First Time 2003 San 210 Owner Suggestions and Tips before Use

[tlove47]

So I just purchased my first boat.
2003 Super Air Nautique 210 330 PCM 5.7L
Purchased at auction so I have no history of the boat.
Boat is from Orlando/Miami area so everything including brittle components and some rust leads me to believe this boat has seen if not anything but salt water.
I'm hoping to get some tips on what I need to do before just putting her on a fresh water lake. As of right now I did not record the hours on boat.

I have checked the engine oil which looks great and is at correct level.

I floated the boat and it leaked from two fittings that I believe fill up the ballast. ( I have fixed this issue)

It also leaked from a black cap that says (hand tighten) just to the passenger side of the v drive. So I hand tightened and seems to be fine.

I put the boat in the water again with some fresh fuel and lucas oil fuel stabilizer and started her up. With a little throttle she ran. (great sound after buying a boat you weren't even sure would run)

After running for a moment the alternator belt broke because the alternator was corroded and not spinning. So I have ordered all new belts and alternator.

Which leads me to this moment. I'm going to replace the parts. Also check trans fluid. I was told I should go ahead and replace the water pump impeller as well.

Besides just touching everything to ensure nothing is loose or broken/ cracked does anybody have any pointers. I'm not serious mechanic but I can do more than most people.

Being that I just spent my life savings as a 27 y/o I would hate for something to go wrong on this boat because I didn't check or do something correctly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. The boat is on lake Jackson in Jackson Ga. If anyone is interested in even making an extra few bucks I would love to have someone

knowledgeable inspect and help in person.

Thanks

[charlesml3]

I gather you don't have any service history on the boat. If that's the case, then you pretty much have to assume it's due for a oil, oil filter, fuel filter, and transmission fluid change.

I can't remember if that engine had a distributor cap and rotor. If it does, take the cap off and inspect the contacts inside. If they're all worn and pitted, replace the cap and rotor.

Verify that the bilge pumps actually WORK. Put the plug in, turn on the power and then add water to the bilge with a hose and make sure the pumps come on when they should.

Verify all your lights work. Check the prop for any dings. Even a very small ding will vibrate like crazy. How's the steering? You should be able to turn the steering wheel with one pinky finger.

That's about it.

-Charles

[tlove47]

Here’s a picture of her. Also curious as it seems there might possibly be a different cooling system for salt water boats? Not sure.
thanks again.

[tlove47]

Steering is super easy. Prop is in good shape and turns by hand. It does have some sort of distributor cap if i remember correctly. I will look into checking those connections.

[rlwagens]

http://www.planetnautique.com/Correc...%20Manual2.pdf

Read this front to back and perform all the engine maintenance on p.48, make sure the engine meets the specs listed on p.52 when operating specifically.

[NautiqueJeff]

Love the colors. My 2003 was the inverse of yours.

[tlove47]

Sweet boat. Any tips. Im not sure if this boat was winterized being so far south so unfamiliar with possible de winterizing. Also any special tricks for cleaning clearing out system of any remain salt water or harm it might have caused

[Dgee]

Take a picture of the engine, there's a possibility it could have a closed loop cooling system if it was a salty boat. If so that's a nice added upgrade since it keep saltwater out of the engine

[gome123]

Not 100% sure about this... but the trailer says Malibu. Asking the rest of the members, would the bunk placement cause issues?

[tlove47]

I will take a picture of the engine when I get back to the boat this weekend. I was also wondering if it had a different system because it doesn't quite look the same as others I have seen. thanks Dgee I will def get back to you. And gome123 I sure hope not as I trailered this boat 600 miles on this trailer. it really looked to be sitting perfect.

[Quinner]

An 03' would likely be the first Gen Excalibur, you mentioned belts so that means it's V-Belts not a Serpentine which would be 2nd gen. if the Engine shroud is Silver then likely a first Gen. Change cap and rotor for sure, and the other items mentioned would also be a good idea, fluids & filters. If there is a small reservoir with antifreeze and a radiator cap on the motor it is likely closed cooling. Regarding a flush, regardless you will want to run on a hose to check for leaks, etc. which will also flush out any residual salt.
Regarding the trailer, you will want to get underneath and ensure no pickups, intakes or your paddle wheel (if equipped) are on a bunk, also see how the hull lands on the bunks throughout, inspect where the bow hits bunks/pads as well. That inspection and how it comes on/off the trailer will help you determine what, if any, mods may be required.

[tlove47]

yes its a silver cover. no serpentine belt. I just borrowed the trailer as I purchased without one. at the moment I have it which I know everyone will hat eme for but on a standard trailer with raised bunks made out of 6x6. doesn't look pretty but I store the boat about 20 ft from the ramp so its just used to move a few yards. the trailer now is set up like a boat lift so shouldn't be urting anything and there was no contact on the Malibu trailer besides main parts of the hull. I think she should be fine. looking for the right trailer but they are quite pricey. I don't recall a reservoir with cap but is it clearly visible or should I be looking somewhere particularly

[functionoverfashion]

First of all, nice boat! I bought a similar '03 last year. You'll love it.

The trailer you're using sounds like what it would be sitting on in a dry storage rack building. So long as it's not hitting anything important (as has been covered), I'd just put some carpet on them to minimize the scuffs and you're fine.

After you get the essential stuff figured out - fluid changes, tune-up, checking over electrical accessories, you'll want to get into the ballast system; here are some helpful threads from this forum: Link 1 / Link 2 / Link 3 - Basically, the factory ballast setup was overly complex and problematic. Many people will simplify and/or upgrade the system. It's all detailed in those links.

And here's a good thread about the fluids your engine, transmission, and v-drive will need.

Here's a thread with some good pictures - it is about winterizing, which it doesn't sound like a concern for you, but you can still learn a lot about what's what from reading and looking at those pics.

You can learn a lot reading the manual, and also browsing this forum, in particular the DIY section.

Welcome, congrats, and good luck!

[cselby]

Enjoy! I bought an 03 in Fall of 2016 (actually Jeff's old boat pictured above). I'm not an expert by any means but have done quite a bit of upgrades and maintenance items. I'll pm you my # if you ever have any questions

Sent from my SM-G930V using PLT Nautique mobile app

[tlove47]

So after replacing the belt and some fluids (while waiting on impeller to arrive) I decided to take the boat for a stroll. Literally around the block. Just to see if I noticed anything else. Well all seemed okay until one of the 3" exhaust hose bursted. A small amount of water was dripping thru leak causing some steam and there was a tad of blue smoke coming from exhaust out of the back of the boat but went away on my slow return back to marina. I think the blue smoke was just regular buildup burning since everything leads me to believe the boat has been sitting for some time. Does this sound like the impeller completely gave out causing the tubes to overheat and break? Any ideas would be helpful as well as any tips for impeller replacement and flushing the system