We have put a deposit down on a 1986 Catalina34. My engine surveyor is booked out months ahead so I'm on my own to a point. The boat surveyor is very knowledgable but not an engine specialist. I know the alternator bracket was upgraded but the salesman and the current owner are pretty clueless about the boat. Two owners back several upgrades were done but I can't find anything on the M25 other than the alternator bracket. How do I check the status of the riser? Anything else I should be paying attention to on the boat or engine? I've found general articles on surveying sailboats but nothing specific on the MKI.
Thanks in advance.
Here is my opinion (caveat:I am not a mechanic).
If you are doing engine survey yourself, I would recommend:
1. Check oil and check coolant. Should be up to levels.
2. Check for obvious signs of previous leaking and significant rust
3.Run engine up to temperature for awhile and check it for visible leaks, both water and fumes. Then run it for awhile at WOT (wide open throttle. Should reach approx. 3200 RPM
4. Look for broken motor mount while running. The engine will/should vibrate/shake at idle and eventually smooth out as RPMs increase.
5. Make sure alternator is charging batteries
Read the Critical Upgrades section of this website. It will be a big plus if any, or all those items have been completed. If they have been done, it shows the boat has been taken care of. However, if some have not been, you should do them yourself after you buy the boat. None of these upgrades are sale deal breakers in themselves.
1986 is an old boat and you should expect it will need some attention.
Good luck on your purchase!
Thanks for your reply. I noticed the tech notes begin with 1987. My potential boat is a 1986. Is there another area I should be checking?
Those dates have little to do with the year of the boats. I wouldn't bother with the Tech Notes as my first go to. I would check "Critical Upgrades" on the main Message Board. It is a boldfaced sticky topic above where your topic is posted.
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5078.0.html
Also look at Tech Wiki
https://c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Diesel_Engine
Porch : One of the most obvious thing to check is are there any hoses that are painted the same color(old looking bronze) as the engine. Id so, I'd surely change all of those 1986 hoses!!! FYI, your engine originally came with a "Black Pipe" (iron) exhaust riser.
Then as Noah mentioned Look at all of the critical updates and then parous the Mainsheet tech notes!!
A few thoughts Good Luck and Welcome Aboard!! :D
Ron— hoses painted bronze aren't necessarily original. Neat-nik folks like me (many years ago) COULD have touched up the engine with spray paint and sprayed the hoses too??? You will need to touch and squeeze hoses to check for flexibility and cracking.
@hound
With really good, clear, and complete pix there can be a lot of info and cautions that we can see/help ID for you.
Read this thread for an example
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=9567.0
Cheers
Ken
Can't seem to "insert Image"
Attach them rather than inserting them. Theres a size limitation and you may need to resize them.
How many?
You can email to me using the envelope icon link to the right
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Here are photos of the M25 in the C34
Porch : Your first photo is baffling and most certainly NOT of a C34!!
A thought
Well...either that was a "test" or I (perish the thought) stuck a photo in the wrong folder. Sorry about the confusion and thanks for catching it. Do you see anything in the remaining photos to be worried about?
I believe the first photo is a side view, looking through the door in the starboard wall (in the aft cabin).
Porch,
It looks like a motor that's been maintained and well cared for. What stands out to me is it looks like regular maintenance parts are being replaced, the motor and engine compartment are clean and the engine compartment insulation has been replaced. Somebody has been taking care of this motor.
What surprises me is nobody has asked the question I'd be most interested in, how many hours on the motor?
Two things I noticed after purchasing my C34:
1) The oil pressure switch was disconnected, which explained why the oil pressure alarm and light did not work. The reason it was disconnected was that it had failed, so it was done to stop the alarm. No one seem to notice the lack of alarm.
2) Tach showed very low hours for a 1993 boat. While trying fix the non-working alarm I took the instrument panel out and I noticed that the tach had a manufacturing date of 2007, it it has obviously been replaced.
I have been told that both this issues were outside of a normal survey.
Quote from: Ron Hill on October 04, 2022, 02:24:20 PM
Porch : Your first photo is baffling and most certainly NOT of a C34!!
A thought
Yes, it is. The starboard access door looks modified to reduce vibration.
SCGunner, the reported engine hours are 1800. Overall the boat looks to be in top notch shape for her years. Thanks for the feedback!
tvorgitch, I wouldn't have thought to look for that...thanks!
RE: Exhaust riser and piping, you would need to remove the insulation on the exhaust piping in order to see if there is any significant signs of rust/corrosion. However, unless there is really obvious corrosion, you might not notice anything. If its black pipe and there is not a blue silicon hump hose attached to the fiberglass water muffler located in the access area in the head, then: (1) you need a hump hose; (2) might consider replacing exhaust line. Look for cracks on the water muffler. If there is a blue hump hose, that is a good sign.
It looks like some of the hoses are newer, which is a good, especially the ones that run to the hot water heater. But check all the hoses.
The engine mounts could be the original.
Knowing the engine hours is pretty basic but the tack could have been replaced.
Check or ask about engine wire harness (Discussed critical upgrades).
Run the engine and take it for a sea trail to make sure it runs properly. Then check for leaks etc.
From the pictures, it looks like one of the PO maintained the engine pretty well. New sound proofing is suggests someone cared Its an old engine and things will need to be fixed or replaced. Its not a deal breaker but anyone buying a C34 from the '80's should be expect to fix and upgrade lots of things. The good thing about C34 is this on-line community which has addressed most things with the boat.
Porch,
With 1800hrs on the clock means you've still got a lot of hours left in that motor. Several years ago the hour meter on my tach stopped working so I installed a new meter in the nav station and made a note in the log so I still have an accurate record of the hours on the motor.
Quote
... the hour meter on my tach stopped working so I installed a new meter in the nav station and made a note in the log so I still have an accurate record of the hours on the motor [engine ! ].
Just an fyi for anyone who installs a new tach, it's possible to advance the hour meter so that you keep it current.
Use a cheap, plug in, AC adapter (10 to 32v works) from Scamazon, etc., and hook to the Gnd and S terminal and that should advance it (you might need to put 12v dc to the tach.).
A Faria tech rep taught me that trick. Of course you'd need to leave it on for 'x' hours that the tach reads.
Porch : From just looking at your pictures I'd say that you have a well maintained engine - because the hoses look to be recently replaced and that engine was pull out of the boat and completely repainted!!
You have the origin mounts which I'd replace (w/K75 Vetus).
A few thoughts
Thanks for the feedback Ron.