2007 Sea Ray 210 Select (Piperella)

This is “(Piperella)” a 2007 Sea Ray 210 Select. She has been the far end of my learning experience and clearly, it shows How far I have progressed. She is the sixth or seventh to last project acquisition.

Recent Pic — 2007 Sea Ray 210 Select (Start)

2007 Sea Ray 210 Select – Top End Engine Rebuild & Electrical Rewiring

So “(Piperella)” our 2007 Sea Ray 210 Select was a monumental project. Lots of unknowns here, since she sunk and pretty much the only thing I know is she turns over and starts. Additionally, this is the biggest boat and engine combination I’ve worked on. My wife found her via Facebook Marketplace in the fall of 2020.

What we started with – 2007 Sea Ray 210 Select (Start)

So, we got lucky finding her. We offered fifty percent of the asking price after I saw her and determined there was water in the oil. She was basically a hull and trailer with two new batteries. None of the gauges worked. The dash was hanging. Most of the electrical was either corroded, cut or non existent. The seats were not factory and badly mounted. There was an amplifier with no radio. She was clearly sunk in salt water from the corrosion if the wiring and gauges. This was a test of my skills to say the least, and was a pretty big gamble.

Top End Engine Rebuild

The engine was new, according to the shop that worked on it. Lots of rust, and it didn’t look like it was less than a year old. The engine has over four and a half gallons of water. So, The previous owner thought it had a cracked engine block. Fortunately, that was not the case. Additionally, We found a myriad of causes for water intrusion into the engine. Lastly, I was unable to ultimately determine the cause but below are what we found just on the engine side of things

Improper Head Gasket Installation & Head Bolt Installation
Bad Exhaust Flappers
Inoperable Thru Hull Exhaust
Inoperable Bilge Pump

As you can see, in the before and after pictures, there has a been a significant transformation. The biggest challenge of this engine was the shear size and technologies. The heads and intake got to weigh over fifty pounds. I struggled with the valve adjustment, but got it right the 1st time.

Electrical Rewiring & Retrofitting

We spent a significant time on the electrical. After the top end rebuild, I spent tens of hours chasing down electrical issues, rewiring and researching.

Rewiring the instrument panel
Replacing the SmartCraft Gauges
Re-Pinning the ECU
Re-Engineering the Corsa Exhaust
Re-Wiring the Lights and Stereo
Replace the Battery Conditioner
Rewiring the Trim Limit and Trim Indicator

With six plus hours of time on the hour meter so far. She has been reliable except for an IAC wiring issue I relate to the sinking. It only crops us when hot. She will stall out once going from idle to throttle up. I just finished rewiring the IAC. We will see if there are any issues next season.

What is left is really just cosmetics. Like finding a new Sea Ray Captains Chair and Re-upholstery. We have upgraded all the gauges, radio and lighting. Additionally, We have upgraded to new Wi-Fi SmartCaft technology. What I can tell you is anything with Sea Ray on it garners a premium price. A lot of the electrical can be sourced from Mercury directly. There is only one Sea Ray Gauge left and that is the speedometer.

Use the right tools and consult the shop manual!

Key to the success of our project were using the correct tools and shop manuals. Additionally, there was a lot of time doing research on how to some of these things. The timeline slipped due to me trying to get this perfect and purchasing “The Nauti Oar”. In the end, it wasn’t perfect, but mission accomplished. Additionally. I have learned that a boat is a constant project regardless of size. I think I have found a new calling to say the least.