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PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:46 am 
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Location: South Carolina, USA
LouC just made me crack up..

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:03 am 
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Posts: 5667
Location: Austin, TX
LouC wrote:
Yes they may have 2 drains back there but are they really capable of dealing with large amounts of water, for that the drains have to be big and for cryin out loud, at least TWO bilge pumps, not a puny 500 gph unit on a boat that stickers for $40-50K!!! And the bilge pumps should be serviceable, not hidden under the engine. The batteries should not be low in the bilge but mounted up on a platform. All very simple things


You just described every chaparral made in the last 15 years. Hence why they look like crap, it's the price to pay for quality. Four Winns puts style over quality, which quite honestly I don't mind.

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Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:07 pm 
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Shark

Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 8:51 pm
Posts: 105
Location: Hyde Park, NY
Hi Brian, those problems seem to be standard and should be easy to troubleshoot. I carry an extra main fuse, goes on the starboard rear of the engine. Previous owner said it blew once and he didn't have a spare. I also keep a fuel filter onboard, it can be replaced without tools, and I just replaced the two relays for the trim motor. There are 2 identical relays, one for up and one for down. If one craps out you can switch them and get the motor to move in the other direction, but they both have to be in place to operate. I replaced them both and threw the working one in the toolbox ($17 each). If you ever have a problem with it not shutting off, I can explain to you how to replace the amphenol connector from the powerpack. Other than that its been cosmetic stuff and maintenance. Did it come with any canvas or bimini? Any photos to post?

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1997 Four Winns 203 Coast Runner-150hp Ocean Pro Evinrude
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:10 am 
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Minnow

Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:27 pm
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Well, got the 18-year-old new-to-me 203 Coast Runner out on the water last night!

Again, this is my first boat, so I was a little nervous getting it off the trailer and cranked. The wind was blowing pretty hard when we launched, but the Johnson 175 fired right up!

We puttered around Chickamauga Lake (part of the Tennessee River) for a couple of hours relaxing, and monitoring and learning the boat. I kept an eye on the bilge out of curiosity since I had installed a new pump, but it never collected enough water to kick on automatically.

No problems getting back on the trailer either, so it was a great evening!

Brian
Ringgold, GA
1996 203 Coast Runner/Johnson OceanRunner 175


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:30 am 
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Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
Great those Johnsons were good engines...
Keep an eye on the oil tank, make sure the level drops as you're burning gas so you know the oil injection is working. I'd do few runs and then check the plugs for color; you don't want them to be blistered white (too lean). Two stroke longevity depends on proper operation of the oil injection and proper control of fuel mixture...

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:54 am 
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Minnow

Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:27 pm
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Thanks for the tips, Lou. I will check all that this weekend.


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 9:12 am 
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Minnow

Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:27 pm
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The oil tank is definitely getting drained, so I think I am good. We took the boat out again this past weekend for several hours. After anchoring and swimming for 45 minutes or so, the engine didn't want to turn over, but eventually I got it to crank by giving it plenty of throttle, then dropping back to idle as soon as it fired up.

One of the previous owners added an aftermarket hydrofoil to the motor. Any consensus on these things? I have trouble believing that on a large, heavy boat a piece of plastic would make much difference, otherwise, why wouldn't the manufacturers put them on? So, I am leaning toward just taking it off.

Regarding cruising- it seems the better half likes to cruise at a leisurely pace- mostly around 2500 RPMs. I have had someone tell me that outboards are meant for high RPMs and that I risk damaging the motor by running it slowly. Any truth to that?

Thanks,
Brian


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:01 am 
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Location: West Palm Beach, FL
bkiser wrote:
Regarding cruising- it seems the better half likes to cruise at a leisurely pace- mostly around 2500 RPMs. I have had someone tell me that outboards are meant for high RPMs and that I risk damaging the motor by running it slowly. Any truth to that?

Thanks,
Brian

Nope. That's total BS. No harm in running an outboard at lower RPMs, as long as you are not talking about low RPM because of too much propeller pitch.

You will also get your best MPG at lower cruising speeds, as long as the boat is completely planed off (bow is back down and boat is producing relatively small waves). Your boat probably gets its best MPG at 20-30 mph.

However, it is good to run up to WOT throttle once in a while (at least a few times a year or more) as a diagnostic tool and to remove excess carbon buildup on the plugs or combustion chamber.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 8:28 am 
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Location: Cape Cod, MA
LouC wrote:
Great those Johnsons were good engines...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2gIdMRwfuM
Great Johnson outboard video....

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:50 pm 
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Johnsons have a great reputation and I have had 2 so far. A 1989 120 and 1982 9.9 that I still use. Both great design and well built.
I had trouble with the 120 starting occasionally. It probably needed the carb cleaned or rebuilt because even a tuneup didn't help. It was my first boat so I was new to outboards. I did learn from a mechanic friend to be careful with the choke. It had the (push key in) to choke mechanism and if it was warm and you accidentally hit it, it was guaranteed to flood. So he told me to put it full throttle while not in gear of course and try starting. It seemed to always work.
Nice boat by the way...

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 3:30 pm 
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Location: Long Island NY
john55c wrote:
LouC wrote:
Great those Johnsons were good engines...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2gIdMRwfuM
Great Johnson outboard video....


Lol, sent that one to all my friends who have a sense of humor....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:32 am 
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Shark

Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 8:51 pm
Posts: 105
Location: Hyde Park, NY
Hey Bkiser, I had the same experience with the hard starting after stopping for a swim. I learned that if we stopped for more than 15 minutes, I had to prime the motor again for an easy restart. Just throwing it out there. Got my ride winterized and covered for the long winters nap. :(

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Mannix2
Hyde Park, NY
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1997 Four Winns 203 Coast Runner-150hp Ocean Pro Evinrude
"BONA 4 TUNA"
1986 19' Bayliner Capri 125 Force


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 7:44 am 
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Minnow

Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:27 pm
Posts: 16
I pulled the cover off of the Coast Runner yesterday to assess how well it has survived winter. No new problems seen. The clips which hold on the bolsters on my boat are almost all rusty and will be replaced. The bolster along the transom came loose easily, however on the port side it seems to be attached with something other than a clip and won't come completely off. Has anyone removed this and have a hint for getting it all the way off? It looks like it might be screwed in, but I can't imagine how I would get that out without just cutting the screw (which I will do if I need to).

Thanks,

Brian


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:09 pm 
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Minnow

Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:27 pm
Posts: 16
Well, the rusty threaded rod snapped right off. Whoever made the decision to use painted steel clips to hold wet bolster cushions should be forced to walk the plank. A few rusty screws came out...a few had to be twisted from the backside. But, most of the 36 screws had to be backed out with an extractor. So much fun! But the new Garlic stainless clips have now been installed with new stainless hardware. All cracks in the cushion vinyl has been repaired and the boat is looking pretty good now! The Johnson 175 fired right up, now that I know the proper starting method. Hopefully we will be out on the water within the week....where's that drain plug?

Brian
Rookie, but learning.....


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:17 pm 
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Shark

Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 8:51 pm
Posts: 105
Location: Hyde Park, NY
Envious of you, here in the Northeast I think I am 3-4 weeks away from removing the winter cover. Glad you got the bolsters refastened. Post some photos when you can. I like seeing the many different configurations of this boat. Glad it fired right up for you, no better feeling than that engine running after sitting idle for months.

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Hyde Park, NY
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1997 Four Winns 203 Coast Runner-150hp Ocean Pro Evinrude
"BONA 4 TUNA"
1986 19' Bayliner Capri 125 Force


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