1980 Sea Ray SRV 245 Sundancer Coolant Routing

Blacksslumina

Member
Jan 5, 2018
32
Boat Info
1980 Sea Ray 245
Engines
305 Mercruiser 5.0L
Hello just bought this boat trying to make sure things are where they need to be before trying to start it up. Any info on why the plug is in the hose? How should it be ran?
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That engine is not original. Looks like a mid to late 90's Vortec. Tough to tell which cooling package you have with this photo but would take a guess it is full fresh water cooling. In that event the black hoses would be the raw water discharge from your heat exchanger and should be plumbed to both risers to cool exhaust gasses. Only a guess from what is shown in the pic. If you could post a couple pics at different angles zoomed out a bit, it would be easier to identify.
 
Copied and pasted this from your other thread. Good luck!

Welcome to CSR.
5 years is a bit to be sitting. Judging by the photo of the engine in your other post, it has been exposed to the elements. Probably a good idea to pull all the plugs. Check their condition to see if any rust is present. Spray a bit of light oil in all cylinders and try to spin it over. Outdrives need their legs lowered as well while cranking the engine over to protect their u-joint and bellows. Search/post in the gas engine/drive section and you will get more hits on this.
 
That engine is not original. Looks like a mid to late 90's Vortec. Tough to tell which cooling package you have with this photo but would take a guess it is full fresh water cooling. In that event the black hoses would be the raw water discharge from your heat exchanger and should be plumbed to both risers to cool exhaust gasses. Only a guess from what is shown in the pic. If you could post a couple pics at different angles zoomed out a bit, it would be easier to identify.
Thanks Im currently working on just general clean up to see whats what, i've started removing the plugs and putting a ounce of Marvel Mystery oil in the cylinders plugs seemed ok, they were a bit rusty on the outside, but the tips just had carbon build up...I was wondering if the plug in my original picture was what they used to hook a water hose up to. I just received a engine muff i ordered and am going to charge or replace the batteries this weekend.
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It looks to be a full freshwater cooling package. That's a good thing as the manifolds will normally last the life of your engine. There should be block off plates/gaskets between the exh manifolds and risers. Coolant (fresh water) below and raw (sea/lake) water above the plates/gaskets. The hose that is plugged should be plumbed into the starb riser in the same location as the port side. You do not want to hook your garden hose to it for running. Go with the muffs. Does the second riser look like it has a newer plug installed into it? Not sure why it would be disconnected unless the previous owner was having problems with it. If it was run like that for very long, there will be a strong likelihood the exhaust hose and flapper is damaged on starb side from too much heat. Unless the coolant is already drained, I would not worry about that until you know the engine runs. If you want to have it hooked up, I would suggest draining the coolant and removing that riser to inspect it and the large exh hose for damage. Be prepared to replace both sides in that event. Plugs doesn't look too bad. Rust or large carbon deposits would draw concern. I would try to get it to turn over by hand first before hitting starter. A socket on the alternator pulley and additional belt tension is usually enough for that. May need to initially ease it back and forth a bit. If the rings are stuck then hitting starter could damage them or the ring gear.
 
I would not try to start that motor....yet. Pulling the plugs and squirting in the Marvel is a good start. I would next get all of the leaves and crap cleaned up so you can see what is going on. When/if it does start you will most likely have a leak somewhere in the cooling system. When that is all done, with the plugs out, I would try and turn the motor over by hand using a long breaker bar and a socket on the crankshaft pulley. (The bottom one)

If the motor is not seized and does turn I would next do a compression check. If you do decide to start it I would connect a small gas tank, such as a 2 1/2 gallon outboard motor tank, filled with fresh gas. When you do crank it with the starter you could use a squirt of Starting Fluid in the carb to assist in starting. And keep an eye on the water temp because there is no way the water pump in the outdrive is good.

But before you put another dime into it I would find out if the transom and stringers are sound. You may need to get a professional surveyor to do that. You don't want to dump a lot of money into a 37 year-old boat only to find the transom and/or stringers are rotten. If you want to try this yourself you could look on YouTube for a video showing the process.

