www.iFourWinns.com

I have a question. I just bought a 97 4 Winns Sundowner a few months ago from a dealer. They didn't know much about the boat. It was in great condition and am very happy with it. It has the Fuel Injected 5.7 w/ duo props. When I'm driving the temp gauge reads a little over 150 degrees. If I'm stopped w/ the motor running its goes up a little bit but then goes right back down when I start moving. Is that the correct operating temperature? Is it normal to have the temp go up/down? Should I just go ahead and replace the impeller? How hard is to to replace the impeller on this model, I'm pretty good mechanically. Thanks NEIL.

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1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0

Sounds like an impeller issue to me if the temp rises at low speeds and then drops at high speeds. How old is the one that is in it? If you're answer is anything along the lines of "I'm not sure" then it should be changed anyway as a cheap precaution.

Can't help you out on the "how hard is it?" issue. Sorry.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Thanks for your reply. I think that I'm going to be replacing it, but the dealer wants 280-300 to replace it. I want to try and do it myself, but I dont even know where to start.

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1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0

If you remove the rear seats and engine box/ sides, you'll have very good access to the water pump/ impeller on your boat. So, it's not a difficult job at all, just a bit time consuming to take things out/ refit them.

Just to make it even easier next time, change the 4 pump cover bolts to stainless cap ("Allen") heads, if it's not been done already; dropped bolts and rounded off bolt heads will be a thing of the past.

Graham

I have a 97 245 SD with the 5.7 Gi. It was very easy to do. Like Graham said, remove seat base, etc. I was able to lay on the floor, reach my arms down and access the pump. It is on the LH side of the engine on a bracket mounted low on the engine. Two bolts hold the pump to the bracket, top is a fixed pivot, bottom bolt is in a slot to allow belt tension adjustment. Remove the two hoses (in, and out to engine), I marked one so I would put them back on correctly. Remove bracket bolts and remove pump. Remove the cover bolts, as Graham said they might get rounded off easily but I didn't take the time to replace mine this time. Pull out the impeller, lube and install new impeller. Then re-install.

It took me about an hour total for my first time. Next time it will be about a half hour or less I estimate.

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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

I cannot thank you guys enough, reading this has given me the motivation to save myself $250+ in labor. I knew it couldn't be that hard to do but wasn't sure even where it was located. Is there anything else I need to know about replacing the impeller. Any tricks of the trade before I start this? I just want to make sure I do this correctly. THANKS NEIL

Here is a recent pic, I thought I would share.

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1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0

Just be sure to lube it well, using the glycerin that comes with it.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Lube the whole impeller? Or just the parts that are touching? I'm sorry if that sounds ignorant, but I haven't ever done this before. THANKS NEIL

_________________
1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0

Neil,

There's enough in the VP kit to coat the whole impeller plus the inside of the housing; you'll find it difficult to keep it to the contact areas in any case! I'm not sure when it changed, but at one time there was a metal insert that came with the new impeller.

Graham

I rubed some of the lube around the whole inside of the pump housing, then did the same on the ends of the tips of the impeller. Put it back into the housing and had more of the lube left so I just squeezed some in between each arm.

Haven't actually started it up yet to see if it was ok, but it should be fine since I used the whole tube. We'll see this Saturday when we put our boat into the water.

The current kit just contains the impeller, gasket, rubber end plug and lube.

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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

OK thanks, I have read on another thread that I will also need to clean out the debris from the old impeller if its gone bad. Where would I find all the extra pieces of rubber that has come off the impeller? Do I even need to worry about this?

_________________
1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0

If it's broken up, more then likely the bits will be in the thermostat housing or jamming up the thermostat. Some may have found their way to the manifolds/ risers.

Graham

Once again, I thank you for you help. I'm going to order the impeller and try and change it this weekend. Ill let you know how it goes! NEIL

_________________
1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0

Just additional info - the lube is just there to keep the rubber from self destructing while it assumes the proper shape at the instant you start the engine the first time. It's a water based lube, so it'll all be gone within 2 seconds anyway, but that's all that's needed to do the job. So - just get it all over the rubber and the inside of the housing, and you should be good. No need to be selective about it.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

^ Thanks I'll make sure to just coat the whole thing. I'm actually kind of excited to do this myself now. Thanks guys.

_________________
1996 4 Winns Horizon 170 SOLD
1997 4 Winns Sundowner 205 SOLD
2000 4 Winns Horizon 230 CURRENT
Tow Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited SOLD
1999 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 SOLD
2003 GMC Yukon XL 2500 6.0