Opinion
 

1. Inspect boat for signs of sinkage or water damage and stains inside the interior where water may have been sitting for any length of time. Look for unusual stress cracks excluding the normal ones around radiuses. When most boats sink they incur stress cracks that are not consistent with normal operation.
2. Fuel – check contents of filter, ask when last changed, ask how long current load of fuel has been sitting in the tank(s), when was fuel last added?
3. Run engine (preferably under load) and take sample of oil and send to Caterpillar for analysis.
4. Leak down test (not compression) – pull all spark plugs out, inspect them and test cylinder leakage at tdc. Makes notes for % on each corresponding cylinder.
5. If leak test is good for all cylinders, you may want to pull of exhaust manifolds for visual of exhaust ports on both, the head and manifold itself. You’re looking for water trails on the inside of the exhaust.
6. Pull drive off and check for rubber leaks. Pull drain plugs out of drive and check magnets. Check color and smell of oil. If present, water will come out quickly before the entire lot of oil does. Check drive coupler and check splines on input shaft for knifing or lack of grease.
7. Inspect the bilge during AND after a run to look for oil leaks, antifreeze leaks, water leaks, broken hose clamps lying in bilge etc.
8. NEVER forget to search high and low for signs of an owner who thought he could install his own stereo and other electronic equipment. A lot of guys will splice into anything close just to get some power to a device. This causes MAJOR headaches more often than not!! If you see optional equipment installed, follow the wires to see how it's rigged.



All the cosmetic stuff including broken door latches, damaged or faded carpet and sun damaged upholstery is also important in terms of what it costs to replace but these things are the very last thing to take interest in. A nice, covered, pretty boat is still very expensive to repair if the above doesn’t look good. This is true particularly for one who can not or does not do his own repairs. Upon arriving to check the boat out, notice if it has been stored with drive all or most of the way up. This stretches out the bellows and leaves them in the fully extended state. They usually die quicker this way. Based on common sense, if the owner did not know this than there are probably other things he didn’t know to do either…

Just bring along a comp tester and if you have time see what you come up with. That can be done rather quickly even on the water. The only thing that seems odd is what the rebuild was actually for, unless it was upgrades, at 225 hrs. Pay close attention to the details in general on the boat as well as the engine and the bottom of the bilge. When ever I buy something used that has been rebuilt I like to go into it assuming engine/engines will need to be gone through in the very near future. Sometimes pricey but saves on the dissapointment factor (worse case sinereo type thing)...