hunter 27

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Jan 16, 2011
1
hunter 27 hull ma.
Need to know about hunter 27 1979 looking to buy this boat this wk, it has yanma diesel is this a good motor how do you start up this motor. what is the mant. on this motor, if the fuel has been sitting to long do i dump it where do i get a mant. manual for this boat, do not know about diesels
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,533
Hunter 27_75-84 Sandusky Harbor Marina, Ohio
A great cruising boat!

OK, I'm the biased owner of a '77 h27.

Original equipment was a one cylinder, SB8, 8 horesepower Yanmar diesel. If it is in good shape, it will do a great job of getting you in and out of the harbor, and cruise at 4 to 5 knots.

When buying any boat of this vintage, you should include a survey contingency in your purchase contract. You then hire a surveyor to check out the boat, and can negotiate any issues with the seller, or get out of the contract if the issues are too grave. In your case, find a diesel mechanic in your area, and ask him to check out the engine, since most surveyors don't have the competence you want on the engine. You'll want to have the engine checked in any case, and this will allow you to avoid a problem engine.

You can get probably get a Yanmar manual for the SB8 from Torreson Marine - Google for them online. But give them a call and ask what they recommend, since there are better books than the Yanmar manual, which is not the best.

You start the SB8 by cranking until it fires. The only difference with a gasoline engine is that it fires off compression, and sometimes you have to crank it a little until it starts. We ran our 23 year old '77 SB8 for 9 more years before replacing it with the current Yanmar, a 1GM10.

Good luck with your new boat. We have put over 6,000 miles on ours in 11 summers, and plan to sail her for years more!
 
Jan 4, 2007
406
Hunter 30 Centerport
Great Boat

Had my 1979 H-27 with a Yanmar 1 GM (8-HP) for about 10 years. Loved mine until I got the 3 foot itch and bought an ond H-30. Easy Maintenance. Thge SV 8 is very similar and a newer model. Don't know when yanmar went from the 1GM to the SV 8 designation but I had a SV8 manual was 90+ pct was the same.

Assuming that the filters are not clogged you could start it up and run it a while but before you go sailing I would suggest that you change the filters. If it's real old fuel it might not start as diesel does go bad. If you do keep it I would suggest that you drain the fuel before you go sailing and dispose of it and replace it with new before you go sailing. (I strain it an put it in the house oil tank as diesel is the same #2 that you heat houses with But you have to strain it. Otherwise most gas stations in NY are require to take used oil.

Check the oil and make sure it's in there. IT should be black and not gooie. IF the oil is whiteish or light coffee colored it has water it in it.Then you'll have to drain it and replace it before you start it. But beware if the cause it a bad head gasket or cracked block forget and find another boat, but Yanmars if thay get basic maintenance are pretty bullet proof.

If you change the filters you may have to bleed the system. Air and diesels don't mix. Air in the fuel line will prevent it from starting. The manuals of beleeding the 1 GM are on line and it's not hard to do but you have to follow the steps carefully. I used to chang the filters (There are 2 a primary on the engine compartment wall and a secondary on the motor.) as follows: I used to close the fuel cock at the top of the tank and chang ethe pripary filter. Then I'd take the fuel line off the motor and put it in a coffee can. Then I'd open the fuel cock on the tank and let it run until I got a good steam of fuel with no air bubbles. This fuills the primary filter with fuel so there is no air. With the fuel running I'd fill a plastice cup about 1/2 full. If the fuel won't flow a little suction (I hate to say the mount kind) will usually get it started. Once the fuel was flowing I had lot of rags around and I' reconnect the line to the engine. Then I'd open the bleeder valve on the top of the secondary filter on the motor. I'd used a plastice syringe that i got from my wife who is a RN or from West Marine in the paint section to fill the secondary filter with diesel from the cup I saved. Then I'd pump the little pump on the side of the motor under the fuel filter until no more bubbles came out of the About 80 pct of the time this will keep air out of the system and you won't have to bleed it.

You can start the 1 GM by hand crank but its a real work out. The Yanmar crank has a slip joint that only cranks in one direction and slips in the other. Only use the Yanmar crank because once the motor fires up the crank has to slip or it will break your arm. If you do crank it by hand you need to use the compression release on the top of the motor until you get the motor spinning then you close the compression release. If the motor is cold it very hard to start by hand and like I said it's a REAL WORK OUT. If the motor is warm or it's been run recently it's pretty easy.

A better bet is to either chqarge the house/starting battery out bring a good car battery to use temporarily. Turn the key on the panel in the cockpit. It takes to people. Set the gear in neutral and set the throttle a little less than 1/2 speed. If you have no air in the system and the fuel is good it will probably start. IF it cranks slow flip the compression release and let it motor turn faster and then flip the release closed. If you try the a few times and don't get it to start you probably have aire in the system. Then you have to follow the bleeding instructions. I open each of the fittings staring one at a time and with the compresson release open crank the motor with the batter until i get fuel leaking from the fitting and not air. Then you tighten up the fitting sop up any fuel with paper towels and move to the next fitting. Be careful not to over tighen the fittings as they are not hard to break. They are easy to replace but it's a real pain to go get them from the local yanmar dealer.

