Sea Ray Express Cruiser 1999 5.0 Manifold ?

Sep 16, 2022
12
Seattle
Boat Info
1999 Sea Ray Express Cruiser 215, Mercruiser EFI, Closed Cooling system, Alpha 1 Stern Drive
Engines
Mercruiser 5.0 EFI Alpha 1 Stern Drive
Can I upgrade the wet joint manifolds on the 1999 Mercruiser 5.0 efi to a dry joint manifold? Is this recommended? Are there any issues I should be aware of? My wet joint manifolds are shot.
 
Yes. There are a number of ways to do this. What is the condition of your current manifolds? If they are okay, check to see if they are already plumbed with plugs you can remove to run the water outside the joint. If so, you can weld or epoxy the ports for the wet joints and plumb around them. If you have to buy new manifolds, just make sure they are ported for dry joints.

You can also look into any number of aftermarket/high perf companies like IMCO, EMI, Stainless Marine, etc. that provide great solutions for long lasting high quality manifolds. They do last, look great, sound great (when run through the transom), just don't expect any noticeable gains in hp with a stock motor, despite the claims.

I stopped dealing with wet joints decades ago. Always saw them as a very unnecessary risk of engine failure.

By the way, I love the boat you chose. Those 215 EC's are incredibly versatile. They ride great, handle great, are good in weather and overall feel like a boat a couple feet larger. A pretty boat, too.
 
After removing the manifolds and risers they are completely shot on both sides, and yes the existing manifolds are plumbed but the interior walls are so rusted out, I need to replace the manifolds and risers. thank you, I found some great options at Hardin Marine online. It is pricy. I will check out the companies you mentioned.
 

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You don't need expensive aftermarket for your boat. Mercruiser is just fine. NuWave marine or similar vendors. Shop Ebay for your best price.

That's very true. But some of the stainless aftermarket ones can be a permanent fix. Given the severity of a failed header, and labor to change them every 3-5 years. The expensive aftermarket is worth considering. Also, you might go to a closed system that runs antifreeze through the headers as well. Then the cast iron ones can go indefinitely as well. You may need a larger heat exchanger to do that.
 
the boat has a closed system. I've cleaned and flushed it all pretty thoroughly too. I'll price things out and see what pencils out.
 
That's very true. But some of the stainless aftermarket ones can be a permanent fix. Given the severity of a failed header, and labor to change them every 3-5 years. The expensive aftermarket is worth considering. Also, you might go to a closed system that runs antifreeze through the headers as well. Then the cast iron ones can go indefinitely as well. You may need a larger heat exchanger to do that.
Not aware of anyone offering stainless manifolds. Elbows yes.
 
I recently went with Barr manifolds as replacements. Included the gaskets and hardware. They are made in Virginia, hard to find these days.
 

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