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How do I tell if engine is original?


torinocobra

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I'm shopping for a Diamond Hull Sunsetter LXI or early Response LXI with a Monsoon engine. I have found how to tell if it has the Monsoon engine option but how do I tell if the engine is original to the boat? I don't want to buy a boat that has had the engine replaced (and that seems fairly common). Do the serial number on engine match hull?

Love the site, it has been a great resource for me so far.

Thanks

Mike

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Call Indmar with the serial number. See it the engine was built the same year as the boat. Not a fool-proof way but might help. Also, Malibu Corp might be able to match hull and engine numbers together.

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I'm not sure I'd let a properly replaced motor be a deal breaker, all other things being equal :dontknow:

A monsoon is a very good motor. If it was done right and the boat is running fine, it should be good to go for quite a while.

Engine replacement could be "fairly common" in those early boats since I'm going to guess some of them could be pushing 15 years old, or possibly a bit more.

I'd stay away from a boat with a "brand new engine that was just replaced" that has really low hours on it and no reputable warranty to back it - that could be a sign that something didnt go well and it hasn't really run well since. But if its got a replacement monsoon, has more than a handfull of hours on the motor, the test drive goes fine and everything else with the seller and boat seem to smell fine, I'd consider it for sure!

Where are you located? And welcome to the site!!

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Serial numbers are different from the boat and usually the components that would be changed over (ECM for instance) have the serial number from the original engine. There is a sticker on the oil pan but that also can be transferred over.

Not sure why you don't want a newer engine in the boat, stuff happens and blocks freeze, motors get replaced and all is good. If you are concerned about hours on boat versus hull very few people would replace the ECM that stores the engine run data when doing a motor swap as the part runs around $1k.

-Chris

Edited by 99response
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I'm shopping for a Diamond Hull Sunsetter LXI or early Response LXI with a Monsoon engine. I have found how to tell if it has the Monsoon engine option but how do I tell if the engine is original to the boat? I don't want to buy a boat that has had the engine replaced (and that seems fairly common). Do the serial number on engine match hull?

Love the site, it has been a great resource for me so far.

Thanks

Mike

Thanks for the responses. I would probably be ok with a dealer replaced Monsoon engine if there was paperwork. My main concern is buying a boat and not realizing that someone threw a motor from a truck in it or something. Since the boats I'm considering could be 10 years old who knows what could have happened. Plus if a boat has reasonable hours and a good running original engine I will be more comfortable that it has been well maintained. I am in the Seattle area.

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I'm shopping for a Diamond Hull Sunsetter LXI or early Response LXI with a Monsoon engine. I have found how to tell if it has the Monsoon engine option but how do I tell if the engine is original to the boat? I don't want to buy a boat that has had the engine replaced (and that seems fairly common). Do the serial number on engine match hull?

Love the site, it has been a great resource for me so far.

Thanks

Mike

? Fairly common? I would think that this the extreme exception. rlxi came out in 03 and lxi in 99.

Take a picture of the engine. We'll likely be able to tell just from the shroud and exhaust.

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My neighbors put a new/remanuf. engine in their boat 5 yrs ago. Replaced it in a year. Then replaced that one in a year. Then they wised up and got one directly from Indmar. Good to go for 3 yrs now. I'm not sure what motor model they got but it beats every ski boat on the lake. They're motorheads.

I agree with the OP, stay away from reman. motors.

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All Gm motors have casting numbers in the back left hand side (8 or 10 numbers). Take the numbers down and look them up on the Gm Motor identification site. It will give you everything that you need. That will at least tell you what year and if it came out of a car, truck or boat.

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The MSO from malibu has both the boat serial number and the motor serial number. That MSO is used to get the title and many states will have the motor serial on the actual title in addition to the Hull serial

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All Gm motors have casting numbers in the back left hand side (8 or 10 numbers). Take the numbers down and look them up on the Gm Motor identification site. It will give you everything that you need. That will at least tell you what year and if it came out of a car, truck or boat.

Good information, thanks guys.

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The MSO from malibu has both the boat serial number and the motor serial number. That MSO is used to get the title and many states will have the motor serial on the actual title in addition to the Hull serial

Great post I forgot all about that. Also when you insure a boat they ask for the hull ID and the motor ID also.

Edited by rodman
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I believe the title has the engine and hull number on it..... If you get a one owner boat they are going to tell you if they swapped the engine because they will consider it a plus..... If the engine is a new correct engine it would be.... any rebuild is only as good as the person that did the work and the parts used.

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