1990 33 FBC

ChadK · Post by **ChadK** » Tue May 10, 2016 3:50 pm

I am new to this forum and signed up because I am considering the purchase of a 1990 33FBC. The boat is going to require some updating and I am hoping to get some good info. I have a couple real concerns. When we first looked at the boat It looked like there was some water intrusion on the inside of the boat around the oval shaped port hole windows (evidence of moisture on wall coverings). Does anyone know if there was a problem with those windows. I know they were new in 1990 and that they used to use the square side port windows. Also what other areas should I be concerned with regarding moisture issues/leaks. I have had other boats surveyed that came back with moisture in the stringers and bulkheads (Viking), is this a concern with the 33 FBC and if so where should I check closely. Also can someone tell me are the stringers and bulkheads FRP encased with fiberglass or are they plywood encased fiberglass? Also this boat has the merc 7.4 liter engines in it. Do these 454's have the two bolt main caps or are they the 4 bolt magnum main caps? I have heard you have to have a 454 magnum to get the 4 bolt main caps and that they are a lot stronger? These are original freshwater engines with approximately 850 hrs, not sure which gas engine usually came in these boats? lighter 2 bolt main cap or 4 bolt main cap? Also any opinions on how much life would be left in these engines? I am told they have been professionally maintained. Any help with these questions, or any other important things to look for when purchasing one of these boats would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance for the help!

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Tue May 10, 2016 6:01 pm

Hi Chad, I'll start with the engines. The Mercruiser engines are generally considered to be the 2 bolt blocks while the Crusaders are generally considered to be 4 bolt. That said, don't get hung up on that. They will be absolutely fine as long as there hasn't been any water intrusion from bad risers or manifolds/ gaskets.These items need to be replaced regularly or they will leak into the engine and cause rust on the valves and possibly the bores . I would say that most marine gas engines have had this problem to some degree at some time so it's worth it to get the compression checked, that will tell all. If the cylinders that are most near the center of the engine,directly under the riser, are lower in compression, then that's why. The engines in these boats should last well over 1000 hours and give very little trouble if maintained properly but most people don't do everything needed. As far as the bulkheads and stringers, the stringers are plywood encapsulated in fiberglass and are very good quality, give almost no trouble in these boats. Even if they've been wet they tend to stay solid. The rear bulkhead of the cabin has a tendency to rot at the bottom so look closely there and anywhere that water can sit around but in general, places where they used marine plywood are not very sensitive to rot on these boats. The ports you mention can be a problem. It's the bedding after all these years. You will need to remove them, clean the old bedding out and re-bed with a good urethane or equivalent sealer. I'm sure there are a few guys here that have other experiences with the FBC's , most of my experience is with the Sportfish but the boats are very similar in build. Hope this helps. Oh, one more thing, these are heavy boats. If you can find one with newer diesels in your price range, it would be smart for you to get it unless you have something against diesels . The boat is a whole different animal with diesels. Way more fun and safe, plus will cost about half as much to run as gas .

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Tue May 10, 2016 7:30 pm

I don't recall ever seeing a B33 with oval rather than rectangular ports.. was this a change in the later models?

No Yacht Yet · Post by **No Yacht Yet** » Wed May 11, 2016 2:32 am

Frank. Oval only in the FBC later models and some have a stand alone shower located where the hanging locker is on the port side. Brian Davins boat had that setup .

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Wed May 11, 2016 6:36 am

Thanks Brian. I guess I need to get out more!

rich n · Post by **rich n** » Thu Oct 27, 2016 3:09 pm

if the boat was in south fly bulkheads also get termite damage good to check if southern boat