New Purchase Advice

[BrandonC]

Hi everyone. I am new to this community, and would love your input on a potential purchase.

Recently I saw a friend had an American Skier in his garage. I believe it's a 1996 TBX, and has just over 700 hours. I asked about selling, and he is willing to for $7500.

I will know more this weekend, as I plan on spending a couple hours inspecting and test driving. What kind of things would you look for mechanically? Structurally?  I do know that neither speedometer works, and the fuel gauge can be deceptive. Are there any problem areas I should inspect?

Also, I really prefer to be preventative instead of reactionary. What upgrades or services would you recommend to keep this boat in top shape?

Finally, and I know it's not ideal, but I plan on keeping the boat in the water. What is there to do to insure reliability or head off any issues that may arise from on the water storage?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

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[lcgordon]

The image did not work for me.

Should be a great boat. All american skiers are quality. If im right this would be one of the first boats Ron built. Im sure he will clarify on that.

I have a 1994 TBX and it is a really good boat and I think the 96 just made things better.

7500 is a really good price. This boat will be equivalent to Mastercraft or Ski Nautique and there is no way you could get one of those for that price.

Do a water test and also check compression. Check for any leaks, Gel coat cracking, or anything else that looks to be wrong. Idk about this site but the Correct craft site and the MC site both have very good documents on buying a used boat and what to look for. Or just google it.

I would say have an extra 500-1000 spare cash after you buy the boat for registration and maintenance. People tend to forget that when they purchase the boat.

Once you go see the boat make note  of any questions and post them up here or give ron a call. His number is on this site and he is probably the nicest most helpful person you could talk to about boats and he knows everything.

Good luck and post some pics when you get a chance.

[Midskier]

good find - check out HIN number to know the actual model year
http://amskierboats.com/forum/index.php/topic,106.0.html

typically the last 2 digits are the model year and there may be a few 96s(?) 97 for sure
quite a few differences between a 94 and 96/97/98 - they all ski like a dream come true
and that's certainly an early season / friend good price - again depending on condition
how it runs etc etc etc

good luck - come back with more info and Ron will provide the details

Dan T

[BrandonC]

Well, after further investigation, it appears my original description was incorrect. The boat in question is a 1991 Advance Sport, with an AKK....91 hull number.

We inspected and took a test run today and noticed the following issues:

1- Spray comes through the windshield at the dash level...Need to caulk?

2- Speedos do not work...can do GPS upgrade or Faria gauge swap.

3- Port speedo tube is missing. Has been caulked, but I'm worried about caulk integrity...insert resin as a plug with a fiberglass backer?

4- Fuel gauge bounces...Not sure I can fix by myself, I will look through the forum for fixes.

5- While underway, there is water in the bilge...replace/repack shaft packing, check caulk around entire boat, fix the speedo hole in hull. Anywhere else to look?

6- The gelcoat seems to be in very good condition.  No obvious spots that have been compromised.  Needs to be buffed and waxed to make it shine again. Only spider veins I noticed were on the front attachment points where the tower was installed.

7- Engine started on first attempt after being parked for the winter. New Holley Carb installed, original rebuilt four times apparently with no luck. Need to change all oils and filters for seasonal maintenance.

8- Carpet and floor.  Needs new carpet. Floor at rear of engine box has been redone. It looks like the small (approx 18" x 24") rectangle of floor the engine mounts are placed on has been reversed. The four screw holes are reversed, like they had been stripped? Is this normally part of flooring that comes up for servicing?  Other than that, I felt no soft spots.

Based on what I saw, I am estimating $1000-1500 in additional service and upgrades to get ready for summer.  That's not too bad for a solid boat in my opinion!

Thanks to everyone for the great advice and tips. I look forward to learning more along the way.

[lcgordon]

First thing is make sure it is a marine carb. This is for safety.

Second Back the boat in then check the stuffing box packing, the rudder and anywhere else for water coming in before you run the boat. Then do it after you run it.

Check over the trailer too.

[backfoot100]

How about posting some pics. Most of the stuff you're describing I just can't put a finger on.

[BrandonC]

I apologize about no pics. I took them on my iPhone and it's loading as a .jpeg and not .jpg.

[RonT]

Welcome aboard, it spring so i have been a bit busy
1) w/s should be mounted on a strip of sticky back weatherstrip foam tape with screws holding the front down about every 10" if the dash is flat and not bowed down (different issue) this is sufficient and does not leak, look closely at the dash to see if it's sagging this may be the root problem.
2) I added inexpensive Farias to the parts page last week if you want to go that way
3) If (1) pitot has been removed I would be more worried about the lower pitot screw holes than the upper hose hole, I would replace the pitot & hose.
4) Typical sender issues but I would attach a jumper at the sender between the center post pink wire & ground, gauge should read max full, run across the lake & see if the meter still bounces or stays rock solid on max full, if it does replace the sender.
5) Dry boat, relaunch slowly looking for leaks, could be exhaust, rudder port, leaking fin bolt, etc
6) elbow grease, sweat equity
7) agreed
Rear center floor, that the motor box attaches to needs screws at least at the front
Always feel free to call with any questions 985-542-4336

[BrandonC]

What it the recommended oil weight for these engines?  Is synthetic OK to use?  Oil capacity? Also, can a regular car oil filter be used?

[RonT]

Heavier oil than your modern car, 10-40, 15-40 even 20-40, synthetic is ok to use, yes, auto oil filter, I always use the "full length" filter typically used in older trucks like a PH8 on the Fords.

[PaulM]

I've run (major oil company) 15W-50 synthetic since new in my 88 Advance.  After 800 hours, no problems, "knock-on-wood".  The president of Indmar recommended I run straight 40 weight or 50 weight oil when I purchased the boat.

[BrandonC]

OK, well the oil is changed with four quarts new oil. That seems to be full on the dipstick, is this correct?

My last task was/is the impeller. I noticed a small leak from it and just finished putting the new one in. However, the leak persists. It seems to be in the back of the impeller housing, and now that I have a new front gasket, it is leaking more than it was before.

I know that's not correct, but unsure how to correct, any ideas of what it could be?

[backfoot100]

Shaft seal. The RWP needs to come off and taken apart. The seal removed and replaced. It's by far harder and more time consuming to remove and disassemble the pump then it is to replace the seal. Once apart, you should verify that the shaft bearing spins free too. As long as it's nice and smooth, no worries. If that needs replacing you'll need to have a press to remove and replace. Not as common as the seal but they can go bad too.
I'm not sure if Ron carries seals or not. May have to call to verify. If not, I'm sure he'll know where to get them from.
Too bad you didn't realize the seal was leaking before you changed the impeller. You'll need a new gasket when you have to R&R the impeller to disassemble the pump.

I've had to replace my shaft seal once in 1400 hrs. and 25 yrs. and the bearing is still OEM.  I have no idea if that's normal life expectancy but they do go bad.

4 Qt's of oil may fill the oil pan but you'll need another qt. of oil when you run it to fill the oil filter.

[BrandonC]

Ok everyhing seems to be going really well. The last item on my checklist is a shaft alignment which I am doing Friday.  I noticed this morning that the front engine mount are missing their nuts. Not a three-quarter inch, is it 5/16? Or 1 inch?   Just wondering if anyone knows so I don't have to go to Home Depot three and four times.