1976 Sea Ray SRV 240 Project Boat

The heart of my boat is coming together nicely! Bad news is she will sit a while as I prepare the boat for her!!





engine w intake.jpg
 
Looking good! Although I left the engine in my smaller boat "Mercruiser black", I usually like painting engine blocks some lighter/brighter colour for practical reasons - it's easier to pick up on small oil leaks and other issues as soon as they happen!
 
That was my thought on the Blue. One it is true to a '76 era 351.
Also upon my first look into the Bilge i thought Black engine, black bilge paint! Impossible to see any issues. I will have a bright engine and a Bright white Bilge!
 
Have my engine back in the garage it came out great. Time to bolt on the bits and pieces. Then it is a waiting game until I can get the floor back in!
One observation that has me thinking.

I went with a 4 barrel carb and intake for the rebuild. Looks a little taller than the old set up and I remember the old set up just clearing the Engine cover/ seat.

Anyone else make this change? What did you do to fix?

I am thinking if only a bit taller I can make the engine cover taller and move the side seats up accordingly. Guess I need to wait until its in and see how it fits.
 
That really is your only option since the engine can't be lowered. It might be easier to try and source a low profile intake.
 
Looking forward to next installment, truly respect the build and preservation of these classics. What exactly is 2'itis? Never heard of it.
 
Looking forward to next installment, truly respect the build and preservation of these classics. What exactly is 2'itis? Never heard of it.

2’itis is a common malady with boat owners. No sooner do you get a new boat than you start dreaming of one that is 2 feet longer. Or more. Happens to everybody. Repeatedly. Very dangerous disease.
 
Wow you got it bad!!
Will post some pics soon of engine reassembly. To cold to do stringer and floor work. Going to spend most of the winter refinishing panels and maybe some upholstery.
I am try to figure out how the new moter with 4 bbl carb and intake will fit under engine cover!! Definitely going to have to do some fiddling on the reinstall to steal a little more height for clearance. WOuld like to retain functionality of sliding seats forward and dropping bolster to create a large sleeping/ sunning pad.
 
Hey all! Chomping at the bit for warm weather so I can get my stringers and floor back in the boat. Engine rebuild is complete. Rebuilt transom/ Gimble mount is complete. Been too cold to even work in the garage on some interior components that need to be cleaned up! Hoping to be able to share some progress soon.
 
So been killing the cold weather sanding and re-oiling the teak from the deck and the Swim platform, they are looking great. Motor is ready to go back in and the Rebuilt Transom/ Gimble, mount is in hand. Will get outdrive when its time to bolt it on.

As I am laying out and getting stringers ready to put back in I have a question. I am not sure how the floor looked originally. By that I mean that I see pictures of similar boats with what looks like teak grating from cuddy door back to the engine compartment. Mine has this in front by Cuddy as access to the hoses and sending unit on gas tank, and has another at the back as access to where the batteies were.
My floor when I got it looked like the ssection over the tank was replaced/ added Maybe a tank replacement was done.

So the real question, should I do the floor with access hatch for the fuel tank?? Or glass it in tight with just access to the lines up front and the line in the back??
 
If I was replacing the fuel tank with a brand new tank, then glassing it in might be an option. If you're not replacing the tank now, how hard would it be to get it back out after glassing it in tight? What if the tank gets a leak in the near future? You definitely need to leave access to the sender and lines as you mentioned in either scenario.
 
Boater420, agreed. still assessing the current tank. It does not look too bad, I cant believe its original although I dont know that for sure, just basing on the way the floor was patched.
I just would love to how it was originally set up. Seems every pic I find of a similar boat they look different!!
I am leaning towards an easy to get back in approach if the tank stays as is.
Thank you
 
dont know why it keeps coming in upside down.
Anyway, latest status on engine. Just needs a new/ rebuild on starter and we are waiting for boat work to be done so I can drop her in
 

Attachments

  • csrengine2.18.jpg
    csrengine2.18.jpg
    212.2 KB · Views: 309
Starting to put the new stringers together! Excited to be moving forward.
The forward/aft stringers are pretty much the way I want them, The port to starboard on in the pic is a template (still fitting).
Also took delivery of my new outdrives. So the engine is rebuilt as it=s the transon/ gimble mount, and new outdrives.
Just need a floor and engine bay so I can drop it all in.
 

Attachments

  • start0f Stringers.jpg
    start0f Stringers.jpg
    223.4 KB · Views: 303
I hope your project is coming along or has been finished.I have a 1977 sda 240 weekender that I have put alot of work into. I am trying to get it back to 1977 standards and looks. It has twin 470's with pre alpha out drives. I have stripped all the molding(it was painted black) stained it teak brown and varnished it all. I installed a jump seat behind the captains bench as was in 1977, removed the microwave and put an alcohol stove back in it. I also installed a 3 position onboard charger, a third battery for the house, and a inverter to run the fridge. I also installed a new tilt gage and three small digital volt meters one for each battery to keep track of the battery status. Of course I have a new lorance hook 9 gps fish finder , sterio with four speakers. All the beds have bedding all set for sleeping on board.
Mechanical wise has been a nightmare for sure. Port engine had a hard time starting, turned over fine but had to be primed in order to start so I rebuilt the carb and found all kinds of issues that was caused by who ever tried to do it be fore(wont use the language I used as it would spoil the post), now it starts fine. Then I looked at the outdrives. Had to put new water pumps in both as new seals on topside, new shift seals,prop shaft seals(working on port side right now). New billows,gimbel bearings,seals,on both sides as there was water in both out drives. Of course I have had to purchase tools to do all this am now waiting for the carrier bearing puller.I have found this to be less expensive than hiring mechanic to do it. The first out drive that I had some work done by a merc guy cost me $300.00 for putting in carrier seals and a waterpump and he left out the washer at the shift shaft seal and I couldn't get reverse so I had to take the outdrive off and install the washer and a new shift shaft seal.(turned out to be a shift shaft seal that we didn't replace). I had a shift cable come out of its slot at the shifter up front and that screwed up the shift adjustment on the starboard side well so far I have forward but can't get reverse yet still working on it. So the boat has been in front of my house for about nine months being worked on and hopefully all I have left is the shift adjustment on the starboard side and carrier seals on the port side. If I can maintain forward on the starboard side I will go with it and fidldle with it at the slip, the port side has reverse. I may have the mechanic at the marina do the starboard adjustment. Honestly I am really burned out on working on this girl all I want to do is get out on the lake at night and do some fishing before it hits 115 degrees here in Vegas.(don't have to worry about rot here it drier than a popcorn fart all the time)
 
