8V71TI Smoking At Startup? Likely new 53MY Owner!

[stormchaser]

Hello all,

The offer on a 1980 53MY was accepted pending Sea Trail and Survey. It's scheduled for next Tuesday. We (wifey and I) got the msot baot we can possibly afford and even this is a bit of a streach...so we can't afford to do any BIG repairs on her right away...and the price we negociated is a final price...the owenrs can't/won't go any lower even after survey. Looking through some older paperwork, it seems like the starboard engine smokes at startup. The port engine was majored a while back (late 1990s IIRC) but the starboard has never been rebuilt. What are possible causes of smoking at startup? Think it means the engine is ready for a majoring? Bad injectors? Injector timing? This is causing me great concern because like I said...if she needs any major work...its a deal killer.

[Boatsb]

Get an engine survey and know that facts.

[captddis]

Most likely low compression but there are other causes as well. The engines will run for years with low compression, but at some point it will need to be addressed.
I don't mean to offend you but if buying the boat is a stretch, are you sure you want to do it? These boats take lots of money to own.
Good luck,
Dave

[stormchaser]

Oh, I am defintely getting an engine survey for both mains and the GenSet...I jsut am trying to gain a little knowledge before hand...

[stormchaser]

It is no offense...when I say a streach, don't mean literally. I COULD buy the boat for cash, but have chosen not to. This will be our home, full time. I just meant that the baot is at the very top of what we wanted to spend and we expect a couple of years (at least) before having to put major work in at this price.

[Pascal]

are you doing a sea trial BEFORE surveys?

if you know that the seller will not negotiate post survey you are back yourself into a corner... after survey, you're going to be out a few thousands (between engine survey, hull survey and haul out) and facing a take it or leaving deal.

do a sea trial before survey to make sure the boat performs are expected and everything works. while a smoky engine on startup is not a deal killer, at least you want to make sure it runs fine, doesn't overheat at cruise, that the smoke stops when warm, etc...

what color smoke? light grey? no blue, right? any fuel on the water after startup

you said "going thru paperwork it seems the engine smokes"... have you even had them start the engines and genny?

without a sea trial before survey, you're taking a big gamble which is even worst if you're budget is limited...

[stormchaser]

Sea Trial and Survey are happeing at the same time. The surveyor (i've used him before) is VERRY thorough and actually does about 70% of what an engine survey would do. Then based on sea trial and survey results, we will do engines surveys as needed.

I don't feel like I've backed myself into a corner at all. I negociated a very nice baot at a great deal...as long as there aren't any major repairs that need to be done (which I don't think there are othr than possibly the starbaord engine)...it's the perfect baoat for us. And if soemthing major comes up...I can and will back out and have it cost me nothing more than a survey. Heck, I surveyed/trialed 4 boats before finding the right one last time (a Willard 40 trawler).

[Angela]

Having been through the survey process both ways, I HIGHLY recommend that you do your own personal sea trial before spending any money on surveyor's fees. Doing your own personal sea trial will not cost you a dime. It's the seller's responsibility to provide you with a sea trial.

On the first one I surveyed, boat performed horribly - turbo was seized and had a major oil leak - HUGE fire risk. I didn't figure that out until I was a few thousand dollars into the survey costs. Had I done a personal sea trial (before survey), I would have discovered this and walked away before spending the first cent on a surveyor.

I got smarter as I went along. Next one - I did a personal sea trial before bringing on an engine surveyor. We went through the paces, all the rpms, backdown tests, etc. She performed nicely. Then, I arranged for an engine survey. At that time, the surveyor put her through the same paces, as well as doing a survey of the insides of the engines, etc. I knew these boats well enough by then that I didn't get a hull survey since there was nothing a hull surveyor was going to tell me about the boat that I didn't already know.

Before I spend the first cent on a surveyor, I would have, without a doubt, had the boat out and run through her paces to make sure a survey was going to be money well spent. I learned the hard way, but I'm a much more savvy buyer now; well, that is, if I was buying...I found my princess already!

[Pascal]

let's see.... hull survey at $20 a ft... $1000
Short haul for surveyor to inspect hull and running gear... $500

Do you really want to spend $1500 for the surveyor to tell you that the boat cant' get over 13kts or the engines went past 180deg at 1500rpm or that one engine was belching blue smoke?

as you said, you had to survey/sea trial 4 boats the last time around.

a pre survey ST doens't cost you anything and can save you $1500... it's a no brainer.

[Red Hatt]

If you are buying the 53 1980 in Annop. M.D. be carefull.