1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

[trevor.resar]

Let me first start off with a little back ground on the story.

I am 19 years old and came across a 1994-96? Sea Ray Sea Rayder for sale, after haggling with the owner, I ended up buying the boat for $250.00 with a trailer.

In this boat is the 90HP motor, the seats need to be redone, and the gauges are bad, etc. It will be a complete overhaul. Plus I plan to add some neat stuff like audio equipment, a tower, etc.

The plan is to restore the boat and put a Monster Tower on it to make a little wakeboard/wakeskate boat for me and a couple of buddies, when we can get away for a quick lake trip.

The actual boat is in great condition, and has no cracks or holes.

After doing a little research, it looks like putting a newer (1997?) 175HP motor is the way to go for my application.

This is my first boat, so I'm very "wet behind the ears" and any help would be appreciated. Anybody know where I can find a 175HP Motor, or something similar, or have any suggestions?

**UPDATE**
PICS

**Edit**
11-30-09
Basic tear down

Removed:
Vinyl Graphics (inside and outside of boat)
Rubber Handles
Plastic Bimini Mounts
Front seat and seat hinge
Half of the Rub Rail

A vinyl removing air tool was my best friend for this application. Because the boat had been stored outside before me having it, the vinyl graphics chipped off rather than peeling off. Using the rubber vinyl air tool saved me tons of time by simply "erasing" the graphics, leaving shavings similar to those off of a #2 pencil eraser.

 

[QC]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Hey Trevor, welcome aboard!! Sounds like a fun project. I have moved this over to the boating section. Sounds like you will have some restoration type work that would suggest a thread in the Boat Restoration section. Also, I am seeing some engine discussion, and I believe that was a two stroke Merc power head but not sure. Let's see what kind of traffic and responses you get here and then maybe some individual threads for specifics might be the way to go forward. Good luck with this!!!

Oh, my first thought is that double the power on what I think is a jet will require some mods to the jet's impeller at a minimum . . .

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Thank you, and as I said I'm very new to all of this so thanks for your patience.

I was told that if I could find the 175hp motor and jet together it would be a drop in replacement?

 

[superpop]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

before you buy a new motor and jet, I would do two things, first, make sure the boat is structuraly sound, no rot or soft spots anywere on the boat, particularly in the back of the boat along what is called the transom, or back wall of the boat if you are looking at it from outside of the boat. Secondly, and after you have verified the integrity of the boat, I would make sure that you can safely and legally put that big if a motor in that boat. The Hull may not be designed for that much weight or power. If you are planning on using the boat as a tow vehicle for wakeboards and surfers then the jet is the way to go though as it is safer then a spinning prop. How about some pics, that could help us help you with a diagnosis.

 

[QC]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

I was told that if I could find the 175hp motor and jet together it would be a drop in replacement?

I don't know about fit, but if the pump (jet) and power head are a matched pair then you should be good as far having the right impeller is concerned. Big jump in power, so I am a little concerned about safety.

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

ill grab some pictures today.

I know that this boat was offered in a 120hp model the same year, and the 1997 model was available in a 175hp. which is still basically the same boat from what I hear

 

[cpubud]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

welcome to the forum. sounds like a cool project,you would probly be better off finding another boat with the motor and pump set up you need with a trashed hull and using the motor and pump from it . good luck.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Just a couple of things...

structural integrity... not a problem, not an ounce of wood and unless it was SEVERELY abused, there should be very little chance to have standing water destroy the fiberglass. The boat really doesn't have a transom so to speak, being a jet drive it really doesn't rely on that for anything.

overpowering. Although that exact hull didn't have a 175 option, it was added later with very little modification. But... Once you price out a 175 powerhead/jet pump, you might find out that will run you as much as a late '90's 175 powered sportjet boat. (unless you find a REALLY good deal somewhere, you will be spending at least $4k for a pump/motor combo. Also, the sj motors are not identical to the outboard versions. The crank at a minimum is different.)

The 175 on up use a vastly different jet pump than the smaller sj's. The 90/95/120 do share a pump, but the gearing is slightly different. (the 120's have one less tooth to give the pump a little more speed and make better use of the extra cylinder the 120 engine gets.) There is absolutely no way to use a 175 on a xr/xr2 pump.

