Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Hello everyone, I need some assistance. I am looking at a 1994 Mariah Barcehetta. It has the 4.3 Merc with Alpha One. Only has 150 hours on it. Paint/upholstery looks great and owner says floors are in good shape.

Use of boat would be tubing (2-4 people), 2-4 people in boat (not same time as tubing), skiing, and maybe learning how to wakeboard. So at most, 6 people in boat with one behind boat. I'd love to put an adjustable tower on it. Like one of the Ascent ones.

Owner is asking $5k for it, no less. It looks good in pics, I would have to drive an hour or so to get it. do you think this engine will be enough for what I want? We are a boating family, live on the water (lake, so only have water about 5 months out of the year). We already have an older tri-hull with a 70 hp engine and a jet ski. I wouldn't mind adding a jetboat in the future, but like the bowriders for a more family oriented ride. Suggestions/Comments? Things I should look for?

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Got pics? What model number? Im sure somebody with a 4.3 will talk shop shortly... They are great boats!!!

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Odd, i just had someone else ask about a '94 Barchetta in this thread..... Anyway here's a link to our STICKY on buying a used Mariah which will tell you what to look for.

I use my Shabah 180 with the 4.3 to pull tubes/wakeboarders and skiiers occasionally and it handles them just fine. The boat needs to be propped for that type of use (i'd recommend a 4 blade 19" or 20" prop) and the addition of Smart Tabs definitely helps get the boat on plane faster. The one downside to Smart Tabs is that they flatten out the wake a bit for boarders. If you are not familiar with Smart Tabs, do a site search here (top right corner of the screen) and you will find lots of threads discussing their benefits.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Not entirely sure, owner says it is 18' 10" long, and has all seats facing forward (I kinda don't like this im use to the 2 seats facing the rear). I'll attach a photo. Anyone know what the estimated HP on this is, from my research with the alpha one it is ~175 hp. I hope to go look at/purchase this weekend.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...psgzh2iqre.jpg

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Its a Barchetta 192. I believe the '94 Mercruiser 4.3LX 2 bbl carb was 175 hp and the 4bbl carb was 185 hp.

Breakdown for mid 90's Mercruiser 4.3's is as follows:

MCM 4.3 L is 155 HP
MCM 4.3 LX 2bbl is 175 HP
MCM 4.3 LX 4bbl is 185 HP

MCM 4.3 LX GEN 2 (2BBL) is 180 hp
MCM 4.3 LX GEN 2 (4 BBL) is 190 hp
MCM 4.3 LX GEN + (2BBL) is 190 HP.
MCM 4.3 LXH GEN + (4BBL) is 205 HP
MCM 262 MAGNUM (EFI) GEN + it would be 205 HP

NOTE that even though an engine may be stamped as VORTEC it wasn't actually a Vortec engine until 1996.
Note #2: The above HP ratings are approximate but relative. There is some confusing & contradictory information published by Mercruiser....

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

I have a 2000 z182 with a 4.3. I have a tower and 19p prop. I pull skiers, tubes and wake boarders all day long with 4 to 6 people in the boat with no problems at all


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Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Thanks for that info! exactly what I want to hear. I will look into a 4 fin SS prop and possibly some smart/trim tabs. What kind of tower did you go with?

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Attachment 5572
Big air Ice tower!


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Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

have you gotten the boat? Im also looking at one! however im getting it for 3700 ( but some of the seats need work). and its purple .. but other than that it really looks like a nice boat. we're either picking that one or another bow rider up today we just still haven't decided

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Im going tomorrow to look at it. It looks mint, seats look good, no fading, I'm hoping to talk them down a little bit more but feel ok at 5. Good luck, if u get yours post pics. I plan on putting a 4 fin prop, and smart tabs, tower this winter.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

i would pay 5k for that all day. i wish my seats didnt need redone. and yours is blue. = envious.:wink_thumbup:

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Well I brought it home today. Got it for a bit less, tear in a seat and general 20 yr old nicks and scrapes. Changing the oil today, gonna take it out tomorrow. I did get an original owners manual, if anyone is interested I'll try to upload it to someone. I'm pretty excited, pictures to come tomorrow.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Great news


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Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Congrats! Thanks for the offer of the manual but we dont need it. The manual, useless as it is, didn't change over the years the boats were made. :-)

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

well we took it out today, was a blast for a bit, but now theres issues :(

1) After ridding tubes and ect for about 2 hours we took a break. come back and as soon as we started it the temp gauge shot up to over half of the gauge, and a loud beep started. Thermostat??

2) The trim gauge/trim itself isn't calibrated correctly. We cant trim it all the way up, the trim adjustment are the 2 squares on the side of the motor correct? 1 for trailer and 1 for actual trim?

is there a 4.3 lx motor manual anywhere?

3) on the back bottom below the motor is a drain plug......It seems to leak water. we will probably have to take off the 3 screws

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Check the impeller in the water pump, it may be worn.


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Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

After talking to a marine shop they think it sounds like a faulty temp gauge. Going to try to remove the gauge, clean it and go from there. We plan on checking the impeller this winter and getting things up to date.

Anyone know what kind of temp gauge it is, It is a Faria, but I guess what Im asking is, is it a 2" with a rubber gasket around it or will a temp gauge from an auto part store work.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Well after talking to another shop they think it is the water pump in the alpha drive. Im a little leary over that, that's a big project to do and fix. It would definitely be a "this winter" dear, just to replace gaskets and things.

Anyone have a troubleshooting for the waterpump in the drive to see if its working?

We are still going to try to replace the gauge and see if that fixes it, but definitely don't want to blow up the engine before we even get to play with it.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

1: I'm inclined to agree it's the impeller. Those gauges very rarely fail while the impeller should be changed every 3-4 years. If it starts to break up it causes a blockage in the cooling system which leads to overheating and the alarm sounds. And....it's an impeller, not a 'water pump'. It's an easy replace job. If your mechanic told u its a major job it's time to get a new mechanic.
2: The trim sensor and trim limit switch you 're referring to have a habit of failing. There is a troubleshooting guide in the Maintenance section. To replace them requires removing the outdrive. Most learn to live without the trim gauge working.
2 1/2: Those manuals are available to contributing members. Check the STICKY at the top of the Introductions section regarding the benefits of being a contributing member.
3: Are you referring to the bilge plug?

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Thanks Mikey, the impeller doesn't seem hard, but you have to take the drive out right? It seems like a big job to do.

The issue with the trim is it wasn't trimming up enough, if the gauge isn't calibrated how are others able to trim effectively?

I was able to find the manual for the engine and drive thanks to the forum.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

You dont need to take off the entire outdrive to replace the impeller, just the lower section.
Read my response in the other thread about the diffeence between the trim switch and the trailer switch.

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Hi, did anyone here end up putting smart tabs on a barchetta? I have a 95 barchetta and would like to add tabs but am not sure if there is room, unless I can put them right next to the outdrive. Any insights appreciated!

Re: Possible New Owner 94 Barchetta
 

Read the "Smart Tabs" thread and all will be answered.