Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

[mark1905]

I'm attempting to help my father in law change out his starter motor on a 2001 SeaRay Sundeck with a 5.0 Merc this weekend. The motors on these boats are not easily accessed compared to other boats.. so much so that he swears that the motor needs to be lifted which I know isn't the case.

Wondering if anyone out there has done this job on this model boat/motor and can share some tricks on how the heck they got to it and swapped it out..



P.S. Knew this didn't fit in the boats only section since it was engine related.. Apologies if it's still not in the right place since it's more of a question about a specific model of boat rather than engine..

 

[havasuboatman]

Re: Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

Yours wouldn't be the first boat that required pulling the motor to change out a starter.
Included in that list is just about every pontoon boat with a V8 I/O ever made.
Because of the relative ease in which a Merc. motor is removed it is often easier and less time consuming to just lift the motor high enough for ready access.
It makes getting the correct torque on the starter bolts a whole lot easier.

 

[mark1905]

Re: Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

Yours wouldn't be the first boat that required pulling the motor to change out a starter.
Included in that list is just about every pontoon boat with a V8 I/O ever made.
Because of the relative ease in which a Merc. motor is removed it is often easier and less time consuming to just lift the motor high enough for ready access.
It makes getting the correct torque on the starter bolts a whole lot easier.

Wow. He kept saying that is what he thinks we will have to do but I'm dying to prove him wrong.. That, and we have no way of lifting the motor so it would go from being a driveway job to a mechanic job.

The other day I was at our local Merc parts dealer which happens to be the town SeaRay dealer, and one of the techs said that it was possible to do it but a pain in the rear. This should be interesting..

 

[havasuboatman]

Re: Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

Well, a pain in the rear is better that paying shop rates, to be sure. Only you can decide if you will be able to complete the job. Something to keep in mind is that bolting in the new starter is a lot more difficult that removing the old one. (holding it in place while starting the bolts)
If you have an equipment rental shop in town, cherry pickers are usually fairly cheap to rent.

 

[mark1905]

Re: Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

Well, a pain in the rear is better that paying shop rates, to be sure. Only you can decide if you will be able to complete the job. Something to keep in mind is that bolting in the new starter is a lot more difficult that removing the old one. (holding it in place while starting the bolts)
If you have an equipment rental shop in town, cherry pickers are usually fairly cheap to rent.

Good point. Forgot about the need to have two hands back there at a time. I don't think about these things with my 3.0LX.. everything is so out in the open that you could work on that engine with your eyes closed..

 

[havasuboatman]

Re: Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

I'll tell you what, if the boat manufacturers actually worked on their own boats after the sale, instead of telling the buyer "take it to a Merc. dealer", There would be alot fewer of these kinds of installations. I have built Nordic, Advantage, Magic, and Sleekcraft boats. Not one of the owners cared one bit about how difficult their boat was or wasn't to work on.

 

[mark1905]

Re: Changing starter motor - 5.0 Merc / 2001 SeaRay Sundeck

Great success!

The key was removing the starboard side riser/manifold, which gives a clear shot to the starter. Once you have those off, the motor and bolts are sitting right there with no problems.

The trick should work on any Merc small block I'm assuming.