[Stevieu1]

We put a down payment on a 97 z 276 mcc. Pending sea trial. Any advice is appreciated. Is there anything specific I should look for during the trial? Common issues etc...

[dustinnantais]

Congrats! I love that model. Would have bought one in a second but we found a 97 Z275 and had to pull the trigger quick (market is crazy here in Toronto area). We have the same interior upolstery lol - flashback to the 90s. And same engine. We're just getting an inspection, tune up, gelcoat repair + polish.

Personal advice, get everything you can tuned up and restored right off the bat. Very likely not going to be anything serious wrong with the hull or engine if it's got low hours - Mariah's are tanks.

[mikeyt]

'Hudson River Steve' is probably the most knowledgeable member here on this site regarding that particular model. Hopefully he'll chime in with his thoughts.

As a general rule of thumb when buying a Mariah, this tutorial might be helpful: Buying a Used Mariah?

[Hudson River Steve]

As all said, pretty well built boat, but heavy. At low speed turn wheel hard left or right and listen for any clunking which would indicate worn u joints or gimbal bear. Sea trial is important but while on the trailer with outdrive all the way up, check the condition of the belows, also grab the large forward prop and try pushing and pulling on it. If it moves considerably there is gear and bearing wear in the lower unit. One last thing, check the condition of the oil pan. 7.4's use steel and can rust out. Climb on top of engine and hang upside-down like a monkey to get a good look, especially in the corners of the pan. Good luck.

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[Stevieu1]

He said he replaced the gimbal bearing, bellows and boots since hes had it. Hes had it 3 years. I will ask for all receipts and repair documentation. He had it running on muffs. It ran nice and smooth. It started easily. After about 10 mins the overheat alarm went off. He shut it down. The muffs had slid off the intake holes. Tried again and it kept heating up. He said they would inspect and fix before sea trial. He thinks it's the impeller. He said he would return the down payment if it did not pass the sea trial.

[Hudson River Steve]

The impeller would definitely burn up without water. Ask him if they got all the impeller vanes out, so they don't get stuck in one of the coolers and cause issues later on. Check the play on those props. Bravo3's typically last about 500hrs on these heavy boats.

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[Stevieu1]

It's an Alpha outdrive. That's exactly what he thinks happened. When the muffs slid off a piece of the impeller my have broken off and plugged something.

[Hudson River Steve]

Are you sure it is an Alpha drive. That is a big boat for an Alpha?

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[Stevieu1]

Sorry my bad...its a bravo. Update...the impeller was shot. He just called me. He's putting in a new one right now. Sea test set for Saturday, weather permitting. Oneida lake can get angry this time of year. I hope the winds are down.

[Stevieu1]

Water test went pretty good. We bought the boat! I had a marine mechanic friend with me for piece of mind. Only thing I need to do before I use it is replace the steering cable.