Thoughts / opinions

[Taxman]

2002 Sea Ray, looks to be 14 ft has a 155 hp i/o

Has been sitting in a back yard since 2004 uncovered

Had a swim ladder removed from transom, holes not sealed, might have some rot

One tire has some dry rot, needs to be replaced

Do I just bring a battery and gas with a water hose and adapter and see if engine starts?

Do all fluids need to be replace first before trying?

How to I tell if any money is worth spending without spending too much money?

[Capt. Debbie]

One quick and dirty test to see if it is locked up is to remove the spark plugs. And see using a plumber wrench or something similar to see if the crank shaft even turns. That's a good sign.

A 14 footer with that much power (155 hp) sounds a bit UNUSUALLY HIGH. Maybe a 24 footer?

The carbs are full of crap, so new fuel probably won't do much good. Maybe breathing ether into it will for a few seconds?

Probably engine belts are dried and ready to break too.

As far as the hull, see if it has been retaining water. The inside will have a jungle of mold if the water was sitting inside.

See if deck is spongy. No spring.

Dry rotted tires are normal for it sitting in sun.

Is the rpice right to see if its worth spending some $. Changing the oil is the least of your worries. In fact the old crankcase oil may be the best feature left on that boat. :)

[Taxman]

Thanks Capt Frank

I might have miss heard and it is 115 hp? The outside of the i/o is not marked

I did the quick 5 giant steps to measure figure each step was about 3 feet and that included the trailer hitch

The boat is free to take, but is 40 miles from my house so do not want to change tire and find trailer is to rusty to move, do not want to pay to flatbed it if it is going to cost big.

Inside has leaves and crap but I did not see standing water, plug is out so I assume it has been draining

[Stumpy]

Agree 100% with Capt Frank. Would not even attempt to start without pulling carb and cleaning. Might be a good idea to pull all of the plugs and squirt a liittle 3 in 1 oil into each hole just in case rings are adhered to block and or piston. When you pull the plugs, check for excessive rust. Can sometimes mean that you have some water intrusion where water shouldn't be. Good luck with her. I have had some that have sat much longer and fired up and purred like a new one. You just have to take your time. Another thing to consider is before you put a battery in it and crank it over, it may be a good idea to pull starter and make sure starter gear is not frozen to the shaft and and that the gear will disengage from fly wheel when the motor fires. Might save you a starter.

[Capt. Debbie]

The length is encripted in HIN #. Or in the model #- like Bass chaser 152 ( 15 feet) or Trophy Pro 254 (25 feet).


Any paperwork with it? Title? That could be a real b*tch to square away and register if not. That would be both the boat & trailer.

That motor still sounds way too big. And a 14' with and I/O is kind of rare. Mostly because they are too narrow with 5' beams and a motor box 3 feet wide. They don't fit inside the boat. Even a 17 footer with a 115hp is pretty over powered. Any Capacity Plate in the boat? The engine size would be a name plate on top of motor. The Lower unit/stern drive would not tell you anything more than its own model #. BTW whose the sterndrive manufacturer? Often paint color willl tell like Black Mercruiser, silver OMC's etc.

Anyway, could be a find or a mill stone. Good luck!





Thanks Capt Frank

I might have miss heard and it is 115 hp? The outside of the i/o is not marked

I did the quick 5 giant steps to measure figure each step was about 3 feet and that included the trailer hitch

The boat is free to take, but is 40 miles from my house so do not want to change tire and find trailer is to rusty to move, do not want to pay to flatbed it if it is going to cost big.

Inside has leaves and crap but I did not see standing water, plug is out so I assume it has been draining