newbie intro...

CliffA

CliffA

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2009
4,712
Lake Norman, NC
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 340DA
Name: 'Happy Place'
4.5kW West. Generator
Purchased Nov. 2014
Fresh Water Use
Engines
Twin Merc. 6.2L (MPI)
640 hp (Total)
Raw Water Cooled
V-Drive Transmissions
hello listers...this is my first post so please be gentle...i just purchased a 1998 215EC with 390 hrs on a 5.7L Mercruiser...the boat is in very good condition overall but there are some things that need attention...the trailer also needs some work but i will save that for another thread...we live in upstate SC and primarily boat on lake Wateree but we plan on exploring other lakes and the intercostal waterway on the east coat...i also own and maintain a 1985 Chris Craft 185 Scorpion bow rider... we wanted to move up to a larger boat that we could camp on for a day or two and still trailer reasonably easy, thus the reason for the 215 EC...just for background information i am a fair to good 'shade tree' mechanic that knows how to turn a wrench...i grew up driving and working on muscle cars back in the 70's and 80's and still enjoy working on 'project' cars, trucks and boats...i thought i would start my life on this forum with some basic questions about our 'new' boat...if you have any input to them thanks in advance for your response...if i should post these type questions to another forum please advise...
1. the original cooler that fits behind the passenger side front seat is missing. does anyone know the dimensions of the cooler? the dimensions are important because the seat is designed to secure the cooler in place.
2. the original stereo has been replaced and the wired remote controll on the dash no lonnger works. does anyone know what typs of stereos the remote will work with?
3. the exterior trim ring around one of the portlights is broken. does a replacement have to come from sea ray?
4. the fresh water pump does not start when i flip the switch on the dash. is there something else to do? is there a fuse that i should check? is the pump self priming?
5. the rollers on the sliding hatch entrance door need to be greased. what is the best way to get to these rollers?
 
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CliffA said:
hello listers...this is my first post so please be gentle...i just purchased a 1998 215EC with 390 hrs on a 5.7L Mercruiser...the boat is in very good condition overall but there are some things that need attention...the trailer also needs some work but i will save that for another thread...we live in upstate SC and primarily boat on lake Wateree but we plan on exploring other lakes and the intercostal waterway on the east coat...i also own and maintain a 1985 Chris Craft 185 Scorpion bow rider... we wanted to move up to a larger boat that we could camp on for a day or two and still trailer reasonably easy, thus the reason for the 215 EC...just for background information i am a fair to good 'shade tree' mechanic that knows how to turn a wrench...i grew up driving and working on muscle cars back in the 70's and 80's and still enjoy working on 'project' cars, trucks and boats...i thought i would start my life on this forum with some basic questions about our 'new' boat...if you have any input to them thanks in advance for your response...if i should post these type questions to another forum please advise...
1. the original cooler that fits behind the passenger side front seat is missing. does anyone know the dimensions of the cooler? the dimensions are important because the seat is designed to secure the cooler in place.
2. the original stereo has been replaced and the wired remote controll on the dash no lonnger works. does anyone know what typs of stereos the remote will work with?
3. the exterior trim ring around one of the portlights is broken. does a replacement have to come from sea ray?
4. the fresh water pump does not start when i flip the switch on the dash. is there something else to do? is there a fuse that i should check? is the pump self priming?
5. the rollers on the sliding hatch entrance door need to be greased. what is the best way to get to these rollers?
Click to expand...

Welcome aboard, Cliff! You got a great boat, there - I used to have a 2000 215EC. One little thing you can add to your signature is whether or not your engine is fuel injected (F.I.) or carb'd. It could help in future diagnosis.

OK, let's see...

1. I *think* it's a 36qt. It is an actual "Igloo" so you can check dimensions on their website. Here's the 36qt: http://www.igloocoolers.com/products/FullSize/Marine/209/

2. If it's the original, it's probably Clarion (at least mine was). Doubtful it will work with anything other than Clarion - even then, only certain models. It might be best to contact Clarion - maybe you can find a model number on the back of the remote, or just describe it to them. If you have it, the original owner's pack would have included the owner's manual for the stereo.