Now a further bit of advice.... Just from the few pictures you posted I think getting this boat running, in a safe, reliable state, is going to be kind of pricey. I will advise that you should plan on spending at least 2 times what you think it's going to cost and it will take 3 times longer than you estimate. Just getting the engine running is one thing. You will need to pull the outdrive and at the least, change the bellows, water pump, water hose and maybe even the gimbal bearing.

From reading your posts it doesn't appear you have the experience to take on this sort of a project. Please understand I mean no disrespect. This may be the project that you can learn on....but it's not going to be cheap. I have been working on boats of all sizes for over 50 years both for myself and others. I have the skills and experience to restore a boat and I am doing that right now with a 1985 boat. I only paid $3500 for my boat but I am already in it about $10,000 including the purchase price and I am half way through my 3rd year....and my boat was in much better condition than what I see in your pictures. This Forum is a great place for picking up tips and advice and I have learned much over the years but there have been countless numbers of members that have come on with a project like yours. We give them advice and then after a few weeks/months we never hear from them again and the assumption is they gave up.

Think long and hard about this project and what it could cost in time and money. If you are doing this to sell the boat you will lose your ass. If you are doing it so you and your family can get into boating cheaply it's not gonna happen. But if you are doing this for the experience, with your eyes open....as well as your wallet, it can be rewarding at the finish line.

Best of luck and welcome to the Forum.

Shawn
 
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Geeze Shawn! You contribute lots of useful information and I am sure you do great work in your restorations but some of your posts even leave me questioning my decision to boat. And I too mean no disrespect. Not everyone has a big budget to work with and may only be interested in making a safe and mechanically sound ride to get on the water. There is no doubt going to be some gremlins in this 37 year old boat along with a good possibility it can do that for relatively cheep and provide several years of enjoyment. Think the OP is going about this correctly. Check the mechanical side of it all and make a decision from there. I would also replace the leg oil to check for heavy contamination. These early drives are getting tough to find parts for.
It is winter time and lots of us can't be on the water. Will be happy to help where I can with your project.
 
Thornton, I have been a member of this forum for over 10 years and every year there are 3-5 "new" members that "got a deal on an old Sea Ray" and come on asking for advice. Advice is always given freely and in some cases some very knowledgeable boaters offer sound advice and counseling that is typically ignored. We are trying to keep the enthusiastic, but naïve new boaters from wasting a lot of money. I re-read my response and I don't feel I was too harsh or out of line. And the best advice I gave was in regards to checking the boat for rot.

I truly hope the OP heeds the advice. Several months ago a new member was on and got a really good deal on something like a mid-90s Sundancer. He said it looked good but the boat sat, for a while, with water inside it. He stated it looked good and just needed some cleaning up. It was advised that he get the boat surveyed with a focus on structural integrity. Turns out the boat had a rotten transom and stringers. The owner was forced to part it out. Now imagine if that poster had ignored our advice and cleaned everything up, got the engine running and did all the work needed on the drive. Now he takes his family out and the transom or stringers failed....catastrophically. Not only would he be out a great deal of money but he could be putting his family in danger.

For the record, I don't have a big budget. I'm retired. I committed to buying my boat/project and 2 weeks later my employer of 10 years eliminated mine and 4 other positions. My boat has taken as long as it has partly because I haven't always had the money to get things done. I cruise eBay and Craigslist daily looking for deals. The money I am into my boat is mostly for necessities to get it running. If I had the budget I would be having the boat reupholstered and painted. I've always said it will be a nice 10-footer. So as I said in my post, I know what I am talking about.

So many of the, "I got a great deal" guys post a few times and disappear. The logical assumption is they gave up the project. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade but I am trying to suggest caution. It's not cheap doing this and I didn't tell him not to do it. I simply wanted offer some "wisdom" from one who has been there. This is not an inexpensive hobby/lifestyle. I sometimes wish I had started collecting stamps years ago instead of getting bitten by this boating bug.

I hope you can understand where I am coming from.

Shawn
 
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All good Shawn! Respect where you are coming from and all the advise you are giving. Think I am more of a glass being half full kind of guy than a half empty one. Cheers!
 
Thanks for all the advice I really appreciate it. At this point it's general clean up and systems evaluation. Haven't been back out to check anything else out yet, but soon as I find out more I'll share.
 
