1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

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Begester

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Oct 23, 2006
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Hello All,

I just purchased a 1989 SeaRay 220DA a few months ago and had it out on the water for the first time last week and I absolutely love it. Great to hear that there are others out there and to hear so many good things about this boat.

I took my boat out for a trial run, expecting to find a few issues to troubleshoot before the season starts and aside from needing to replace the spark plugs and wires, I think I've purchased a solid boat, cant wait for summer.

One thing I cant figure out though is during the 6 or so hours I had the boat in the water, I noticed water collecting at the low point in the cabin floor (between the galley and lav and right below the bottom step down from the outside of the boat. Has anyone had this problem? I'm not exactly sure where to start here so any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Rock Hall

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Congrats on the great purchase!!
I do have the same problem with me my 89 220. But I have the problem only when it rains...I think. It happened in my driveway over the winter, so I have to say it's from rain. I have not figured out where it is coming from yet. I think water likes to collect there. Were you in rough water, or rain? it may have been there before you splashed it and you only noticed it in the water. I'd love to figure this out, so lets see what we find.

Mark
 

burtsi

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Hello to you guys!

I am a Sea Ray newbe from Finland, Europe. I recently bought my first Sea Ray, a 220 DA -89 with the original Mercruiser 4.3 L (175 hp) + A1. The boat is in fairly good condition considering her age. The engine has been running great so far as well, even though it seems to have lost some of its original juice. It has around 700 hours on it. In general I find this engine to be a little on the weak side in terms of power and torque for a boat of this size. Any comments on this?

I am not sure on the prop dimensions yet either, but it is the original alu prop and the engine revs 4500 rpm at full throttle. Speed is around 28 knots then. My normal cruising speed is around 20 knots @ 3800 rpm, which is not economical at all. This is a major issue in this country, since gas is awfully expensive these days (2,55 $ per litre which is around 9,20 $ per gallon). Do you think a new SS prop (Rapture or Mirage perhaps) would make any difference on consumption/speed? If yes, what would be proper prop dimensions?

I have also considered repowering the boat for the next season mainly to ensure decent reliability but also to enjoy better performance/fuel economy. In case I chose a completely new engine I would probably either go for a Merc 4.3 MPI (220 hp) or a Merc 5.0 MPI (260 hp). Any thoughts on this project? The problem is that these engines cost here almost twice as much as they do in the US! :eek: Could somebody perhaps ship me a new, more affordable engine from the states? :D Another way round obviously would be to go for a remanufactured engine, but I have to think this over before taking any steps.
 

Rock Hall

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

burtsi,

That does sound a little underpowered. I've got a 260hp 350 in mine.
If the newer 305 produces that much power, then that sounds like the way to go. The 4.3 is a great motor, but 175 isnt going to cut it. I wouldnt think your fuel economy would be much worse than mine, maybe even better at hull speed. With the new prop and a clean bottom, I plane at about 20mph burning about 9 GPH. If I push it to 30mph, I'm burning 15+ GPH.
This year I am mostly putting around at 1400 RPM. Takes a while to get there, but the gas goes a lot further.
 

burtsi

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Unfortunately most of the Searays imported to Finland in the late 80's were underpowered, since local distributor wanted to offer boats for a bargain and this was best achieved by saving on the engine size and accessories. Sad but true.

I am not sure of my accurate fuel consumption yet, but it seems like I am burning around 12 GPH @ 20 knots. This confirms that my engine is clearly underpowered, since revs are too high at cruising speed for optimal fuel economy.
 

Rock Hall

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

I dont know what your options are for a repower in Finland. If you go with a V8, there will be other parts that will need to change also. I guess the new EFI 4.3 turns about 195HP. That would be your easiest route. We have quite a few engine remanufacturers here in the U.S that can supply an engine fairly reasonably.
I just bought a new Merc Prop. went anout a 1/2" bigger and it has made a difference. I think mostly because it is new. I now do most of my boating at hull speed burning about 3 gph. Gets us out on the water and the gas lasts longer. We usually have no place to go, just want to get out.
 

Rock Hall

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Another thing. I have a fuel flow meter that tells me how much fuel I'm burning in real time. If you are estimating 11gph at 20 knots, you might not be that far off. I guess thats about 24mph and I would be burning close to 10gph. If I have full fuel, water, luggage and an xtra person, 11gph is about right. So I'm not sure you would get any better fuel economy from a bigger engine. Is 4600 WOT correct for that engine? Do you have Trim Tabs?
If you want more power and speed, then a bigger engine will do it. If you are loking for fuel economy, I'm not sure you will get that. Th 4.3 is a great engine for performance and durability.
One of the things I am looking for in my next boat is twin 4.3, Searay offers them in the 28 and 29 ft Dancers.
 

burtsi

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

Many thanks for your input Rock Hall, good points there!

According to my knowledge, 4600 WOT is correct for this engine. I do have trim tabs as well and I use them all the time to get the boat to plane as smoothly as possible. I will check my prop asap and depending on it's condition, consider replacing it with a new ss.

When it comes to benefits of repowering the boat, you are probably right about that. Fuel economy might not be any better with a bigger engine either, but I think I can live with that (supposing oil price isn't going through the roof again in the near future), because the main reason for repowering, is to ensure reliability and to gain better performance. Improvement in fuel economy would be a nice bonus though. Boating is great fun to me anyway and these pleasures tend to be a bit expensive... :D

I am not sure about the repowering options here, but I'm guessing they are rather limited. Thats why I will most likely be looking at a new, complete engine/sterndrive package. At this point a V8 MPI sounds best, but depending on my wallet, I'll think about that next winter at the earliest.
 