Also, I KNOW the intake foot area is bigger on the 175, I don't know how that searayder is, but at least on my previous SJ 95/120 powered boats, the hull would require cutting, and because of the taper, it wouldn't have been possible to fit a 175 in. Also, the business end of the 175+ is substantially bigger than the smaller sj's, so the tunnel area in the back of the boat may not be wide enough. When you look at a 95 and 175 sj side by side, the 175 is a monster compared to the little 95.

Not to dampen your enthusiasm, but you will end up spending at least $6k TOTAL to get this boat running if you want a 175, and probably 3k for a 95/120 sj. That boat with a 90 in it would barely pull a wakeboarder, and only with minimal weight. a 120 would help some, but not much. you REALLY would not want to add a tower, the high pull point would pretty much guarantee you aren't getting on plane.

Personally, what I would do is evaluate the condition of the current engine/pump. If it is good, then do enough maintenance to get it on the water and have fun! In the meantime I would be saving up for a factory 175+ boat. I know on my local craigslist there is a 210HP 2001 sugar sand tango in very good condition going for $6 to $7k. If the engine/pump is not good, walk away from it and consider it a lesson learned, you will end up dumping more money into it than you want for that boat.

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Here's the pics

 

[superpop]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

That boat is way to small and light for a tower, the first time a wake boarder cuts out on that tower, the whole boat is going to feel like it is going to tip over. That is if you can get it to plane with a tower. I would just fix it up and use it as designed.

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

You think? There are sea doo boat close to this size that come with towers?

 

[H20Rat]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

You think? There are sea doo boat close to this size that come with towers?

the sugar sands and seadoos with towers are 400+ pounds heavier, 1 to 2 feet longer, and most importantly, 100 more horsepower at a minimum. The biggest problem on that boat with that engine is that you are raising your pulling point dramatically. Trust me, that boat will have a tough time getting up on plane with just 3 people in the boat. (those 90/95 engines were dogs, and weren't used in jetboats for very long.)

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Where would be my best bet to find some used motors, or wrecked boats i can rob the motor out of it?

no salvage yards have sea rayders here

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

For your info: Wolfe's Marine, in Benton Harbor, Michigan is very aggressive in buying outlots/leftovers/closeouts from boat mfrs. They have especially deep selection of upholstery. You might contact them and inquire about oem stuff for your boat.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Where would be my best bet to find some used motors, or wrecked boats i can rob the motor out of it?

no salvage yards have sea rayders here

keep in mind you don't have to look for a searay. I think there were somewhere around a dozen different mfg's that at least tried one small sportjet boat. Bayliner Jazz, Sugar Sand Heat & Mirage, Searayder, Boston Whaler Rage, Hobie jet, Regal Rush. Those are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head, all use either a SJ 90/95/120 in at least one model.

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

Awsome! it looks like I'm going to need the motor and jet together. So do you think it will be easier to just find a wrecked or trashed boat and rob the motor and jet?

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

update to 1st post with most recent (11-30-09) progress

Also I am needing to replace my rub rail, with an all black rub rail.
Mine is cracked and scratched very badly. Plus it is an ugly teal color haha.

Are there any inexpensive kits for my application?

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

I agree. That boat is way too small for a tower. The first time someone makes a turn you are all going swimming.

 

[kartman]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

i wouldnt worry about putting a tower on it. as long as its not to tall, you will be fine. i had a 6' tall tower on my 15' glastron and it worked great. ya when you would cut, it would pull the boat sidways, it never felt like it would tip over. as for the motor, im not sure, i had a rebuilt 80hp outboard and it worked good for us (and we had 500#'s of balast), i dont know what a jet would do or how it would affect the boat getting on plane.

 

[trevor.resar]

Re: 1994 Sea Rayder Project (New and need help)

So I called a local marine shop today, and I asked about swapping my 90sj out for a 120sj. He said it would be impossible with out extensive fiberglass work. Is this true? I thought swapping up to a 120 is a common deal, I've never heard of this.