Thanks for all the advice I really appreciate it. At this point it's general clean up and systems evaluation. Haven't been back out to check anything else out yet, but soon as I find out more I'll share.
Seriously....find out about the transom and stringers before you venture much further. The fact that your boat has a non-original newer motor with closed cooling gives me hope that someone would not have gone the that much trouble and expense on a boat with rot issues. It also makes me wonder if the outdrive is newer as well. Can you post a couple of pics of your outdrive so we can see what it is? Mercruiser didn't produce the Alpha drive until 1984 I think. If you still have the original drive it will be an "M" or "MR" model.

Shawn
 
Seriously....find out about the transom and stringers before you venture much further. The fact that your boat has a non-original newer motor with closed cooling gives me hope that someone would not have gone the that much trouble and expense on a boat with rot issues. It also makes me wonder if the outdrive is newer as well. Can you post a couple of pics of your outdrive so we can see what it is? Mercruiser didn't produce the Alpha drive until 1984 I think. If you still have the original drive it will be an "M" or "MR" model.

Shawn
It's a pre-alpha outdrive didn't see any badging or identification numbers but she's got the loop at the top, prop spins freely. It'll have to be opened up and serviced after I check on motor, checked the transom and floor by motor sounds good for knock test, but their are a lot of non fibered plywood that need repair/replacement. Just gonna take it one step at a time.
 

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Looks clean on the outside from those pics. Believe all the Vortec's have bigger flywheels than pre Vortec. I had to modify the flywheel housing on my pre alpha to get a Vortec to fit. Later updated the works to a B2. Looks promising! Keep us posted.
 
Finally got the outside a bit cleaner, trying to figure out the electrical to get it fired up. Definitely going to be along road for her rebirth. Bow tow eye was not secure so in the process of putting a new one in so I can take it to a shop and get an assessment on the floor, motor and outdrive.
 

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I think Shawn gave you some great info to consider.
I’d follow his advice for getting the motor started.
If the motor starts and runs well with little or no investment then I would check out and evaluate the condition of the boat overall to see if it’s something you want to take on. If so, then have at it.
If the motor doesn’t start or run with little or no investment you may want to reconsider making any commitment to this boat and look around for another project boat that is a bit less of a challenge.
They’re out there.
 
I think Shawn gave you some great info to consider.
I’d follow his advice for getting the motor started.
If the motor starts and runs well with little or no investment then I would check out and evaluate the condition of the boat overall to see if it’s something you want to take on. If so, then have at it.
If the motor doesn’t start or run with little or no investment you may want to reconsider making any commitment to this boat and look around for another project boat that is a bit less of a challenge.
They’re out there.
Oh I'm definitely going to take that advice! I will update this thread with the mechanics prognosis when I get it.
 
Looks clean on the outside from those pics. Believe all the Vortec's have bigger flywheels than pre Vortec. I had to modify the flywheel housing on my pre alpha to get a Vortec to fit. Later updated the works to a B2. Looks promising! Keep us posted.
When you changed to the Bravo 2 were you able to use the same hole in the transom or did you have to modify it?

Thanks
Shawn
 
Finally got the outside a bit cleaner, trying to figure out the electrical to get it fired up. Definitely going to be along road for her rebirth. Bow tow eye was not secure so in the process of putting a new one in so I can take it to a shop and get an assessment on the floor, motor and outdrive.
You can find the Mercruiser engine wiring diagram on line. If you can't find it let me know and I can scan a copy for you and send it to you. The primary ignition wiring is pretty basic and the color coding is standard and easy to follow. I just re-wired my Cobalt so let me know if you need anything.
Shawn
 
You can find the Mercruiser engine wiring diagram on line. If you can't find it let me know and I can scan a copy for you and send it to you. The primary ignition wiring is pretty basic and the color coding is standard and easy to follow. I just re-wired my Cobalt so let me know if you need anything.
Shawn
Hey Shawn I appreciate that. I have a copy of the manual and it does seem pretty straight forward, but now I just have to spend some time tracing and cleaning rust and corrosion off the wiring coming from the dash. Previous owner had 4 batteries, guest switch and 2401 guest switch isolator. I now have it down to 1 battery just to test cranking system.
 

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