3. No, doesn't have to be Sea Ray (probably NLA - no longer available - through SR, anyway). I think it was made by Lewmar (maybe Bomar?). But, they might not have that style anymore. Check out a place called Flounder Pounder Marine. If no luck finding an exact replacement, you might have to step up to a stainless trim ring (if it matches) or install a completely new port light. It's not as big of a project as it sounds. Basically, you're just cutting a bigger/different shaped hole. You could upgrade to opening port lights, at that point.

4. Yes, it is self priming. Yes, check fuses. Did you open the floor hatch and listen/feel if it runs? Meaning, does the pump run and water doesn't flow... Or does the pump not run at all? You could try jumping 12v right to the pump to narrow your search down to bad wiring/switch or something with the pump.

5. The entire starboard side dash needs to be removed. But... you can get to it a somewhat through the access hole in the aft wall of the head. Other things to try: vacuum it out REALLY well, first. Spray with a degreaser. Blast it out with a hose from various angles. DON'T use grease as it will just attract more dirt. Try a dry lubricant like a powder teflon or, something I just found recently... a product called "Jigaloo" (do a "title only" search for it).

I know I didn't answer all of your questions completely, but hopefully this gets you going.
 
thanks Dennis...i updated my profile to include the fact my 5.7 is carb'd...we are really excited about the 215...it seems to have ample room and all the basic amenities needed for comfortable overnight camping...usually it is just my wife and i on the boat but occasionally we will have freinds or family and the 5.7 engine will come in handy in those occassions, especially when the cruise involves water sports....i don't really like the model of stereo the PO installed so i may just change it out with a new unit that comes equipped with a wired remote...i saw a BOSS marine model that looks OK and is reasonably priced...i know i could probably get close enough on the specs of the cooler by simply taking some measurements but the boat is all tucked in nicely for the winter and i can sometimes be a little on the lazy side...i will check on the trim rings as suggested...i actually saw some on e-bay that might work...the add claimed they worked for sea ray and other makes of boats...i'll just have to be sure they are the correct size...the fresh water pump is not energizing at all when i flip the dash switch...i did have the floor cover off when i was winterizing the boat so i had full access to the pump...i did not check the fuses yet... are all of the fuses located in the one panel inside of the head compartment?....i tried using a long nozzle (~ 10 in) oil can to squirt some 30W oil on the hatch door rollers which helped some...i will take your suggestions to see if they will help even more...
 
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Oh, one other thing Cliff... about the Igloo. I removed my hold-downs as I found the cooler fit absolutely perfectly under the stbd rear jump seat. It fit in there like it was meant to be there the whole time.
 
Cliff,
First off....Welcome to CSR!

You may already know this but there has yet to be mention of it.... There must be a demand for water (at a faucet) for the pump to run. That being said, I'd test for power at the pump first, then find the fuse. With your experience, repairing or replacing the pump will be a piece of cake.
 
thanks Mike for the link to the sea ray archives...i am fortunate in that the boat came with all of the original manuals and documents, but there may be some info in these archives that i don't have...i am very analytical by nature so i researched the 215 for many weeks before we decided to purchase and acquired a lot of good info from my research...we have not exlpored the Santee and Cooper rivers or the Marion and Moultrie lakes yet but plan to...my neighbor just built a vacation house on lake Marion and tells us a lot about the lake....my son-in-law grew up in Columbia and is an advid fisherman...he has fished lake Murray many times....

thanks Dennis for the info on the cooler fitting under the jump seat...my son gave me a Magma SS grill for Christmas and right now i plan to use the space under the jump seat to store the grill... i was thinking that i could use the cooler as a seat when we use the table set up in the back so leaving the cooler under the front seat would be ideal...

thanks mwph for the tip on the fresh water pump...i do understand that there must be a demand for water before the pump kicks in so i used a rubber band to hold down the handle on the sprayer nozzel while testing the pump...i will just have to do some testing to see if i have a bad switch, bad pump or blown fuse...
 
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Welcome aboard.

# 5 Clean as recommened and use a High Solids Silicone lubricant spray with a tupe applicator. This should also be good for canvas zips, snaps, slide tracks etc.. I use an industrial grade from CRC
 
thanks Chad...i finally got rid of all my 'guests' from the holidays today so this W/E i hope to have time to 'tinker' with the boat...i do have some stuck canvas zippers that i can try this on...especially the camper extension that has not been used in over 5 years...i can't even open the zipper on the storage bag right now....
 
