Buying a 2002 Maxum

[Yodajim]

Hey Guys , I'm new here , so thanks in advance for having me

Tommoro I'm going to test a 2002 Maxun 3.0 inline 4 cyl. 181 CID
Is there anything I need to know ?

The boat seems to be in good shape
And clean ..

I know to check the regular stuff. Ie. gimble bearing , rotten stringers and such

My question is about the engine , is it reliable ???
The owner is saying it has about 180 hours on it

Any help would be greatly apreaciated

[mmwjr]

Yodajim welcome aboard. The 3.0 is a good strong engine and has been used in boats for a very long time. What to look for when checking any engine is temp, smoke, and power.

Verify the guage is ~ 160 F, better would be to measure some spots on the engine with a IR handheld thermal gun.
Look at the exhaust for any sign of smoke: white says water is getting in to the cylinders, blue means it's burning oil, and black is the carb is to rich or a cylinder is not burning properly.
Look up max rpm for the engine and verify you can achieve it. If not proped correctly it will be off by a few hundred rpms. If just you and the seller onboard it should plane in 4 seconds.

You may want to drain a little lube from the outdrive to look for any signs of water.

If you buy it Iwould change the water pump impeller, engine oil, outdrive lube.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Yodajim]

Thanks mmwjr
I'll do all the checks you mentioned

No doubt I'll check the outdrive

I was just a little concerned about the motor
There are a lot of people saying the early inline 4's need a alternator relocation kit
And that the early motors arn't that great because it was an aluminum block
With cast iron heads
This alternator is out on the side of the motor

I'm going out about 2 or 3 today
I'll let you know how it goes
Wish me luck
I'll post pictures if I can

[mmwjr]

Yodajim the engine with the aluminum block is not the 3.0 but mercruisers 470 model. The 3.0 has an alternator as well.

[Yodajim]

Yes sir
The alternator is old school
It's hanging on brackets , it's not integrated into the block like the ones I read about
Those must have been the early engines
I'm stoked , I'm ready to get it wet
I'll be in touch

[jrsick]

Yoda, make sure the up/down/trailer switches work and check the limits of travel for each. Count the wires connected to the battery and know what each goes to (small gauge wires are often from aftermarket additions, know what those are and ask for the operator's manuals). Start engine and let it run to temp and check gauges, nav lights, leaks, and exhaust. Probably too late to learn how to check speedo, unless you're taking it out on the water. Look underneath the boat for damage and that trailer lights work. Real plus if you can keep the license plate! Also, try to get him to throw in extras like skis, tubes, etc.

[Yodajim]

Jrsick
Will do , we will be taking it out on the water Today
Comes with a nice trailer , Bimini top , and canvas cover
I'll look for aftermarket stuff like you said

I've looked the boat over twice on the trailer
And I haven't seen anything out of place or added yet
Having it out on the water will speak volumes
Yoda

[Yodajim]

ok took it out for its test drive

it ran ok , no gimble bearing noise
no water intrusion in the lower end

trim gauge doesent work
steering was hard
two reservoirs in the engine compartment were empty
one on top of the motor marked "lube" I think its outdrive lube , I need to check

one lower reservoir ( looking at the motor ) left hand side
low in the engine compartment , I believe this to be the power steering oil

had some water in the bilge when we got done
I cant see anywhere that it could be coming in

I did grab the bilge plug and screw it off with just my fingers
im going to see if I can add pictures

[mmwjr]

Boat picture look clean enough.

Trim guage not working is probably broken wire at trim switch on outside of transom housing. Cure to to replace but this means disassembly of transom housing. Good time to replace gimbal bearing and bellows.

Low lube is the gear lube for outdrive. Issue is is it leaking? May need to pressure test outdrive.

PS low. one again is there a leak?

Water in bildge could be loose plug or leaking bellows. Also could be leaking coolant hose, clamp loose.

