riser preventive maitenance

[torcano]

Should the risers/manifolds be changed at set intervals or do you wait until there are signs of problems. I have just bought a 2004 Chaparral with 4.3L Mercruisers. The boat is used in salt water six months per year. The engines have 195 hours and do not run hot. There is a little condensation around the base of the riser. My surveyor suggested that I have some inspect the riser at the end of the season. I spoke to a mechanic who said that once he does the labor to remove the riser for inspection, I might as well replace them. Should I plan on doing this on a four year old boat. I assume it will be expensive.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: riser preventive maitenance

If the motor was flushed every time it came off the water, maybe another year. You trailer it, or leave it in the water?

Not over heating not even a little no leak, your call.

 

[Don S]

Re: riser preventive maitenance

What we did when I worked in Alaska, was after 4 years, we would suggest pulling the risers and inspecting the passages and gasket surfaces. This was done after winterization, so as not to make it a now thing of fixing.
If everything looked good, we put it back together and made a not (attached to the boat) that things have not been leak checked after repair. Then we were reminded to check it in the spring during the anual summerization.

 

[torcano]

Re: riser preventive maitenance

Thanks. The boat is kept in the water and I don't think there is anyway to flush an I/O. I assume there is a gasket where the riser meets the manifold and that is the source of the slight weep. Do manifolds routinely get changed as well? Any ballpark figure as to what the cost to is to change it out?

 

[superpop]

Re: riser preventive maitenance

I did mine myself last year and the parts were around 280 bucks for manifolds and risers. It is really a very easy job, with no special tools required. I even put drain valves in the back of my manifolds so i can quickly drain it in the early fall.

 

[Uraijit]

Re: riser preventive maitenance

All you need is a wrench and a flathead screwdriver. I believe the wrench is a 9/16"...

Should take you all of 1/2 an hour to pull 'em off and inspect them.

With risers coming in at about $100 each, I don't see how it's more cost effective to replace, than to inspect. Does your mechanic charge $400/hr?

Just pull 'em yourself, and if you need new ones, bolt the new ones back on yourself too.

It's probably one of the easiest projects you can undertake on a boat...

Great way to get your feet wet (no pun intended).

 

[dan t.]

Re: riser preventive maitenance

you can get zinc pencil anodes that screw into the riser drain plugs,they must work because they dissapear after about 3 months in salt water. even in fresh water they should prolong the life of the riser