www.iFourWinns.com

Yeah, it sounds a bit above my ability. I'm going to see if the dealer where I'm buying the boat will inspect and lube these parts before I pick it up.

I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge about this. I'm sure I'll pick your brain from time to time in my hopes of making this power plant last a long, long time.

How many hours should a stern drive and engine last, if well maintained?

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1999 234 Funship
5.7 GSi

Anywhere from 1000-2000 depending on how it's maintained...esp in freshwater if you have the maintenance done regularly...it could last way longer than you want to keep it...Most marine engines fail because of water intrusion (leaky riser/manifold gaskets, or rusted out manifolds...most common in salt water)...running under propped (engine never reaches specified peak rpm and therefore is lugging all the time)....running low octane fuel when you need premium (not paying attention to pinging or detonation)...or chronic overheats (not maintaining cooling system)...
The drive system itself can last just as long if you keep water out of the drive oil and repair leaky seals right away...and use the right oil and keep the shift linkage adjusted right. I always check for water in the gear oil when I winterize the boat and if there is water in it I take it in to get resealed. The driveshaft...ujoints and gimble's lifespan is dependent on the bellows not leaking...that's why they have to be checked each season...in addition to the fact that you have to remove the drive to lube the u-joints and driveshaft (gimble has a grease fitting on the side of the transom mount)....

the engine in my old 88 is original....22 years old and used in salt at least 1/2 of that...the drive is too...it's had a couple of bearings and seals replaced but still shifts and runs well....

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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

Thanks again for the wealth of info!

I asked my dealer what they have done to prepare my boat and his reply matched what you advised, perfectly. My confidence is high that this thing will be ready for a long summer of boating, followed by careful maintenance and proper winterization.

What oil do you recommend for a marine TBI 350? What gear oil do you suggest?

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1999 234 Funship
5.7 GSi

I'd use whatever Volvo recommends...I think they have their own syn monograde engine oil (30 weight) and their own gear oil...I"d look at a manual for your year and then use that if you can find it easily. I have used a straight 30 weight heavy duty oil for years (non synthetic but HD as used in diesel truck engines but also certified for gas engine use)....two examples of this kind of oil are Chevron Delo 400 and Shell Rotella...Pennzoil also makes a straight weight 30 for marine use. I feel that a straight 30 is better for marine use than any of the multi-vis oils because they tend to thin out in sustained high rpm use and that's how boat engines are used. As far as the gear oil...if they specify a GL-5 marine oil then you could use any oil that meets that spec. I use Chevron Delo 400 30 wt in the engine and Merc Hi Performance gear lube in the drive (my mechanic recommended this for my Cobra and it's a lot easier to find than the OMC Hi Vis oil). I change each of these at winterization. Before getting this boat some years back I had worked on all my cars for 35+ years but never on a marine engine...I had the OMC manual and just followed it to do all the regular maintenance. I used to have the shop pull the drive and reinstall it in the spring but then I built the stand and started doing it myself and saved a good amount of cash doing both the winterization and fluid changes (aroud 350 or so) and the spring tune up...drive install...(around 250 or so). I do buy my parts at this dealer to keep up the relationship and if I find a problem I take the drive to them but my boat has not been there in about 4 years or so...gotta have a good dealer because you never know what can go wrong. That's why I get parts there instead of the internet dealers...costs more but keeps up the association with good mechanics...

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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

When lake testing the boat Saturday, what should I be listening and looking for? I think I'll know generally what a healthy engine sounds like, but what about sounds or feel of the drive system? Also, where should I be looking under the hood as it runs? I

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1999 234 Funship
5.7 GSi

One more thing--What sound or what evidence would show if the engine were to have a cracked block?

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1999 234 Funship
5.7 GSi

Cracked block usually shows up with water/oil mix that looks like a milkshake after engine has run.

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Terry
Current: 07 Crownline 255 CCR cuddy - 350 Mag MPI/B3 "Casi Cielo"

Previous:97 245 Sundowner 5.7GI/SX

Tow vehicle: 1986 GMC 2500 Camper Special 454/TH400

You know that it might be best to get a mechanic look at this boat before you agree to buy it...but having said that...
Cracked block...check oil first...if the oil level is real high (like a qt overfilled...be suspicious...oil is lighter than water and if there's water in the oil pan the oil can sit on top and it raises the level...but usually after runnin it ...if you run it good and long..get it up on plane...then when you stop...check it after it sits for like 10 min you'd probably see milky oil. If you can crawl around in the bilge with a flashlight with the engine running look for water leaking out under the exhaust manifolds (sign of cracked manifolds) and from the sides of the block under the manifolds (this is like way under them) might be hard to see but the leaking water will show up with a flashlight. Also if any core plugs popped out thats a sure sign of a frozen engine. Any sign of this walk away.
As far as the running of it...well if its' a carbed motor it may not start right up like a fuel injected car if it's been sitting for some time but should fire on the third or so crank....they do not run as smooth as a modern FI engine but it should run smoothly once it warms up. It should not make odd noises like knocking or rapping...shifting into gear should be smooth and there should be no delay in gear engagement...no grinding noises from the sterndrive or humming or howling when you steer from side to side at low speeds or trim up slightly. The engine should reach its rated rpm at full throttle...if not there are problems...another good thing to check for is water in the sterndrive gear oil...if you remove the drain plug after it sits for a while the water being more dense will come out first.....that means it needs to be re-sealed....

the cost of a good mechanic's inspection vs the cost of potential repairs...a few hundred vs thousands....you might want to check it yourself...if it's bad then forget the mech inspection..but then if it seems good then make the sale contingent on the mech inspection...

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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

Hi - I've got a '99 234 Funship that I've had for about 5 years now. One thing you might want to check on the lake trial is the functioning of the VDO instrument cluster. My dealer told me when I bought the boat that they had had problems with them and they replaced the VDO cluter in our boat with a Faria guage package (see pic). I don't have any direct experience with the VDO's - so I can't tell you exactly what to look for.

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'99 234 Candia Funship, 5.7Gsi SX

Please post a bigger or higher-res picture. From what I can see, I really like the cluster you've got there. That's a swap I wouldn't mind making. Was it expensive?

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1999 234 Funship
5.7 GSi

Sorry - here's a bigger pic:



I don't know what the cost was - it was done as part of the deal prior to us taking delivery. I'll ask the dealer next time I talk to them.

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'99 234 Candia Funship, 5.7Gsi SX

That looks GREAT! If it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd be prone to make the conversion. That looks like a boat should look. Not like the dashboard of an 80's car, like the '99 VDO.

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1999 234 Funship
5.7 GSi

That does look great...and the other good thing about the conventional gauges...if one goes bad you can just fix that one you don't have to pull out the whole gauge cluster to get it fixed...
I stll have the OE gauges in mine after 22 years they all still work....

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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