[Yodajim]

Mmwjr
I'm going to hav't to fill everything up and see what's going on
I didn't expect anything to be low , so I'm going to do more investigating
There's no oil or outdrive lube in the bilge
As for the trim , I didn't know the outdrive would need to come off.
O well it's fixing to be cold here anyway , so I guess I have a few projects
If it comes off , your right , might as well change bellows and gimble
Is the power steering reservoir the one on the left side of the engine
Low in the engine compartment ? Because I see power steering units for this
Boat on the Internet , and they look like the old school ones on cars
With there own reservoir.
I guess it could be worse

The boat is in really good condition appearance wise
Brother thanks for all the help
I won't be able to get back to it untill next weekend
So I'll know more then
Again Thanks Yoda

[mmwjr]

Yoda regarding the PS pump yes they used the old GM unit. A picture of what you looking at would help. Has the boat been sitting unused?

The trim limit switch and trim position switch mount on either side of the gimbal ring and their wires penetrate the transom assy above the U-joint bellows. Only way to get to them is complete disassembly.

BTY: you can just call me Mike

[jrsick]

Yoda, you mentioned that the steering was hard, you may not have power steering, it's not standard on the 3.0. The resevoir could be for the trim. I could tell more with a picture.

[Yodajim]

i'll know a whole lot more this weekend , hopefully i wont havt to change the bellows right out the gate
but if i do , the trim is also getting looked at
as for the power steering , i'll need to look again , i can't remember seeing a pump ( come to think about it )
but i was looking at so much at one time .
i'll check back in ................................. Thanks Mike and jrsick
( looks like im going to be leaning on this sight a lot )

[Yodajim]

Pictures also this weekend ..............................

[CountryME]

Yoda, Ask the previous owner when the raw wate rimpeller was last changed out. These need to be replaced every 3 years on Alpha drives (some guys do it every year for piece of mind). Based on what you have noted about the boat, you have some bargaining chips when it comes to price. I would recommend having the drive pulled, replacing the bellows (this requires some special tools), trim sending unit/switch (hockey puck lookign things on either side of the drive [$100 for parts alone]), replacing the impeller ($75 in parts), and having a pressure test done to ensure the drive doesn't need new oil seals. All, in all, you are looking at ~$400 in parts plus labor if you have a merc mechnic do it. Hope that helps with the bargaining.

Also, welcome to the forum and good luck on your new boat purchase.

-JP

[Yodajim]

Ok Guys

Ran the Boat today ( on the trailer with muffs )
didn't notice any leaks at the bellows , ( leaking into the bilge )
no water hoses in the engine compartment leaking
Boat has 189 hours on it

this boat doesn't have power steering ( no pump ) the boat doesn't steer hard on the trailer
so maybe I need to man up ( but the steering is kinda hard - maybe normal ?? )

About winterizing , Can I Just disconnect hoses and pour in anti freeze ?
or is it best to run it , till anti freeze come out the out drive ??

Ok im going back outside to put stuff up
im including some more pictures

[mmwjr]

Yoda you do not have power steering. First picture is trim pump that raises and lowers the outdrive. Steering may be a litte stiff when in the water due to engine torgue. It should be easier to turn one direction vs the other. This is becuse in one direction te torgue helps you and the other you are pushing against it.

You can just disconnect the hoses and pur in he antifreeze but first need to remove all drains and get the water out else the anti-freeze get diluted and looses strenght (will freeze sooner). Running with kit until anti-freeze comes out exhaust ensures th system is fully flushed.

[jrsick]

Yoda, regarding winterizing, those two blue hoses will drain the block. Just push the button on the fittings and they come right off. You drain the engine by lowering the hoses below the engine (the hoses are open-ended and don't leak during operation because the ends are mounted higher than the engine). To winterize, run antifreeze through the engine via the muffs. Then, drain the antifreeze from the engine, via the blue hoses, back into your antifreeze containers to use again next year. This ensures low spots don't freeze and adds some corrosion protection. At least that's the way I do it, I'm sure there are other good techniques.
That long black hose on the deck is the oil drain, just stick it out of the bilge drain hole. Oil draining evolution leads to much hilarity and donkey jokes at my house.
I don't have PS either and generally works OK. Our boats have a small turning radius. I do get a workout during a day of skiing, but like that I have reduced possibility to oversteer since I usually have a full boat.