Made an offer to join the club today...

[cphilip]

Congrats! We'll have to meet up at Hartwell one day! When we were down in Pensacola last week we actually saw 2 of those hulls.

I'm about two miles from Twin Lakes Campground on Hartwell if you know where that is. It's in Fants Grove wildlife management area of the Clemson University Experimental forest. Its a Corp of Engineers run place. Good boat ramps and camping sites. Look me up if your in the area. PM me and Ill send you contact info. I live right on the edge of the Management area and my property borders Clemson Research Park just off exit 14.

[Bergertime]

Congrats on your purchase and its a great time of year to enjoy the water...  The grandkids will have a blast with you and as mentioned above the memories (both of you all) will last a lifetime!  

I don't know much about that particular boat but I will say that most experts agree that pre-mixing is a bad idea.  At some point some very late model outboards had VRO issues but unless your Zuk is in that category (doubt it) then I would not mess with it.

It probably did not come factory with a fuel/water separator but if you had one it would be easy to identify as they look like a automobile oil filter. As far as putting one in I would offer three pieces of advice..

1) Check to make sure your engine will accept it.  Some engines/manufacturers recommend against it.  Not sure why, but they do.

2) I would make sure that everything is working properly b/f I put it in unless you have serious concerns about water in the tank now.  Reason being, it's just another variable in the event you have to trouble shoot a fuel delivery issue.  Its a good thing to have, I'd just make sure everything else is working as expected for a handful of hours then tackle that if you are so inclined.

3) If you buy a Racor (great brand) and want the one with clear collection bowl buy them as separate units.  It might be a couple extra dollars but in my experience the ones they sell as a unit can be almost impossible to disconnect from one another, even in the store.  For some reason, unknown to me, they don't lubricated the gasket b/t the bowl and filter prior to attaching.  I had one and I gave up trying to separating the filter and bowl even after using the tool they sell to twist it..  I ended up having to replace the filter and collection bowl (expensive) which I was not happy about.  When I put the two new pieces in I lubed the gasket prior to mating with a strong hang tightening and all is well.

Good luck and congrats on your purchase!

B

[seabob4]

Know what you mean about removing the clear bowl, Bruce.  What I do is put the filter element in a vise (just enough to hold it, not squeeze it), then use 2 oil filter wrenches in the opposite direction...the bowl comes off very nicely.  Grease the gasket and hand tighten...

[Bergertime]

I don't have the benefit of having a vice but I just gave up after I ripped the filter and damaged the collection bowl beyond my desire to keep it.  Funny thing is.. I tried to separate the two items in three different stores and I could not get one to come apart.  At that point I said screw it and as mentioned.. purchased the two pieces separately.  Why they can’t lube when assembled is beyond me.  Funny - just one of those things you learn as you go.. Especially on a boat NOTHING is every easy.  

B

[redemn93]

an oil filter wrench on the filter and one on the bowl works wonders.

[seabob4]

an oil filter wrench on the filter and one on the bowl works wonders.

Well there's 2 votes...

[cphilip]

I was going to pick it up today but they couldn't find the keys! LOL... They were later located at the dealers other location but Im just going to wait until tomorrow now. I decided to just go ahead and pay them to do the foot oil change and impeller since neither they nor I know when they last have been done. Just to be safe. They do know the levels are good and there is no water in there. Verified by the technician. We also know that the compression is good in all cylinder and the thermostat kicks in and the motor doesn't overheat and it pisses water fine. And it appears it has new plugs in it. All those things I have verified they checked. They say they didn't put the plugs in, the PO must have. So we'll skip that.

He quoted me about $300 for all that but that also included plugs if needed. Sound fair. IIRC it was $90 for a full service and then an hour and a half labor for the impeller plus parts and he thought the impeller was around $35.  Does all that sound kosher to you guys/gals?

[seabob4]

It's a bit high but I wouldn't beetch.  I take my sweet time when dropping a lower to do the impeller change, but if nothing "sticks" on the swap, the mechanic can have it done in 45 minutes...

[Bergertime]

If $300 includes all the parts and fluids then as Bob mentioned, it's fair, especially if plugs are included.  Not worth quibbling over $25-$30 but I def would have him install a whole water pump kit and not just the impeller with no increase to your overall cost.  This will give you a more sound baseline for water flow and frankly it's just good practice since that boat was likely used in shallow water where the chances of sucking up sand and other debris is greater.  The whole kit vs. impeller is a small dif in price and should wash with the exclusion of the plugs since they look good.  

The most important thing is that you are getting a good baseline from which you can start.  Next season you will be able to change these yourself as plugs, lower unit oil, fuel filters are very easy to do on your own which will save you money.  However, I still have a mechanic do my water pump as taking my lower unit off and re-seating it can be a bear.. However, you may want to tackle this yourself as well.  

Send us pics of your maiden voyage and let us know if you have any ?s

B

[cphilip]

Fluids and plugs.... all parts... included. I thought when we were talking about an impeller install we were always talking about the kit? Thats normally what costs $35 isn't it? I guess you make a good point that I should make sure he and I are on the same page tehre. Actually Sort of rounded up his costs because I failed to ask him what his hourly rate was. Around here about $65 is normal IIRC. He just said an hour and a half plus $35 for impeller, $90 for full service. It should come in perhaps 30 bucks under $300 I would guess. If no plugs then perhaps closer to $200 maybe?

However... I noticed the plugs look brand new. And he says he didn't do them in his trade in evaluation. He just took them out and did the Compression check among other things. So if he sees they are new he will skip that and price accordingly reduced.

But that got me to thinking, the PO is known to them. She traded the boat in about a month back on a larger vessel. It turns out a Deck boat of some sort. So she a new but good customer. So they concluded, with my urging, that maybe we should call her and ask if she recently had a full service and even about the impeller. We may find it (as evident from the new plugs) she recently did. And has had the impeller done recently too. I might save some money that way. Worth a shot. I do plan to get a manual and do this myself. At least the foot oil change.

I decided to bring her home for a day or two while we check that out, just to start cleaning her up. When I got there it turned out the pigtail was too short to reach my plug so the first thing I had to do when I got home was rewire a longer connection and put all that neatly in loom. But I got a first interior wash done today but not a detailing done. At least I got it then parked under cover.  And I am contemplating taking the Bimini cloth off and laundering it. Looks like a chore. I don't know why I forgot to snap a picture of it with the top but... But here she is after wash:

[seabob4]

Does the Tundra know she's back there?

[cphilip]

Hardly... its the 5.7L variant but it is pushing a full Crew Cab

[redemn93]

highly doubt it bob.  those are awesome trucks.  tried to find one but out of my price range.  

i really like the lines on that boat.  real nice looking little boat.

[cphilip]

Beautiful lines on these trucks. I found this one used as a Certified truck and the price was right. Still high I guess but they do seem to retain their value pretty. This late year 2012 had 13,003 miles on it, already had the dual exhaust, Cover, Factory spray in liner and every option you can put in a SR5 except navigation and it and was 28K. Best deal I could find on one. Not many realize this but these (and Fords) have the most American parts in them of any pickup made in America. And these are only made in America. In Texas by golly.

A few more (forgive my magnetic work signs as it was on a job site that day)

[cphilip]

Found this on a google search just now... its the workshop manual for Suzuki motors 88-03 all motors from 2 to 225 Horse power

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 7884,d.b2U

Save this to my Documents files...