19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

[indy440]

Im buying a bigger boat, and I may have found one.

Its a 19' citation closed bow with a 3.7L 4-cylinder which is supposed to be 180hp. Its a one-owner boat and seems to be taken care of. I don't hear much about the 3.7L motors (mostly just the 3.0L). I wanted a 4.3L but this seems like a nice boat so I figured it would be worth asking about.

Any 3.7L owners out there that can give some opinions?

I want to be able to pull a tube or skier with 3 or 4 people in the boat (no chunkers, everyone is reasonably light)... I know a 4.3 or larger would be better suited for this, but if the 3.7 will get the job done and the boat is nice enough then it might be worth it...

Also, I read some stuff about problems with the charging system and the closed cooling system? Any insight?

 

[mkast]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

but if the 3.7 will get the job done and the boat is nice enough then it might be worth it...

Take the boat out for a test ride, include four people or five to simulate extra gear/weight. Act accordingly. Problem, some people think, "That will be good enough, because the price is great." Think of every time you start this boat, you'll have to live with the four cylinder engine. Great fuel economy, can't get out of it's own way. Read some posts about, "How can I get more horsepower out of my four cylinder engine?"

 

[JasonB]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

A friend has a 1983/4 Four Winns 190 with the 3.7l 170hp. You will get some strong opinions both ways on the fine points of the 3.7l motor, but it pushes his boat along well. He had 4 adults and 4 kids out last weekend and was able to cruise along well and pull a tube with no problems. With 2 adults and 2 kids, it tops out around 38-40 I think.

He is quite happy with it. It's a torquey little beast and gets decent fuel economy. Of course it doesn't get up and go like my 19' w/ a smallblock V8, but it holds its own. It isn't your standard 4 banger.

The 3.7 is a love/hate motor. Some love them, many hate them. They have a quirky electrical system sin stock form that is expensive to fix, but this can be rectified by adding an alternator. Early ones, pre '83 had heat exchangers that were prone to clogging up as well. One other problem point is the cam seals on the front can wear. I'm sure others will pipe in with more specifics. I've done the maintenance for him on this boat and it's simple to work on so far.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

At the very least you need to do a cooling system pressure test, and an engine compression test to make sure that the head/head gasket is in good shape. If considering a 3.7, it would be best if you (or your friends) had some mechanical ability and felt confident doing some serious engine work, such as changing a head gasket (not too hard). With the boat running you need to check the weep hole on the lower starboard side of the circulating pump on the front of the engine for any coolant leakage. You may have to remove the engine cover to see it. As for power, it should be fine, especially with a 180. I have a 19' (165) and it will haul 5 big guys around no problem.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

Unless they are giving the boat away that will be the biggest mistake you ever make buying that boat.
Parts are very difficult to find and when you do you will pay an arm and a leg for them.

The Merc 470 was the biggest pile of junk they ever made.I would rather buy a OMC...
Thats my opinion....

 

[nola mike]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

bought a 170 a few months ago and have been very happy with it. great fuel economy, and a surprising amount of power--i top out at 50 mph on a 19' glastron. most around here hate the engine for reasons cited above. i researched it a bit and decided that the issues mentioned were non-issues.
charging system: definitely strange. mine's original from '86 and works well. the alternator retrofit isn't a big deal if it goes.
cooling system: seems that the overheating issues were resolved with the 4" exchanger. not sure when this was standard. if it overheats though, you can run into real probs apparently with warping, head gaskets, etc.
cam seal: again, if the front of the engine is accessible, not a huge deal to fix this problem.
parts: yup, harder to get, some are more expensive. but available.

i was looking for a 4.3L, but found it tough to find one that i was looking for that was well maintained. in the end, a well-maintained boat was worth taking a chance on. in my case, i figured that any 23 year old boat can have problems, serious or not. if a part fails after 23 years, i don't think that can be considered a manufacturer defect. i took all that into consideration, and ended up paying $1k less than what i would have for a 4.3.

and if that's the biggest mistake you ever make, well kudos to you. life well lived. i've made more mistakes already this morning

 

[indy440]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

thanks for all the opinions so far guys, keep them coming

the boat is a 1987 if that makes any difference... its actually listed right here on iboats in Glenville NY at Holly Marine for 4000, supposed to be one owner.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

4K?? Holy Crap! A 22 year old boat with that motor.....They are freakin insane!

 

[indy440]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

I just looked at the ad a little closer, it appears that the photo doesnt match the listing.

Take a look:

http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/marine_classifieds/adv-search.cgi?id=418959

that looks like a bow rider and the trailer says Glastron...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

they are a bear to work on.....

Except when you put them away for the winter...piece of cake...and never a cracked block...

 

[Bondo]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

Any 3.7L owners out there that can give some opinions?

Ayuh,... You mean the Infamous 470,....
Mercruiser's red-head bastard step-child that they Abandoned,..??

For $4000, you can buy a nice boat with a Current driveline that Parts can be bought for....
If you want to Go Boating,.... Keep lookin' for that 4.3....
If you want to be saddled with re-engineering parts that Can't be bought,...Go for It...
I sure Hope you happen to be a Pretty Handy fellow, with a rather Large collection of Tools.....

Willingly buying an Obsoltete driveline in a boat is for Restoration Collectors,....
Even They know enough Not to buy a 470,... It Defies Logic,+ Common Sense....

Except when you put them away for the winter...piece of cake...and never a cracked block...

Ayuh,... Just a Frozen Split Heat Exchanger,.... Ain't that enough,..?? Seeing you Can't buy a new 1....
People are Stupid,.... A poster named replacing a Frozen Split block "Paying the Stupid Tax" last fall...
I've counted 20 or 30 just in the last few months...
Ayuh,... There's Plenty of ways to Destroy freshwater cooled motors,... I see it here pretty regularly....

 

[indy440]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

I'm surprised I can't find a better boat in the 3-5k dollar range... if I wasn't looking they would be all over the place...

 

[Ole Sarge]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

The picture in that add looks like a MUCH newer Glasstron Bowrider. No way thats an 87. I just upgraded to a newer boat, and didn't have any problem finding one. Try Craigslist. I sold my 87 Galaxy 19 footer with less than 60 hours on the reman 4.3 for $3000. I looked at all kinds of adds in the last month or so in the Denver area with boats from $3000-$5000. They're out there.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

Plenty of newer boats around here for 4 to 5k too.

Those pictures do not match the ad....The old bait and switch??
Anyway a dealer is the last place i would buy an older used boat.

Just looked at their other listings....they show a 2009 Glastron with the covers and custom trailer....They have the Photos mixed up.

 

[indy440]

Re: 19' boat with 3.7L merc, opinions?

I have been searching craigslist, iboats, ebay, and the local want ads and have not found what i'm looking for. I also have a friend looking for me.

Maybe im being too picky? I just want a 18-19' bowrider (or even a cuddy, bow rider prefered though) with a 4.3L or larger (i'd love to get in a 5.7), that has a decent interior and is not all rotted out for 5000 dollars or less. I had thought about just bringing the wife to a dealer, having her fall in love with a new-ish boat and then finance some of it, but I'd WAY rather just pay cash for something older...