Suggested maintenance if previous records incomplete

[dsolo]

Found a couple articles on replacing shaft stuffing. From what I have read I should replace them. I have no history of maintenance. Surveyor did no notice any excessive dripping. Not being in the water will not let me check them. I figure replacing flax and make adjustments at launch. Does that seem reasonable?

[bud37]

I am not a marine mechanic but have had boats for most of my life .......about the packing, if your surveyor did not notice anything excessive then leave it alone , you can always change it in the water if it can not be adjusted further.
Shaft anode should be near the strut maybe an inch or a little more...bearing needs water flow....freshwater you need either Magnesium or Aluminium anodes,make sure all your anodes are all the same material.My bet will be the ones there now are zinc ( heavy), useless in fresh water.
Second , the final shaft alignments can only be done with the boat relaxed in the water.....a boat can be flexed a considerable amount on jack stands which will throw off any adjustments made......Honestly if you try to do too much at once you will get lost IMHO........

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost....
Replacing three above water thru hull vents. Two of them were fuel vents. Discovered during survey last fall. Will double check all for cracks....

Check water discharge thru-hulls too, that's what I meant.

Qr Bbpost....how do I check the bearing seals out of water?

Look for excessive spacing between the shaft and strut bearing all the way around the shaft. While some cracking in the rubber is common, what you don't want to see are wide cracks or missing pieces.

[dsolo]

Bud37 Thanks for the advice on the anodes. Would the material apply to the zinc sacrificial bolt in the rear heat exchanger? I will also take your advice on the packing.

Also, should the trim tabs get anodes? They look good, no apparent pitting.

Viper, I here you on the water discharge thru hulls. A failure would be messy. I also have your advice on the shower sumps. They will be regular checks.

Again thanks to all.

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost
...Found loose anodes on drive shafts....Where should they be positioned?
...Should there be anodes on the trim tabs?
...Props look good. No cracks or dings showing. Should they be inspected for balance?...

As mentioned above, the shaft anodes should be very close to the struts.

If you don't currently have anodes on the tabs and don't seem to have a corrosion issue, then I wouldn't bother adding additional protection. As mentioned, you want to ensure the current anodes aren't zinc. If they still look pretty much intact and don't seem to have lost much material, then they probably are zinc and must be replaced. For inboard applications, use aluminum anodes. Not everybody carries them so it may be a challenge to find, but they are getting more popular as retailers hop on the bandwagon.

If the props look okay and you're not experiencing any vibration, then the props may be fine. Having said that, an un-tuned prop isn't always visible to the naked eye. I've been doing this a long time and even I've been surprised at how bad some seemingly good props turned out to be even though there were no visible signs. It's a judgement call; if you take them off yourself, it won't cost you anything as most prop shops check them for free. If they find they are within spec, then you haven't lost anything and now have peace of mind. If they do find them to be off, then it will cost to remedy, and again you will have peace of mind.

The list can quickly get out of hand...where do you stop?! Tackle the things that need to be done while out of the water first. After launch, replace the impellers, belts, oils, and filters. Unless you're experiencing runability issues, ignition components can wait a little longer for your wallet to recover.

Curious; I know you said heated storage, did they winterize the boat?

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost .... anodes? They look good, no apparent pitting.....

That means they aren't doing what they're supposed to do! If they were, they'd be corroding/pitting.

[dsolo]

Winterization by Marina, they pulled batteries, fogged engines, pumped waste, power washed hull.

Storage is at 55 degrees.

What are your recommendations?

Viper most the anodes look good? I plan on changing them as recommended. The trim tabs have no pits. I would say don't need them at this time.

I realize you cannot prevent issues. I will organize my list based on advise given here. Take a little at a time.

[Viper]

I ask if they winterized because you said the coolant wasn't checked, and as part of winterizing, this is a must!

[g36]

There are 3 fuel filters on these engines. I have the same. I would open the first which is a oberg with a mesh screen and clean this screen and reinstall. I have to do this a couple times a season. I will notice some rpm issues and know it's time. I would also change the water seperator and the canister at the tbi. Like others I would also change fluids and check belts but maybe just by one spare if they aren't cracked. Just in case. Shop around for parts and other offerings from Sierra etc. Defender,ebasic power,boaters plus,boatersland, marine part source etc etc Sometimes amazon has got the best prices on the parts not always. I try to save when I can

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost .... a oberg with a mesh screen ...

Are you talking about the puck shaped filter? I didn't think the /97 vintage had those. This is a TB injection unit and I thought those were introduced in the MPI models. I'm probably off a couple of years. Learn something new every day!
Definitely something you want to change as most people neglect to do so.

https://www.marinepartssource.com/newdetails.asp?pnumber=CRURA077013&mfg=crusader&mcat1=17&mcat2=0&mcat3=0&mfgcategory=Fuel+Filters&mfgno=RA077013%20%20%20%20&desc=110+Micron+Fuel+Filter

https://www.marinepartssource.com/newdetails.asp?pnumber=CRUR077013&mfg=crusader&mcat1=17&mcat2=0&mcat3=0&mfgcategory=Fuel+Filters&mfgno=R077013%20%20%20%20%20&desc=Fuel+Filter+Screen