www.iFourWinns.com

And i'm trying to get nautical again and need to know how, on the cheapest dime.

Long story short, my parents got divorced a few years back, liquidated everything and so our 89' sundowner had to go and it ended up with my name on the title. Not bad. Fast forward to last fall, I move west for school a few states away and my mom FORGETS to winterize my boat. I get back this spring and of course its shot. Cracked starbord manifold, freeze plugs pushed out, long block ruined, new water pump etc...

If anyone can share their knowledge on the cheapest route, preferably 3k and under, that would be awesome.

open to anything and everything

Thanks

fire

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

I would say the boat is too far gone. Remember, it is 23 years old. Personnel, I would try to sell it for parts and try to pick up something newer. Unless, you can do the work your self and that to will be pricey.

Price out what a newer used boat, say a "95-2000" are going for in that class vs the repair bill. The boat market is soft right now!!

Standard re-power. I say keep it and do it. But then, what do I know...

Seriously, if the boat is in good condition it's probably worth the fix. If it's got a soft deck and bad transom then I'd say let it go.

_________________
Jon & Rhonda

'88 235 Sundowner
5.7L OMC Cobra
'01 F150 4.2L

+1. If it's in great shape, re-power it and send the bill to your mom.

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

Check the structure carefully, if the deck, transom and engine mount stringers are good, the re-power makes sense...because for the price of a re-power, there is mostly crap out there. At least around here, 3500-5000 boats are usually rotted, neglected junk heaps. BUT, be careful, my experience with FWs of this vintage is unless the boat had a fiberglass liner, the wood cored decks covered with carpet usually rot, unless garage kept and dried out....

See that's why my next boat's gonna be an OB, because you just put the engine down, and it drains...I/Os are nice in some ways, but do not forgive a lack of maintenance...

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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

The boat is in fine shape, carpet is ok for being 23 years old, nothing is rotten, moldy or any of that sort. the wood is also in pretty good shape (stored by us indoors for 6 years) everything else seems to be in fine working order as well. I know almost nothing about marine motors and am not sure of how i would figure out what new motor would be compatible with the old omc outdrive. In my opinion it is definitely worth a fix.

Had an estimate done at a marina and they figured $4500 plus.. not sure if thats steep or not, might call around and ask some other places.

What should i expect to pay for a repower, and is it possible to bolt a bigger motor with the same outdrive?

Thanks all for the answers and advice

I haven't done a repower so probably can't tell you much, but you do need to be aware that rot can get started in places that aren't obvious. I wouldn't go too far down the repower path based only on how the boat looks from the outside or above the deck.

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

If you are good at engines and know how to buy beer for the guys at the rental store, you can do this for 1200 to 1500 depending on your luck of finding a block. You can pick up some a used manifold, buy a new pump online an engine kit from Northern out of Sioux City and your in like flynn.
You can reuse everything else as long as you know what you are doing.
The kit will give you new pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets.
Keep the same cam, but you can if you want change the lifters.

If you want to "boost" it up a good 50 to 75 hp, it would be easy and cheap. ok, maybe 100hp, and still run crap gas.

It is really not that hard once you start on it. You just have to be careful and allow yourself some time. Don't think it's going to get done in a week.

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

Have you ever done an engine for a car?

_________________
1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

yes, i have been inside and rebuilt a few motors with some buddies.

Good luck on the rebuild, I say keep her if she is not rotted and she makes you happy.

They are basically the same engine, but the cooling system is very different!! BUT it is very easy to understand once you study it. Seek out another price! $4,500 is that just to fix it, rebuild it? If you have them do it, ask your self, what is and how long is the warrenty? If you do it, no warrenty, how many man hours is this going to take you, what tools do I need, how huch money could I be making working vs working on the boat?

Also, the boat market is soft right now!! What would $4500 buy you on a newer used boat?? These are all questions you need to ask your self and I am sure I left some out.

Good luck on what ever you do with it!!

Then I would not let anyone else touch it.

The only difference is the install and making sure you are square with the outdrive and the transom.

You will figure out your cooling system easy. Get a Clymer book to help you along. The engine controls can be a pain if you let them.

The Biggest Key. {Take lots of pictures as you take it apart and you will not have a problem.}
Either make or find a spline alignment tool for the output shaft.

If you need help along the way, just ask, I and we will be glad to help.

Get everything off the long block in the boat. Keep track of the shims for the mounts as too how many and where.
Get the Outdrive off.
Take it down to either someone with a forklift, or rental store with loader.

You can do it...........................

_________________
1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

For that kind of money you could probably just buy a whole other boat without any engine trouble.

The only way to do it without it costing a fortune is DIY. Otherwise you're going to end up spending more on the boat than it'll ever be worth to sell. As others have suggested, it's just an engine. The hardest part is yanking it out. I've seen all manner of Rube Goldberg ways to pull an engine from a boat. From using a forklift to a winch hung from the garage rafters (lift it and then wheel the boat out from under it).

You can't pin the blame entirely on your mother. It's YOUR boat. Doesn't much help now though.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista