Bought a 1980 hunter 33 in july.the previous owners have just let this boat sit,what a shame but the wife and I are gonna refit her.any help or suggestions would be appreciated.been away from sailing for 40yrs. The 2qm15 right now just cranks over and the warning buzzer lights don't go off any suggestions?
Getting started
- Thread starter blunt
- Start date
Did you get a survey as part of your purchase process? If not, I'd get one now.
A good survey will tell you which systems need attention now, and which ones can wait until after you are sailing this magnificent boat.
Owner reviews on this site are a good source, as are owner modifications for your model.
Finally, check out the Cherubini Hunter section of this site. John Cherubini called the 33 they "Queen of the fleet," and the members of this forum include a good number of sailors who have gone before you in refitting a 33. They will give you really competent answers to specific questions.
A good survey will tell you which systems need attention now, and which ones can wait until after you are sailing this magnificent boat.
Owner reviews on this site are a good source, as are owner modifications for your model.
Finally, check out the Cherubini Hunter section of this site. John Cherubini called the 33 they "Queen of the fleet," and the members of this forum include a good number of sailors who have gone before you in refitting a 33. They will give you really competent answers to specific questions.
First thing I would check is the compression post base. Mine was rusted in half when I got my 79 H30. A steel I-beam sitting in a bilge for 35 years is a bad combination. I made a new one out of 2 pieces of structural aluminum channel bolted together.
Last edited:
No survey we bought the boat for 1600.the mechanic I have believes it's one of the warning lights not allowing the motor to fire.also the gear shift lever is frozen.I suspect the transmission is in gear.
The motor runs yeah! But the alternator belt broke water pump is frozen and a exhaust leak.has anyone here went to a electric waterpump?
this sorta confusing to me ...are saying that the engine water pump is electric or are you talking about the fresh water system to the galley and head...as for that old engine running it should they are tougher than a lighter knot off a georgia pine ...one thing you need to do is pull the exhaust manifold and check the water passages for blockages and if you have some take a hard pic and clean them out by hand like a dentist would clean your teeth with a pic and be very careful there is no replacement parts of that nature for that engine..i know this is not what one wants to hear but it is something you need to know
Sorry.the raw water pump is just spinning it's frozen.thinking about Goin electric for the raw water ?
you can rebuild that raw water pump a lot easier than you can convert to electric....... look in mainsails post in musing i think there is a write up on rebuilding one in there or at least replacing the impeller ...you may have to replace the bearings and seal as well
I agree with Kito, check the compression post base. Mine was half gone in the bilge due to a foolish connection to a copper shunt strap directly to the aluminum post. The original post material is structural aluminum tubing and it can be purchased and replaced if necessary. I have purchased many 2QM15 parts including exhaust elbows. Those elbows only last a few years but are easy enough to replace. Good luck.
Thank you roys.the compression post is good and I purchased the motor parts from a local dealer.rebuild kit for the water pump,2 belts,air cleaner,exhaust elbow came to $312.not to mention it only took 5 days for the parts to get here.
The Yanmar 2qm (GM?)15 motors are bullet proof and run forever if you take minimal care of them. Invest in the service manual and the shop manual (I think both are on the download section of this web). Remember to change the impeller on the water pump as well as the cover plate gasket. If the flat brass pump cover plate is at all worn , replace it ....it's cheap. Change the crankcase oil run for a little while and change it again and drain and get new fuel.
Pop off the shift cable at the transmission and try to shift. The cable might be frozen or the linkage can flip backward that prevents shifting. If it still stuck you might want to flush the clutch oil with a lighter weight to get things moving and then drain and replace with the standard 30 weight. My bet is that assuming that you don't have water in the transmission that has caused a lot of rust, flushing with a lighter weight oil and working the shift leaver from the transmission case (disconnect the shift cable at the base) might free up the transmission. A 60 watt lamp on the transmission overnight and a little gentle tapping with a very small hammer often helps free things up. Don't us PB Blaster on any of the transmission seals or shift leavers. It can destroy the internal rubber seals. Remember to put in the standard weigh oil and reconnect the shift cable before you run it! If that doesn't work you can pull the transmission and send it out for service to Mack Boring or an other Yanmar repair shop.
Also: Check all the thru hulls.... old Hunter's used gate valves which should be replaced with marine ball valves. also check the condition of all the hoses and hose clamps. Replace any that are at all suspect. A bad hose/clamp with a valve that won't close with sink you boat in minutes.
If you're out of the water you can usually spin off the gate valves by treating the threads for a few days with PB blaster and then applying a plumbers propane torch to the valve. Just heat it a little, not cherry red. Use a small pipe wrench, wear gloves and keep a bucket of water near just in case. They usually spin off and you can replace the old valve with a ball valve if you haven't un-bedded the thru hills.... now's the time to change them too if you need to. Scratch the thru hull through the bottom paint on the outside... if it's pinksh replace it ... other wise they are probably ok.... if in doubt ....replace and rebed. them.
If the boat has been sitting a few years in the cold the batteries are probably suspect... even if they did turn over the motor.
Have fun... the old Hunters are great!
Pop off the shift cable at the transmission and try to shift. The cable might be frozen or the linkage can flip backward that prevents shifting. If it still stuck you might want to flush the clutch oil with a lighter weight to get things moving and then drain and replace with the standard 30 weight. My bet is that assuming that you don't have water in the transmission that has caused a lot of rust, flushing with a lighter weight oil and working the shift leaver from the transmission case (disconnect the shift cable at the base) might free up the transmission. A 60 watt lamp on the transmission overnight and a little gentle tapping with a very small hammer often helps free things up. Don't us PB Blaster on any of the transmission seals or shift leavers. It can destroy the internal rubber seals. Remember to put in the standard weigh oil and reconnect the shift cable before you run it! If that doesn't work you can pull the transmission and send it out for service to Mack Boring or an other Yanmar repair shop.
Also: Check all the thru hulls.... old Hunter's used gate valves which should be replaced with marine ball valves. also check the condition of all the hoses and hose clamps. Replace any that are at all suspect. A bad hose/clamp with a valve that won't close with sink you boat in minutes.
If you're out of the water you can usually spin off the gate valves by treating the threads for a few days with PB blaster and then applying a plumbers propane torch to the valve. Just heat it a little, not cherry red. Use a small pipe wrench, wear gloves and keep a bucket of water near just in case. They usually spin off and you can replace the old valve with a ball valve if you haven't un-bedded the thru hills.... now's the time to change them too if you need to. Scratch the thru hull through the bottom paint on the outside... if it's pinksh replace it ... other wise they are probably ok.... if in doubt ....replace and rebed. them.
If the boat has been sitting a few years in the cold the batteries are probably suspect... even if they did turn over the motor.
Have fun... the old Hunters are great!
Thanks Nelson for the insight.the water pump is being rebuilt the shift cable has been disconnected from the transmission.the trand mission shifts but the cable is frozen or the shift lever is stuck.can't get it to the hard yet until we get the motor up to par.we have about 30 miles to the boat yard.but the admiral is having back surgery next week so we are on hold.