Can anyone advise regarding a 2001 Sea Ray Weekender 6.2l mercruiser how easy access is for servicing the engine? Looking at buying one (in Australia: https://flagstaffmarine.com.au/brokerage-listing/boat/sea-ray-225-weekender-238517/) but have not seen one first hand, only pictures, and since I like to be able to do my own mechanical work, do not want a boat where you almost have to pull the engine out to do some jobs. Access in the 225 does not look easy from the pictures, but would like someone who has actual experience with one to give an opinion. How easy is it to get to the distributor, spark plugs, impeller, starter motor, for example? We are planning to downsize to a Sea Ray from a 1997 Formula 271 Fastech where engine access (single 454 Magnum MPI) is pretty good. Looked also at a 240 Sundancer, and engine access in that boat looks better, though one mechanic I contacted said it was worse than the 225. Just looking for some advice. Thanks.
2001 Sea Ray 225 Weekender engine maintenance
- Thread starter larry1954
- Start date
Jon Porter
New Member
Your link was not working for me so I ll will just talk about my layout. I have a 2001 225 Weekender with a 5.0Ltr Alpha One Mercruiser. I’ll attach some pictures. I just swapped a new one in. With the hood out of the boat it’s more accessible so when I need to do a lot of maintenance I just take the hood out. The battery location makes it hard to get the drain plugs and spark plugs out of the port side of the engine so I have to pull the batteries to get to those. Plenty of room in the front of the engine and starboard side. Access panels can be removed on the inside transom (under the removable seats) to access the power trim pump and back of the engine. Not comfortable to lay in but accessible. The distributor can come all the up with the engine in the boat. I’m a pretty sizable guy and can get myself almost completely under the engine from the front. My engine has the oil filter relocation kit and vacuum pump screws onto the dip stick so routine maintenance is not to bad. Batteries will have to come out to get to the spark plugs under the exhaust manifolds. Really, the batteries create the most restrictions. I don’t have a good picture of them installed but you can see the trays in the one picture. If it does have the big block as you mentioned, I’m sure it would be much tighter. The distributor would be tricky because it sits lower than the stringer but doable. Mine is an ALPHA ONE so the impeller is in the gear case of the AlPHA ONE outdrive, easy to swap out of the water. I only saw the 5.0 and 5.7 offered in the 225. Hope this helps.
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Many thanks for that information and pictures, Jon. Much appreciated. It gives me a reasonable idea of what it would be like to service the engine. I thought the batteries might be a problem on the port side.
The boat is no longer advertised on that link, but it is still on this website: https://www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/sea-ray-225-weekender-2001/sse-ad-5911934/
Looks like the 6.2l engine is rare. Though I know of this other one here also: https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boat...weekender-6-2ltr-special-factory-order/247562
The boat is no longer advertised on that link, but it is still on this website: https://www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/sea-ray-225-weekender-2001/sse-ad-5911934/
Looks like the 6.2l engine is rare. Though I know of this other one here also: https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boat...weekender-6-2ltr-special-factory-order/247562
Jon Porter
New Member
Those have the different port seating option as well. As for a smaller boat, the space around the engine is manageable. Good luck in your search!
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iBoat Skipper Doug
Active Member
- Aug 8, 2018
- 140
- Boat Info
- 2003 225 Weekender w/Bravo III drive
2019 Venture trailer
- Engines
- 5.7 MPI Mercruiser w/Bravo III drive
At 6’2” and 280 lbs, I was able to remove the water pump to replace the impeller but my 50 something year old body could not bend the correct way to get the two hoses back on to the water pump. A younger, thinner, and more flexale freind of my step-daugher helped and was finished in a few minutes. As far as routine maintenance, that has been the only difficult to reach item for me. Hope this helps.
I do not see a 6.2 liter motor offered in the USA on the 225 Weekender, however, the 6.2 uses the same GM V8 small block as my motor, then Mercury strokes the engine. So access should be identical to what I have.
Here is a link to the USA 2001 225 Weekender sales flyer https://owners-resources.searayweb....cs/electronic_brochure/company1731/8511_f.pdf
Hope this helps.
Please let us know how it goes.