2000SR3 New Member

[Jesse Splan]

Hello,

This is my first post on MaxumOwnersClub.com. I have been reading this forum for a few months now though I'm a new member as of today. Thank you for all the threads with useful info!

I bought a 2006 Maxum 2000SR3 in October 2015 from my father-in-law for $10,000. Motor has 250 hours and the boat is all stock. It has a 5.0 MPI w/ 260 HP and an Alpha One drive with a 1.47 gear ratio (I believe). I will be doing some basic preventative maintenance on it this spring (oil & filter, check all fluids, change outdrive fluid, flush cooling system, etc.) but the real question is... should I do more? For example, should I change my cap and plugs? Add a second battery and a battery switch?

The boat ran great last summer in Seattle when I bought it after a weekend of boating. Now the boat is here in Utah and most lakes are above 4500 ft. elevation. Should I change prop? I've read a lot of related posts about other similar boat owners switching to a 19-21 pitch HiFive. Does prop pitch matter in varying elevations? Can the fiberglass handle a tower? I noticed a lot of similar boats came with one installed stock so my wife and I have tower envy. Also, I need to put a lot of elbow grease into removing oxidation. I saw this link in another forum and think I'll follow these steps:
Tips For Compound, Polish & Wax - SailNet Community

This is my second boat. My first vessel was a 16 foot with a 1983 80HP OB Mercury with a closed bow used mostly for fishing and cruising. I upgraded a lot on that boat over the 7 years I owned it (tint, new interior and carpet, fish finder, added gauges, larger gas tank installed, upgraded tires and rims on trailer, paint to both boat and trailer, reinforced fiberglass on floor where there was "squishy" spots, swim deck and ladder, etc).

Of course I have some items I'd like to update on this boat, too. First it needs a name...I'm thinking Maxum Exposure. Like I mentioned I'd like to add a tower (SamsonSports.com), maybe upgrade the prop and likely the stereo system and add tint. This boat is 4 feet bigger than my last, hope we don't outgrow it too soon.

I'm getting the boat out of storage this weekend and will probably start with making her shine.

[mmwjr]

Welcome aboard

The things you mentioned are standard maintance and not preventative.

Preventative will be to replace the impeller, inspect/replace the bellows, and inspect/replace the exhaust system.

[Jesse Splan]

Do you recommend I also do preventative maintenance like replace the impeller, inspect/replace the bellows, and inspect/replace the exhaust system? Also, does prop pitch alter performance depending on elevation? Should I change my cap and plugs if functioning properly?

Thank you,

[mmwjr]

impeller should be replaced every two years so i would do it now.
bellows should be replaced every 5 years, inspect and look for signs of cracking in the folds.

remove exhaust elbows and inspect water jackets to determine if they need replacement.

how many hours are on the engine? pull a spark plug and see what it looks like to decided if time to replace.

i would try the prop you have to see if proper WOT is achieved before messing with the prop.

[shrew]

Is the Engine Fuel Injected or Carb? If carbed, you might want to check with a local mechanic about whether it is jetted properly for that altitude. Boats tend to be jetted for sea level.

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by shrew

Is the Engine Fuel Injected or Carb? If carbed, you might want to check with a local mechanic about whether it is jetted properly for that altitude. Boats tend to be jetted for sea level.

He stated 5.0 MPI, so it should adjust for the altitude.

[Jesse Splan]

Hello,

Thank you for the replies! I will get the impeller replaced and inspect the bellows. The engine has 250 hours on it so I will also check a spark plug, too. When I take her out for the first run of the season I'll see how she performs at WOT with current prop. Luckily I ran the boat a few times in Seattle before I brought her to Salt Lake City so I will be able to compare performance.

Does anyone have experience with altering the engine components to increase performance? My OB motor was stock and this is my first stern drive so I was curious if you can upgrade elements like the headers, exhaust and intake.

I sincerely appreciate all of the help!

[mmwjr]

Being marine MPI I do not know of any induction upgrades. The cam could be changed but not sure how to update the computer to adjust for it. Easiest is installing captains choise exhaust which allows you to switch from stock through prop to transom exhaust but do not think the HP gain is that much.

Dropping in a HP 5.7 which has the same foot print would make a difference and you could sell the existing engine but this is costly.