Xrider

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

hey guys, me and my brother in law have a 1990 220 with 5.7 engine. well he has it, and I always end up working on it.
Anyway, PO didnt take care of this boat much. there are a lot of problems with it, from mechanical to cosmetic.
first mechanical, whole outdrive was shot. bro buys a used one and pump is bad in it. replaced the pump and it overheats. not sure what did he do with pump cause I wasnt there but I wouldnt be suprised if he forced something in if it wasnt going easy (hes just like that).
other steering is kinda funny. at low speeds the boat is all over the place! Im not sure but I think there is some play in steering. cause if I grab the outdrive I can move it left and right easy.
trims dont work, dont know why. Im not sure but I think the hydrulic struts might not be working. I can push the trims down easily but they come back up. is that ok? What would power them anyway?

cosmetic, well the boat sat for a while. under some trees I think, its very dirty and young guys that had it used it to party most of the time so outside and inside was a mess. we cleaned most of it, redid some of the upholstery on the inside, cleaned the mess of the bathroom and tried to clean the outside.
what would be a good product to clean the hull? Trying to get it somewhat clean and presentable. he kinda gave up on the boat, says it will need a lot more money to get it good and running.
Also the rear bench, PO ripped everything out so there is nothing back there. what could I do about getting something in there? I saw some pics of other guys 220 but cant really figure if the rear bench fold or what?

the bimini top was destroyed, frame was cracked so we threw everything away. he wants a same bimini but I keep telling him I cant find anything close to the oem searay top! any suggestions?

right now boat is sitting at slip which he paid for and its not being run. I want to finish this boat so we can all go out and have some fun.
I have a jet ski and jet boat! so we do have a nice fleet of boats. I go out at potomac all the time and depending on weather water can be flat as glass or choppy with some 4-6 foot waves (jet ski loves those ;) )
 

Rock Hall

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

I dont know how many of these issues I can help you with. The trim could be one of many things. There is a pump in the engine compartment that pumps hydro fluid to the tubes. You should here this running when you activate the trim. If not, does the Trailer button work to raise the drive? There are sensors on the dive that get dirty or go bad. When this happens, the drive may not move with the trim switch, nor will the pump run. I dont think those sensors affect the operation with the trailer button.

When you install the water pump, it is fairly easy, but you need to put the new impeller in just like the old one. the fins must be bent in the same direction. Also, NEVER run the engine dry. A pump can burn up in 15 seconds if it is dry.

Steering I cant help you with.
I can take a pic of my bench this weekend and send to you next week.

Mark
 

Rock Hall

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

On the canvas. West Marine has some options. Not like OEM, but probably much cheaper
 

Millerman

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Jun 16, 2007
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L



Best bench i could find. hope it helps. I think if you search this thread you will find better.

Cheers
Dan
 

Xrider

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

millerman, is that the bench that came with the boat? I have nothing there but a hole! I would like to add something in there. its kinda sad that a boat this size doesnt have any space to sit while my 18 foot jet boat has a seating of 8!
I would need a bench that folds so I can access the engine compartment.
 

Xrider

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

I dont know how many of these issues I can help you with. The trim could be one of many things. There is a pump in the engine compartment that pumps hydro fluid to the tubes. You should here this running when you activate the trim. If not, does the Trailer button work to raise the drive? There are sensors on the dive that get dirty or go bad. When this happens, the drive may not move with the trim switch, nor will the pump run. I dont think those sensors affect the operation with the trailer button.

When you install the water pump, it is fairly easy, but you need to put the new impeller in just like the old one. the fins must be bent in the same direction. Also, NEVER run the engine dry. A pump can burn up in 15 seconds if it is dry.

Steering I cant help you with.
I can take a pic of my bench this weekend and send to you next week.

Mark


the trailer trim works, outdrive can be raised up so pump is good. is it the same pump for both? I need to see if there is power going to trims at all!

Im gonna do the work on outdrive from now on, I dont think hes been doing a good job. hes known to brake stuff, when he tightens something it aint comming off.
 

Xrider

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Messages
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

anyone know whats the gear ratio on the drive? How could I find out that info?
Also any good sites to buy parts from?
 

Rock Hall

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

I think it is in the aftermarket repair manuals. I can throw a guess at 1.47.
My repair manual must be in the boat. I cant find it.
An SR dealer ought to be able to tell you.
\
 

Xrider

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

my sea ray dealer is bunch of pricks. just cause Im a young guy they think I shouldnt own a boat.

anyway, I wanna get this boat up and running, its sad that its just sitting there.

My brother in law wont let me help him cause Im all about perfection and hes half asses everything. I have a small 18 foot jet boat that I want to take out with his 24 footer. its more fun that way.
 

Rock Hall

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

what can we do to help you out?
I checked on that gear ratio for you. for a 350 with an Alpha One 1990 the gear ratio is 1.50.
 

Xrider

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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

well my brother put a used outdrive on it and I dont think its the correct gear ratio. is there a way to check that without taking it apart?

its overheating, water pump could cause that right? he said he put a new pump in there but knowing him he did something backwards as its still overheating.

I need to check whats wrong with trim tabs, thy are not working at all.

boat is all over the place at no wake speed. steering issue or something else?
 

Xrider

Cadet
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Jul 15, 2008
Messages
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Re: 1990 searay 220 DA 5.7L

problem I have is my HOA doesnt allow me any kind of watercraft in driveway, I would have parked it in there till I fix it. All I need is a week and that thing would be running like a champ. motor is fine, sounds and works great. I keep telling him he needs to change oil and filters but hes just lazy. how many filters do we have on there?
 
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