Need advice on buying an '83 Viking 44

[RodMalcolm]

Thanks for the advice - the mechanic we have coming in is an expert on Detroits with a great reputation. I'm glad to hear that my concerns with the engines are probably justified. Once we get the mechanic's report, we'll decide if we offer less or if it's worth it.

[a64pilot]

35K seems to me to be very low, I have to assume overall appearance is more than average wear? Seems a very good price, but I haven't looked at power boats so I don't know for sure.
DD's are not my first choice, but in truth they are very widely known and can be made to run forever with good maintenance and parts are available and reasonable. You can do far worse than DD's.
Thing about turbos is they really don't increase wear, if they are not used to increase power, if run at NA power level they engines will last a long time, but if heavily boosted, they won't. What this means is that those engines could have a lot of life left in them, or not, but I believe compression tests and knowing idle oil pressure when the oil is hot will tell a lot.


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[RodMalcolm]

Interior is in very good shape but maintenance of engines and exterior haven't been very good for the past 6-7 years. If we were just going to use her like a floating camper, it would be a great price. We're definitely going to do the compression and oil tests and hope for the best.

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Thing about turbos is they really don't increase wear, if they are not used to increase power, if run at NA power level they engines will last a long time, but if heavily boosted, they won't. What this means is that those engines could have a lot of life left in them, or not, but I believe compression tests and knowing idle oil pressure when the oil is hot will tell a lot.

===

The problem with running any turbo'd engine at low speed is that the turbo bearings eventually carbon up and seize, resulting in an expensive rebuild. They need to be run at something close to 80% power for at least 20 to 30 minutes of every outing.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Our marine surveyor is very good, but doesn't do extensive engine surveys.

Our engine survey also included compression tests, injector tests, valve measurements, etc. This not by the marine surveyor, and not by just some generic mechanic off the street, but an actual specialist in our engine brand.

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Sounds like a great plan Just curious what's hes charge to do all that?

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Don't remember, off-hand. Not home just now, can't look it up -- but might do later in the week.

Wasn't inexpensive, but OTOH conceptually similar to mechanical (engine) surveys on previous boats. And given the potential costs of buying a boat with hosed-up big diesels... I didn't exactly care about quibbling when it came to engine survey costs.

That surveyor wasn't hard to find. Called the local distributor for our target brand of engine (Cummins), turns out they do surveys, solved. Did pretty much the same with a previous boat; the company who marinized that (DD) engine trotted out a surveyor in a heartbeat.

It was about $825 in late 2005, for our two current 8.3 liter turbo diesels.

Not all that expensive, in the grand scheme of things, even if it was being performed on a boat I didn't yet (at the time) own.

-Chris

[dgz3]

The only way you don't make that back is if the engines are perfect, you buy it, and wind up paying full price. Even then, the peace of mind is well bought.
If there are faults, you negotiate them off the price or you walk. Either way, you win.

[dgz3]

Who knows what's going on in the seller's life/pocketbook, but if I were selling a boat like that I would make sure it had a clean bottom for test rides. Even if I had to scrub it myself. That kinda bugged me. The last thing I'd want would be to demo the boat and have it not be able to get on plane and trim out.

[RodMalcolm]

GREAT NEWS! Our Detroit engine specialist called today to say that not only do the engines look great, but that they were actually rebuilt between 500 and 1000 hours ago! Well worth the $1500 price tag for the extensive survey - so we are officially submitting our letter of acceptance and will settle next week! Excited to be first-time boat owners! All of the advice is appreciated, it made us know the cost was worth it. Still have to replace a few hoses and get the bottom cleaned, but we know we're getting the boat we want for a great price and the engines are good to go. The seller was using it exclusively as a liveaboard so I don't even know if he's aware of the recent rebuild since it appears it was done before he bought it.

[ranger58sb]

Congrats, Rod.


When you take possession, suggest you immediately "detail" the engine room, assuming that hasn't been done in recorded history. Plus every other bilge/storage area. Hire somebody, ideally small, with experience.


That'll make it much easier for you to spot any tiny leaks immediately... before they fester and grow... and it'll get you a quick leg up on odor control.


Think I'd deep clean the whole interior too, especially carpeting and all the soft goods. Carpet cleaner, steam cleaner, etc. Ditto good for odor control.


-Chris