1979 Eight Horsepower YANMAR

[Amordomar]

Hello Everyone, I am looking at purchasing a 1979 Hunter 27 in good condition. The boat has been sitting for three years and the 8 HP Yanmar has not been running for that period of time. Anyone have advice on what i need to do to the engine before starting it?. I do realize the the fuel in the boat needs to be changed a well as the engine oil and oil and fuel filters.
Any and all advice will be appreciated.

 

[jssailem]

Hi @Amordomar Welcome to the SBO forums. Is the boat in the water? If not I’d plan to check and maybe change out the through hulls and any hoses that look old. They are the suspects that can let water into your boat. When you replace them with new, you give your boat a little insurance against flooding.

You Can check the battery. It may be aged and need replacement to have the energy to start your motor.

 

[Amordomar]

Hello, Thank you for your response. The boat is out of the water and does need two new batteries. I have been thinking about the thru hull fittings as well as the valves. I have not been through the entire boat but the valves i have seen are gate valves, So best to change to ball valves i believe. The boat does have fairly new sails and electronics as well as a trailer. The asking price is $5000 canadian. I think its a grate deal. Boat has been well looked after but as i said it has been out or the water for three years

 

[kloudie1]

Welcome!
Don't worry too much about the engine.. You'll probably find that it will start and run fine.. don't change the filters until after you've run it a couple of hours; that will give you an idea of how the fuel is.. Not normally necessary to pump out the tank unless there is a known problem.. My advice would be a little different if you were going to sail her quite a ways to her new home.. If doing that, run the engine a few minutes then change oil and filters, noting the condition of the primary filter in particular..
Pull the compression release, go to about 1/2 throttle, and spin the engine 15 seconds or so to get the oil circulating then continue spinning and switch the lever so that the engine will start.. Check the water pump impeller while she's still on the hard ..
Batteries and connections need to be looked at carefully.
Good Luck!
EDIT: OK on batteries.. ya typed while I was doing same

 

[kloudie1]

Check that engine anodes are in good condition too

 

[Amordomar]

Thank you, This gives me a great start and had greatly increased my confidence in this project!

 

[jssailem]

I focus on keeping the water out of the boat. Boat powered to travel in the direction I select. And the knowledge of which direction I should travel.

 

[kloudie1]

Water out of boat! People in boat! Boat off rocks! the three cardinal rules

 

[Benny17441]

Echo Kloudie's recommendation about the raw water impeller, if possible I would replace it. Fresh fuel is a good idea as to avoid misdiagnosing any stale fuel related maladies.

 

[Terry Cox]

Price seems pretty fair to me. You can always counter. Advice up to this point all good. Stuffing box packing will be dried out, so consider tightening the box hand tight plus a quarter turn. Once in the water running for a few hours, check again for any drips while spinning. It may need another adjustment once the packing material becomes soaked with water. A drip every few seconds okay, but none while at rest.

A nickname for the one cylinder Yanmars is "Thumper". You will see once you get it running. Good little engine. Best to get it running after changing the oil in both engine and transmission. Tranny oil should be the same as the engine. Bell housing should state what type. Does not take very much. Dip stick has a small full mark at the bottom. Do not screw dip stick in when checking; just rest the cap on the housing to obtain the correct level. Run it up to temperature out on the water in gear for awhile to get rid of any moisture accumulation.

Please keep us posted on your final decision and cruising experiences. Welcome to our cabal of worthy advisors.
We look forward to seeing pictures of your new boat. The boat's anchoring system is the most important safety feature. Be sure you have it set up properly before heading out, just in case Thumper decides it needs a rest. Our advisors have lots of information on all boating topics.

Also, before you bite the bullet, hire a marine surveyor to survey the boat. Even though the price is quite low, serious boating repairs can add up quickly. A survey will point out any anomalies that need addressing. Those can also be used to adjust the purchase price.

 

[ggrizzard]

Your boat has a YSM 8, one cylinder engine that has been run in fresh water???
If that is true and has always been true, you should be able to start it with clean fuel. Since you don't know what junk is in the tank or fuel line yet, put a length of new fuel line on the engine and run it to a Jerry jug with fresh fuel. If it's ever been in a salt water environment for more that a year, you may have bigger issues with it now or later.
As to getting a survey, I don't know what you are willing to pay but,
ask yourself these questions:
It's a simple boat. Can I fix (including fiberglass repair) whatever issues I find?
What will a survey cost?
What would a yard (@$75.00 hr) charge me to fix the stuff I can't fix?
Decide if you want a pro to tell what needs fixin' !
Just my 2 cents.
G

 

[MitchM]

to gg: i am curious about "If it's ever been in a salt water environment for more that a year, you may have bigger issues with it now or later..." assuming the owner properly winterized this raw water cooled engine to get the salt water out of the block, and properly maintained all the electrical connections, what's the issue ?
to OP: i have the pdf of the GM10 manual for an 04 yan 10 if you want a copy. my yan gold dealer gave it to me because i was buying so many parts hahah.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

All good advise on what to do for yourself. Is the seller not able to address these issues before you do a sea trial?

 

[ggrizzard]

Mitch, I've never met or read about a YSM 8 or 12 owner who said they religiously drained, flushed and filled with treatment fluid or fresh water their raw water cooled engine.
The reason I suggested caution to the OP was that my original YSM 12 lived in a Florida, salt water environment for the first 15 tears of it's life. It rusted through the water jacket and had to be scrapped.