Requesting insight from the Parker community on potential project

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modot66

modot66

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hi all,

i was sent to this forum from another forum (who shall remain nameless) in regards to some questions i have on a potential project boat.

my buddy and i are avid socal fisherman and we have watched over the past 4 years as a loaded 2005 parker 2510 walkaround with a volvo diesel and volvo outdrive in the slip next to ours slowly rot away. literally every time we go fishing we sigh watching that boat just sit there. well, on a whim (almost a joke) we asked the marina if they would pass a message to the owner saying we would buy it for $5k. lo and behold the guy is interested. he obviously isn't fishing it and i'm sure wouldn't mind not paying the slip fees. side note: always amazes me how many idle boats we see sitting down there racking up slip fees.

with permission we jumped on the boat to look it over. it is loaded with all of the best electronics and radar from 2005, has a tuna tower with controls, a nice canvas cover, and it comes with the trailer. the volve engine *looked* decent but we have not fired it.

now for the bad. it has been sitting in salt water for the past 4 years. the outdrive is not looking good, like at all. the engine has not been fired in who knows how long. in our napkin calculations we were thinking to get the boat seaworthy we may need to a) rebuild transom, b) replace outdrive, c) possibly rewire a lot of electronics, d) possibly have to replace fuel tank and lines, e) possibly have some engine issues (but i have seen these diesels fire up after sitting for long periods). the deck seemed solid but we would need to verify there was no stringer issues anywhere. we figured to just budget $20-30k minimum.

i have rebuilt many car and motorcycle engines down to the crank and back, know electrical very well, can tig/mig/stick (and have all of the machines), have engine hoists, etc...but most importantly have time and a place to store the boat while i work on it. figured it could be a long term project that when finished would make a great boat.

my questions are:
  1. based on your experience, what else should we be looking at that could be potential issues?
  2. the volvo outdrives are pretty expensive, if we have to replace and also rebuild transom, at that point does it make sense to sell the engine, fab a transom, and convert to OB? (i personally am not a huge fan of the engine box, but the fuel efficiency of the diesel would be great)
  3. any other thoughts on the volve diesel i/o setup on these rigs as compared to OB?
  4. i know the general advice is avoid project boats, would you agree in this situation? does this sound like a nightmare waiting to happen?

thanks for any insight! i realize i am a new member to this forum; just didn't have a parker (or potential parker). i promise if we end up getting this thing i will keep everyone updated!
 
Me? I'd jump at the opportunity.

You can safely assume that the diesel engine will run just fine today assuming it ran fine 4 years ago. Diesel fuel is much more stable than gasoline.

The outdrive will need immediate servicing. It will cost you several hundred dollars to replace the hoses and bellows. Not a big deal though.

Since the floor is solid, I'd also assume the stringers and transom are solid too. Just check each out before purchasing. But at $5k, you can't go wrong. The engine is worth that alone.

The setup won't be fast (no I/O diesel is). But you guys in SOCA don't run as far or fast as the guys on the east coast so speed isn't a big deal in your case. You should see remarkably good fuel economy...... probably around 3.5 mpg.
 
You can check the transom with a moisture. I check check all wiring esp owner and boat yards work for correct wire type and size. Check switch psnrl and breakers. Most likely electrical system could be improved and a BEP battery switch. Look at everything attached to hull and top sides. Replace bilge pumps. Check windows are working and not leaking. Look at Warthog’s My 2530 project. Electronics are dated, too and probably no longer supported.
Post some pics.
 
awesome thanks for all of the great suggestions. i'm going to check it out again sunday so will grab some pics.
 
Walt at pacific coast bait and tackle in Oceanside has a 2520 diesel I bet he could answer any questions you might have.
 
You can safely assume that the diesel engine will run just fine today assuming it ran fine 4 years ago. Diesel fuel is much more stable than gasoline.

The outdrive will need immediate servicing. It will cost you several hundred dollars to replace the hoses and bellows. Not a big deal though.
Click to expand...

Never assume Anything! 4yrs sitting in Salt........Pumps locked up....Pulleys rusted to Hell. Manifold and Riser..... Outdrive could be Total trash.
See it the part's You can't see. It's all together right now. Wait till things have to come apart and bolts start snapping off. Things not operated have a tendency to fail.....Switches for example. Window locks..... Boat needs a through examination.
 
If you have the knowledge and experience but most importantly the time, money and space to take on this project I would jump on it.
 
modot66 said:
hi all,

i was sent to this forum from another forum (who shall remain nameless) in regards to some questions i have on a potential project boat.

my buddy and i are avid socal fisherman and we have watched over the past 4 years as a loaded 2005 parker 2510 walkaround with a volvo diesel and volvo outdrive in the slip next to ours slowly rot away. literally every time we go fishing we sigh watching that boat just sit there. well, on a whim (almost a joke) we asked the marina if they would pass a message to the owner saying we would buy it for $5k. lo and behold the guy is interested. he obviously isn't fishing it and i'm sure wouldn't mind not paying the slip fees. side note: always amazes me how many idle boats we see sitting down there racking up slip fees.

with permission we jumped on the boat to look it over. it is loaded with all of the best electronics and radar from 2005, has a tuna tower with controls, a nice canvas cover, and it comes with the trailer. the volve engine *looked* decent but we have not fired it.

now for the bad. it has been sitting in salt water for the past 4 years. the outdrive is not looking good, like at all. the engine has not been fired in who knows how long. in our napkin calculations we were thinking to get the boat seaworthy we may need to a) rebuild transom, b) replace outdrive, c) possibly rewire a lot of electronics, d) possibly have to replace fuel tank and lines, e) possibly have some engine issues (but i have seen these diesels fire up after sitting for long periods). the deck seemed solid but we would need to verify there was no stringer issues anywhere. we figured to just budget $20-30k minimum.

