Common maintenance items

[Neptune442]

So in January I drove to Kansas to buy my first ever Nautique (2000 Sport) and brought it back to MN. It is a 1-owner boat that was owned by a local church that ran a summer camp. The problem is, I wasn't able to get a great maintenance history on it. I was able to speak to a gentleman through the church who told me it was a great running boat, but they just had no use for it anymore - but that's about it. The boat was a consignment sale through a local dealer who didn't specialize in these kinds of boats - they were more/less just helping the church sell the boat. Honestly, I didn't ask too many questions because it was too good of a deal to pass up and I knew I was going to buy it. The dealer started the engine, it fired right up and ran well - and that was good enough for me.

Anyways, I've been making a list of maintenance items to address to get it ready for summer. So far, I've replaced the steering cable because the steering was very stiff. Some other things I have planned include:

-Distributor cap/rotor
-Spark plugs
-Spark plug wires
-Impeller
-Fuel cell filter
-Motor oil/filter

Any other simple maintenance items I should address now to (hopefully) make this summer on the lake as problem-free as possible? The belts seem to be in good shape, but do I need to swap them out as well? I'm not sure of the boat's hours, because the original gauges were swapped out at some point. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[beamons]

I assume it is the GT-40? I think that is a good list. Really they are great engines and besides maintenance stuff it will be a solid motor for years. The hours is a big thing to know. Maybe someone on the forum can tell you if it is possible to read the ecm or something and tell you the hours. I believe I once heard that was possible. I would do all that you mentioned and then see how it runs. There are a lot of people that know these engines, either here or on the other forum. If you ever have any questions, feel free to PM me and we can chat. At this point, I have almost been completely through mine.

[Neptune442]

Yep, I forgot to mention it has the GT-40. For some reason I seem to remember reading that there isn't a way to pull the hours from the Ford engines...just the GM's. But I could be making that up.

[brit_hunsicker]

Yep, I forgot to mention it has the GT-40. For some reason I seem to remember reading that there isn't a way to pull the hours from the Ford engines...just the GM's. But I could be making that up.

That is correct, not possible on this era Ford motor, only GM. That may not be the case with the new setups...but unfortunately that is the case here. I think you’ve got a good list going. One common problem was some of the relays on the back of that motor going out. May not be a bad idea to have a back up.


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[Neptune442]

Oh thanks, backup relays are are a great idea. That's exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping for, because I never would have thought of that. By the way, I love your boat! I found your restoration thread because of your recent tower post...just awesome stuff. It's really inspiring to see what guys like you can do to these older boats.

[beamons]

Depending on how it runs, mine was crazy better after I changed out the fuel injectors and it was around 180 and a really easy swap.

[brit_hunsicker]

Oh thanks, backup relays are are a great idea. That's exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping for, because I never would have thought of that. By the way, I love your boat! I found your restoration thread because of your recent tower post...just awesome stuff. It's really inspiring to see what guys like you can do to these older boats.

Thanks! I really enjoy documenting everything I do so it makes for an easier project for others. I’ve learned a lot from this forum and I’ve also learned a lot on my own just tearing into things. There is a vast amount of knowledge on this site and I’m only a small spec of it!


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[Neptune442]

That's a great idea! This is what I'm seeing at Nautique Parts.
https://www.nautiqueparts.com/product/fuel-injector/
189 per injector sounds expensive

[MTRBTR]

Packing gland at drive shaft is always good to check out

[Neptune442]

Packing gland at drive shaft is always good to check out

That's a good thought, I'll definitely check that out.

[charlesml3]

Packing gland at drive shaft is always good to check out

And it is SUPPOSED to drip. If it's not dripping, it's too tight. If it's pouring a steady stream, it's too loose. Anything else, leave it ALONE.

This site gets all weird about some number of drips per minute or whatever. It's nonsense. It's supposed to drip a bit to keep the driveshaft and stuffing box cooled.

-Charles

[Neptune442]

And it is SUPPOSED to drip. If it's not dripping, it's too tight. If it's pouring a steady stream, it's too loose. Anything else, leave it ALONE.

This site gets all weird about some number of drips per minute or whatever. It's nonsense. It's supposed to drip a bit to keep the driveshaft and stuffing box cooled.

-Charles

Ok thanks! I'm crossing my fingers for just a few drips then.

[beamons]

Depending on how it runs, mine was crazy better after I changed out the fuel injectors and it was around 180 and a really easy swap.

[Neptune442]

Depending on how it runs, mine was crazy better after I changed out the fuel injectors and it was around 180 and a really easy swap.

Do you remember where you found your injectors for $180? Looks like the OEM ones at Nautique Parts would run $1,500+ for the set...ouch.

[beamons]

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It looks like they fluctuate a little in price. Also you do have to get some adapters for them. I'll have to find where i got those.
While I love NP, it is not the only source for a lot of this stuff. I needed one of the fuel pumps. 200 something on NP and Skidim, 30 on Amazon.