Welcome Cliff!

On your stereo....as previously mentioned the OEM would have been a Clarion. I recently updated my stock Clarion with a Clarion M475 unit. It is a decent stereo and the wire remote plugged right in - even though I was told it wouldn't.

You can also get a CNet cable that plugs into the back of the M475 that will allow you to connect an Ipod and control it through the remote as well.

IMO....staying with a stereo that allowed the use of the wired remote was worth it. If you update to an entirely new system, you may want to look into a system that will allow the use of a RF wireless remote. These are waterproof and you can swim around the boat and control your stereo from the water!
 
Welcome CliffA:

Ref: 4 ... as mention earlier, you should be able to trouble shoot the water pump system. Went through similar symptoms with my 268 when we first got her.

Everything pretty much happens within the pump. The pressure switch is built in. There pretty tough little pumps. I ended up taking mine all apart. epoxy gluing one of the permanent mags back in place and cleaned up the armature. Hope this little bit of system operation helps you out some ... Ron
 
thanks SeaRAy for the stereo info....i'll look into the Clarion model and possibly the adapter....we don't usually use an ipod for our music so that feature is not that important to us...the wireless remote feature does sound interesting...we enjoy tethering our floating chairs to the back of the boat and relaxing while enjoying an adult beverage or 12 and listening to music...i don't know if the sound from inside of the cabin and the boat will be able to be heard well enough while we are floating in the water...we may just continue to use a portable boom box and set it on the swim platform....the regular stereo system would be used during cruises and maybe camping....

thanks Ron for the tips on the fresh water pump....i have a bad habit of tearing things apart when they are broken to see if i can 'fix' them instead of replacing them...i will likely use this same approach for the pump if needed....old man winter has a firm grip on the southeast right now so i will wait for things to warm up a little before troubleshooting the system...

i have to tell you that not being able to 'get my hands dirty' from working on the boat is killing me...we just bought the boat on Thanksgiving and due to the holidays and cold weather i just had time to winterize it and not much more...it is kind of like buying a kid a pony and putting it in the back yard and telling the kid you can't touch the pony right now...i can see that pony every day and i want to go ride it!
 
Frozen Zippers:

Particularily those made of zinc type metals can become fozen due to corrosion. Try a drop or two of pure vinigar placed into the zipper stripper. This acid will eat off the oxidation in the Zipper teeth and allow the stripper to do its job. Once free clean it and allpy a high solids silicone lune to the tracks and Zipper stripper.
 
thanks Chad...i don't remember if the zipper on the camper canvas bag is zinc (metal) or not but if it is i will try the vinigar to free it up...
 
First Welcome aboard;
Second, I too purchased this boat the Monday before thanksgiving and had to immediately winterize her. This is very frustrating; I got a small checklist but a checklist nonetheless. I have actually lost sleep with excitement just wanting to get, “my hands dirty”
This site was making it worse seeing how people in Florida where out for New Year ’s but now that they are seeing colder weather and worrying about freeze damage—I feel better.
Only 84 more days to we drop her in so I figure about 60 days until I can really get started on the Checklist.
On the radio, we are looking for a radio with a RF remote and support IPod. This will allow us to control the tunes from the dock or when tied up and on friends boats for the ultimate in laziness and comfort.
Good luck and the day will come.
 
thanks Vince...glad to see i am not the only one getting a little anxious with excitement over a new boat...luckily the weather in FL was warm enough on Thanksgiving for us to take a test drive in the boat before we bought it...i'm glad we did not wait until now since the weather is MUCH cooler there now...i was hoping to find a low hour fresh water boat with the larger 5.7 engine and this one fit the bill...the larger engine we wanted made the search a little more difficult and expansive...that is why we traveled so far to get it...the boat was only used in the inland lakes around central FL....i have not decided what to do about the stereo yet...it is low on the priority list as the unit that is in the boat now works OK....we are warming up to a balmy 39*F today so Spring has to be right around the corner :thumbsup:...
 
i plan to add a pic to my profile as soon as possible, but i want to go through and fix and clean everything first...i can see how it will look in my head but the unfortunate truth is right now she is far away from being in that condition....no major mechanical work to do but a good deep cleaning of boat and trailer are needed....
 
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