I hope your project is coming along or has been finished.I have a 1977 sda 240 weekender that I have put alot of work into. I am trying to get it back to 1977 standards and looks. It has twin 470's with pre alpha out drives. I have stripped all the molding(it was painted black) stained it teak brown and varnished it all. I installed a jump seat behind the captains bench as was in 1977, removed the microwave and put an alcohol stove back in it. I also installed a 3 position onboard charger, a third battery for the house, and a inverter to run the fridge. I also installed a new tilt gage and three small digital volt meters one for each battery to keep track of the battery status. Of course I have a new lorance hook 9 gps fish finder , sterio with four speakers. All the beds have bedding all set for sleeping on board.
Mechanical wise has been a nightmare for sure. Port engine had a hard time starting, turned over fine but had to be primed in order to start so I rebuilt the carb and found all kinds of issues that was caused by who ever tried to do it be fore(wont use the language I used as it would spoil the post), now it starts fine. Then I looked at the outdrives. Had to put new water pumps in both as new seals on topside, new shift seals,prop shaft seals(working on port side right now). New billows,gimbel bearings,seals,on both sides as there was water in both out drives. Of course I have had to purchase tools to do all this am now waiting for the carrier bearing puller.I have found this to be less expensive than hiring mechanic to do it. The first out drive that I had some work done by a merc guy cost me $300.00 for putting in carrier seals and a waterpump and he left out the washer at the shift shaft seal and I couldn't get reverse so I had to take the outdrive off and install the washer and a new shift shaft seal.(turned out to be a shift shaft seal that we didn't replace). I had a shift cable come out of its slot at the shifter up front and that screwed up the shift adjustment on the starboard side well so far I have forward but can't get reverse yet still working on it. So the boat has been in front of my house for about nine months being worked on and hopefully all I have left is the shift adjustment on the starboard side and carrier seals on the port side. If I can maintain forward on the starboard side I will go with it and fidldle with it at the slip, the port side has reverse. I may have the mechanic at the marina do the starboard adjustment. Honestly I am really burned out on working on this girl all I want to do is get out on the lake at night and do some fishing before it hits 115 degrees here in Vegas.(don't have to worry about rot here it drier than a popcorn fart all the time)

Loyd, this is easy for me to say now, but in hindsight you may have been better off to have just replaced both outdrives with new SEI units. They are about $1300 each. I know that is a hefty chunk but you are going to drop a hefty chunk in your drives and still have 40 year old outdrives. The SEI units are good and very dependable.

I understand your frustration though.... When I bought back my 1985 Cobalt I was going to have it fixed and in the water in 6 months. I am half way through year 3. I'm also about $12,000 into a boat that the book says is only worth $5-6,000. Mine is running well and I am waiting on interior pieces to com back from the upholstery shop. I was making good progress and then I lost a week as I had to stop to go be with my daughter during a double mastectomy. Then while there I picked up a bug and have been sick and lost another week. I am still shooting to be in the water Memorial Day Weekend but if I don't make it....I don't make it. Remember....it's just a boat and while we are passionate about them we shouldn't be obsessive.
Shawn
 
I know that it would be better to have put new outdrives on but thats way to much money to spend where now I have (almost) two rebuilt outdrives that will last me for what I will be using the boat for. And besides it is still to 1977 standards which is what I wanted to shoot for. It really isn't that expensive to rebuild them as long as the cases are in good shape and I did most the work myself. Working on them is really a no brainer if you have some mechanical knowledge and time which I have as I am retired. The secret of the whole process is to replace all the seals and other parts that will wear out normally. I didn't do that at first and paid for it in lost time, now its starting to heat up here. Oh well it's getting closer and I am going to let the marina mechanic adjust the shift to get reverse when I get out at the lake. The great thing is the fact it will be nice and quiet there and cooler.
Sorry to hear about all you health problems and hope all is well now.
 
Loyd. It sure can be frustrating! Mostly the time aspect of it
For me. Life gets in the way sometimes. I love the process of fixing up my boat, but I do Long for the payoff! Getting her wet.

I have divided and concourse on the activities. Deconstruction and rebuild of the transom floors and stringers has been my focus. I had a friend rebuild the motor for me and bought a rebuilt gimble mount and new SEI 106 outdrive.

Probably could rebuild things myself, just knew it would never get done if I did everything myself.

Mine will get wet this year for sure. But I am not making bets on when!!

Enjoy the process and good luck with your boat and the fishing!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,861
Members
60,932
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top