Yep, bought a lemon...

[LilMikey]

Thought I was doing ok... 2006 challenger 180, only had about 60 hours on it, just had 50 hr service, water tested great, looked great. Second time out, developed an oil leak. Dealer took a look and replaced the oil cooler; said it was corroded. That plus a supercharger rebuild ran about a grand. Another month later I get inconsistent power and low top speed. Looks like poor compression on one of the cylinders. Shop says it's anywhere from 1k to 3k depending on the issue.

Dang

It's sooooo fun when it works.

 

[RFoster130]

Wow that does really suck. Hope i dont have the same issues when i take my new boat out.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Short of doing a compression test at the time of buying it, you did at a minimum what you should have done...

You water tested it, that is normally good enough to let you know if there are any issues.

In the past I never did compression tests when buying ski's and boats. However, after all the reading here I will never buy another without doing a compression test.

Sorry to hear of your issues. Pay the money ASAP so you can get back on the water and enjoy summer...

 

[Steve_Cay]

Paid ~ $100 to have Bombardier dealer do full inspection before buying mine from private seller, including computer hookup and compression test. Figure these guys know their boat best, and in their interest to quote me all kinds of service if they feel it needs work. Mine passed with flying colours, and ran fine ... at least for my first time out (second run this weekend). Of course they warned me they can't guarantee there won't be any problems in the future, unless they do a 16hr tear down of the engine which of course would not be cost effective!!!

But figure it is worth it for the peace of mind, and trust they can spot a lemon. False sense of security? Hopefully I will not start my own lemon thread knock on wood!

Best of luck getting yours back in tip-top shape!

 

[LilMikey]

Thanks for the sympathies guys, and at least a little affirmation that I didn't go into the sale too naively. I'm not sure if this would've even showed on a compression test the day we bought it. I put a good 10-15 hours into her before the throttle started acting funny enough to notice.

Funny thing is, I probably have an overly-cautious wash-down procedure. Water, salt-away, dilute simple green, then water again over the body. Then a min of salt away and a couple min of clean water through the flush. Then every few times out, dilute simple green and water through the bilge. Never has gone 24 hours from playing to flush. I guess that oil cooler and seal, ring or piston was just that close to crap when we bought it.

 

[LilMikey]

Just an update guys... the snowball keeps on rolling.

First it was the oil cooler replace and supercharger rebuild for about $1200.
Then it was the poor compression, $2200 to re-bore and reseat
Then it was the intercooler, $650 for replacement.
Now the trailer is rusting through. One beam is already broken. Looking for a used one in the $500 range, otherwise new ones are $2k.

At this point, I just can't stand to look at her any longer. If anyone is interested in a 2006 Challenger 180 in the Jacksonville, FL area with a freshly remanned engine and a rebuilt supercharger, I'd like to get out of her what I initially paid before the $4500-$5000 in repairs. Theoretically she should be in great shape but the wife doesn't like the ride and I'm happy to part ways with what has been a huge pain in my butt.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Sheesh, sounds like maybe the trailer isn't a galvanized salt water frame with galvanized rims?

 

[LilMikey]

No, it's a painted steel POS. I wasn't expecting it to last long down here but supposedly it had only ever seen fresh water up in NC where it came from. I was hoping it would hold up for a year or two at least. I get that salt washes in to places salt-away can't hit but for it to completely rot through in just a few months? I don't buy it.

 

[LilMikey]

So, speaking of trailers... are the hull shape/dimensions on the challenger pretty standard? Will just about any trailer designed for an 18' V-bottom boat fit, perhaps with some bunk adjustment?

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Yes, bunk adjustment can accommodate a great variety, make sure the trailer isn't too short, that's not good. It's best if the transom sits right on top of the rear bunk mounts, or at least the ends of the bunks protrude just past the transom, otherwise the hull can take on a hook shape which will slow the boat.

Otherwise, sometimes if the bunk mounts aren't tall enough center rollers might be necessary. Bunks should be directly underneath the stringers, the strongest part of the hull, usually just outside the strakes by an inch or less. Too tight and it makes it hard to center the hull between the bunkers.

10% of the load weight should be on the tongue, and with a longer trailer it's easier to get a good balance by moving the winch stand and still keep support under the transom. A trailer that's too long though can look weird, first check that the boat fits on the existing trailer properly (transom is supported and tongue doesn't weigh twenty tons) then decide if the trailer should be a little longer.

Seems like I see a lot of trailers that are about 6" too short all the time.