i have rebuilt many car and motorcycle engines down to the crank and back, know electrical very well, can tig/mig/stick (and have all of the machines), have engine hoists, etc...but most importantly have time and a place to store the boat while i work on it. figured it could be a long term project that when finished would make a great boat.

my questions are:
  1. based on your experience, what else should we be looking at that could be potential issues?
  2. the volvo outdrives are pretty expensive, if we have to replace and also rebuild transom, at that point does it make sense to sell the engine, fab a transom, and convert to OB? (i personally am not a huge fan of the engine box, but the fuel efficiency of the diesel would be great)
  3. any other thoughts on the volve diesel i/o setup on these rigs as compared to OB?
  4. i know the general advice is avoid project boats, would you agree in this situation? does this sound like a nightmare waiting to happen?

thanks for any insight! i realize i am a new member to this forum; just didn't have a parker (or potential parker). i promise if we end up getting this thing i will keep everyone updated!
Click to expand...
Our previous two boats that we owned for 34 years (Before our Parker), were diesels. Nigel Calders and Bob Smith are two of the well-respected diesel engine experts, and I recommend getting Nigel's books, and looking into Bob Smiths contributions to the MTOA as a source for Diesel engine maintenance and repairs. The highlight, and especially true for diesel engines is clean fuel, clean air and clean oil. No big deal with the clean air and oil part, (the easy part) but getting, and keeping the diesel fuel fresh is most important, and not so easy to do. I'd recommend NOT firing that engine after it's been sitting 4 years until you have the diesel fuel pumped, polished or replaced, and the tank cleaned and the injectors and injector pump checked. Diesel fuel is a breading ground for all sorts of 'bad-critters'. Due to environmental stuff they have removed some of the diesel additives, the sulfur being one of them, and sulfur was the 'lubricant'. Bob Smith who invented the Ford Lehman and owns/owned? American Diesel highly recommends adding to the Diesel fuel BioBor to help kill the 'bad-critters' and Marvel Mystery to replace the needed lubrication; properties that were removed when the sulfur additive was banned. For my experience I found our Diesel engines were a lot easier to maintain than our present 300 HP Yamaha! But I'm learning!
 
It sounds like you have the skills, time, and equipment, as well as, a realistic budget. Go for it.

In regards to power, I've fished a Parker with an outdrive and the engine box is a PITA. I'd ditch the outdrive, sell the engine, and go with an outboard. You are already planning to redo the transom. Rebuilding for an outboard doesn't really add any time or cost, unless you are adding a bracket.

sam
 
hey all, just an update. still negotiating this a bit with the owner. the bottom has quite a bit of life on it and i am trying to see if the owner will allow us to make the deal contingent upon pulling the boat out of the water. we really haven't been able to assess the boat in the water other than visual inspection of what we can see. we talked to some of the salty dogs on our slip and they cautioned us about all of the potential hull issues when a boat sits for that long. and at this point we are working on the logistics as we are unsure of if we will need to tow the boat to the yard. even if the engine starts and runs, the outboard is so covered in growth i am hesitant to drive it under power at all.

thanks again for all of the replies i will keep the thread updated as more develops!
 
sams said:
It sounds like you have the skills, time, and equipment, as well as, a realistic budget. Go for it.

In regards to power, I've fished a Parker with an outdrive and the engine box is a PITA. I'd ditch the outdrive, sell the engine, and go with an outboard. You are already planning to redo the transom. Rebuilding for an outboard doesn't really add any time or cost, unless you are adding a bracket.

sam
Click to expand...

i have def thought of that but i have heard it is rolling the dice of how the boat rides when converting from i/o to outboard. i know most manufacturers try to balance the boats based on the engine configuration. i'm guessing parker would be the same.
 
hey everyone, wanted to update the thread since i said i would. the deal may not be happening at the $5k price, meaning it may not even be worth it at that price.

we finally spent some hours on it really going through everything and it is almost just the hull at this point. mostly all wires are corroded and likely need replaced, all of the electronics are 50/50 if they are any good at all for the same reason of corrosion. most metal surfaces have some pitting (this is only cosmetic, but still). the engine looks ok but we did not try to fire it. the gas tank, from what we could see looked ok (no pitting), but obviously that does not tell the whole story. we checked all hatches and did not see water or rot. floor is solid all around. transom is 50/50 on if it is good or not. we could not see any water in the bilge, but the outside of the transom is covered in 3" of sea life. the outdrive most likely is a total goner as well. my guess would be once the bottom is sandblasted there is a good chance of blisters.

such a shame to let a boat get to this level of neglect! we are trying to work down the price and will have to see. as of now it would be a major project to bring back to life and at $5k not a deal (for me anyways).

does anyone know how to tell if a bottom is a V versus a mod-V? from the water, i could only see one chine and one lifting strake. i looked everywhere for a serial number and could not find one.
 
I'd call cogswell marine in chula vista and get a quick opinion over the phone about what to expect from a volvo diesel sitting in a slip for 5 years. I'm not sure of that particular installation, but many of the I/O diesels have poor exhaust pipe routing such that seawater can slowly make its way up the exhaust and into the turbo. Expect to replace at the very least rebuild the turbo. You can pull the exhaust real quick and check it. I also suspect most of the cooling exchange parts to be ruined. Quite possibly beyond the capacity of a rebuild, which means you will be buying brand new volvo parts ($$$$). It's likely that by the time you pay for a new outdrive and any volvo parts (expensive) you'll be up to 20-30k. The price of a new outboard.

I called him once about a skipjack 25 with a yanmar installation I was considering to buy and he told me to run. Anyway he's a good guy and will give you a straight honest answer.
 
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