The Mariah Owners Club - New owner questions

The Mariah Owners Club (http://www.mariahownersclub.com/forum/)

- Original Mariah Talk (http://www.mariahownersclub.com/forum/original-mariah-talk/)

- - New owner questions (http://www.mariahownersclub.com/forum/original-mariah-talk/14428-new-owner-questions.html)

Re: New owner questions

So it turns out the boat was winterized. Which makes some sense.

It still has a lot of weirdness. I fired it up and it smoked at operating temp for a long time. Like 20+ min. Since it never stopped I eventual out shut it down.

It revs alright. Some vibration when sitting on the trailer revving in neutral.

I really wish I could tell if the smoke was oil or not. There isn’t any water in the oil which is good. The outdrive doesn’t shift into gear smoothly so it likely needs maintenance. Although the gear lube looks like it was recently changed.

At this point the question is whether I’m willing to buy the boat and take on the project or just give it back. So many choices…. I mean it definitely needs work. Lots of little things. And the smoke…. That is a deal-breaker for me but knowing it was winterized means that -should- burn off…. But maybe it won’t.

Re: New owner questions

If the smoke is blueish-white and does not dissipate quickly is is burning oil. If it is white and dissipates very quickly then that is water vapor which is normal, the cooling water mixes with the hot exhaust gasses.

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Re: New owner questions

Here is a video of the steam/smoke. Does this look like oil or steam/water? Note the engine had been running for 20 min at this point...

https://youtu.be/wZjb6Zn5uJM

Thoughts?

Re: New owner questions

2nd video of smoke. Again, it had been running for 20 min or so.

https://youtu.be/JImufIb-cFQ

And the exhaust bellow is disconnected on the outdrive…. I need to re-connect that. It is quite obvious…

Re: New owner questions

My 2 cents - doesn't look like it is burning oil from what I saw on the video. You should run it with the outdrive down, especially if you engage the gears. Being up like that is hell on the driveshaft u-joints from what I hear. Sounded nice though, and you have captains call which is fun.

I did notice quite a bit of water under the engine, is your bilge pump working, or is that leakage while running?

Re: New owner questions

I agree with GregT, that appears to be steam...not oil burning. Sounds good on video.

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Re: New owner questions

I have a similar boat, a 99 Z202. 5.7 Chevy engine with Bravo 3 drive.
I recently had to replace the fuel tank because of leakage. I was dreading it. Cutting up the floor was something I had done in other boats and was not looking forward to it.
Nevertheless I started anyway. I love this boat. Nothing was getting in the way of me in enjoying it.
To my surprise, it went well. I peeled back the carpet and to my delight I found the floor section was separately screwed down and easy to remove. With the floor out, I easily removed the old tank. Installing a new tank was a challenge because I had to find one similar in size and shape. I did and proceeded to do that. It went well.
The thing that impressed me most is that this 24 year old boat had virtually no rot damage under the floor. I was shocked to say the least.
Mariah was a high quality boat and very expensive. Not surprising it failed. Everyone wants cheap things....not me.

Re: New owner questions

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jid (Post 70163)

Sound advice.

It is all about how much of a project I want. My wife has recently acquired a Sailrite machine and she has done some vinyl projects so she is willing to consider taking this on. I can do any of the engine work… just trying to figure out if I have the time.

One thing I forgot to check is the risers. They look original so there could be a blockage. But I do want to check the leak down too. I could do compression but that isn’t as much of a concern as the head gaskets. And with the back cover off the boat, a head gasket wouldn’t be hard. Plenty of clearance.

The current owner was hoping to get 4k including the beat up trailer. Given what I know right now that is too much given the current condition. But I need to dig deeper.

Did I mention it doesn’t shift smoothly? Need to pull the Alpha at some point too… if I dig that deep.

That could be a problem with the shift interrupter. Usually a simple fix. It is problematic when shifting out of gear?
Your video looks pristine. Water vapor steam..normal. And the A outdrive looks pristine also.
Pulling the outdrive is something we all do about every 3 years...routine inspection.

Re: New owner questions

Hard shifting on an Alpha is usually the cable that goes from the shifter plate on the engine thru the transom plate to the shift mechanism on the bell housing. It most likely needs to be replaced.

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Re: New owner questions

I was planning on a lake test this weekend but with a freeze warning for tonight and tomorrow…. That may not happen. One more week to wait.

I really appreciate all the feedback and encouragement. The more I hear, the more I may want to take on the project. Now to convince the wife to try the vinyl…