A word of caution if you get it started. If the boat is raw water cooled you can run it only for a minute or so without providing cooling water. IF it's fresh water cooled you have a little longer. If the boat is in the water make sure that the valve from the floor of the boat to the motor is open allowing sea water to be sucked into the motor to cool it. If it freezes where you are after you run the engine you have to drain it or but anti freeze in it. To drain it you need to following the yanmar instructions. I always used antifreeze but be careful about removing the hoses from the floor fitting if the boat is in the water. Gate valves used on hunters often don't close when they get old. If the boat is out of the warter you can get a 5 gallon bucket an fill it with water. Take the hose off the off of the valve on the floor of the boat and stick it in the bucket of water. With the engine running it should suck the water up. You can stick you hand in the bucket and should feel the suction. No suction try :eek:to prime the fwater pump by lifting the hose up and putting some wate in the hose with a cup or soda bottle and then dunking it in the bucket. This may be necessary if the motor hasn't be run in a while. If you do't get suction after a minute or two or running stoop the motor by clogins the throttle. If you have to you can open the compression relase in an emergency but I don't recommend this. IF it's cold outside remember that you need to either darin the motor when you're done use RV antifreeze instead of water in the bucket. You can use water as long as you follow it with antifreeze. In my boat I'd flush it with 10 gallons of water at the end of the season and then folllow up about 2 gallons of antifreeze.

Hope this helps.. email me if you have more questions. Nelsonhow@netscape.net
 
Dec 8, 2008
96
Hunter 27 Deale, MD
I have a 1981 Hunter 27. I love her. So I wanted to add my story for you. And I hope no one laughs at my affection for her. I think the 27s are one of the best boats John Cherubini ever designed. Some called Hunter the Ford or Chevy of boats. Well, the Cherubini 27 would be classic.

They are built like brick outhouses. I will bet the new 27s don’t weigh 7000 lbs. I heard someone say that it was because they still were not sure how much less fiberglass they could get away with using. Not sure how true or false it is, but it sounds right. I got in one of the new 27s at the boat show a couple of years ago and I did not think it could stand up to the Cherbs.

Mine has a 1GM. I was never a wrench monkey before I brought the boat (and it is my first). But I was (and still am) learning and every book I read on sailing said that you needed to immerse yourself into your boat. You needed to know every square inch of it. And I could see why. It was going to be the thing between you and being stranded somewhere, or worse yet drowning.

So I went and brought a Yanmar Manufacture’s, and after market manual and a parts manual. The on the first haul out I took the entire engine out of the boat, put it in the back of my Explorer and carted it off to NC (I am harbored in MD and live in DC) to put it in my parents garage for the winter. I then, with the help of the manual, took it all apart, replaced most everything (including the transmission unfortunately) and put her all back together. I then bench tested it right there. She started up so fast I was not ready for it. I was just trying to bleed the fuel lines for goodness sake. I was as proud of the engine (and myself) as I have ever been. It ranked right up there with the birth of my kids. I’m proud to say that I know every inch of the engine. And there have been a few times where it paid off in spades. So I would highly recommend really getting to know your engine no matter what.

As for the boat, I took the same tact. I climbed through it from one end to the other. Me and the Admiral cleaned her up one compartment at a time. I ended up replacing the business end of the electrical (I could not figure out why the electrical panel was put in the bottom of the boat where it could get flooded). I replaced her cabin lights for some nice stainless two color models. We put new cushions in her. And there is still much to do to make her and us happy. And this haul, she is going to get a new paint job from bow to stern and all places in between including the Mast. She has never had one and she has earned it. She is also going to get new thru hauls and valves. Hell, she is 31 years old this year. She is due a few improvements on her original makeup. So I don’t see it as “throwing money in a hole”. No more than the guy that works on his old Charger, or Mustang, or T-bird. I think she is truly in that group.

She is a Good Old Boat. I never talk trash about her when I am around her. And even then it’s never real hurtful. Although I will cuss the engine to his face but I see him as different from her mainly because I have wrestled with him in hand to hand combat. I see him as more my brother. But she is my little girl.


She is part of my family now. I can see getting a bigger boat one day. But I could never see getting rid of her.
 
Jun 21, 2009
110
Hunter 27 Sparrows Point
vettemanny - First off ---> WELCOME aboard. ;)

Love our '79 H27. Yanmar is a reliable engine, however my 8hp 1 lunger always feels underpowered (never topped 6 knots).

How much are they asking for it? How does it look inside/outside?
 
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