www.iFourWinns.com

I am doing work on my 1984 Four Wins Horizon 180 its a 19 ft open bow with a Mercruiser 350 V8 inside. The engine ran before I started working on it. So we replaced the head gaskets, rotor and distributor cap. And now we replaced the coil and distributor. Everything is put back together properly but there is no spark when trying to get it start!

Can anyone help me out here?

Try the coil! No spark means no juice.

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

On a "84" does it have pionts & a condencer?? But yes, go over you're work!! It could be rotor, cap, coil............... Take your time, and look at EVERY thing you have touched AND could have touched.

I have a dwell (did I spell it right?) that I have not used in 30 years. Why I am saving it, I do not know?!?!

Make sure the distributor isn't in backwards. It's easy to do.

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

When you get the problem diagnosed and fixed, please let us know. Good luck.

_________________
-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

So distributor is in the right way and just replace the coil with a brand new one, still no spark. Any ideas? Should I do anything different before I start it up?

Couple of things to try...

Pull the coil lead from the distributor and lay it on the manifold. Crank the motor and see if you get a spark jumping from the end of the coil lead to the manifold (ground). If you don't get spark, then maybe the condensor or points are bad or not connected to the coil correctly.

If you do get spark, then primary electrics look good, so you need to make sure your distributor is installed at TDC correctly. Pull the rocker cover off #1 cylinder, crank the motor over by hand until the piston is at the top of #1 and both valves are closed - this is TDC and the rotor should be in the correct position in relation to the #1 lead from your distributor cap.

Maybe you have got the wrong rotor for the distributor? ... possible...

Check leads are all in the correct order - firing order is 18436572 by memory.

Then you just have to work your way through things bit by bit. Get the primary ingnition circuit working, then move onto the secondary (high voltage) ignition.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

maybe its wired like a complete doofus did the work.....


all kidding aside, ajc is my buddy and we bought this boat together, the engine cranks fine, but seems slow, and the coil is not sparking at all.... their are five wires for the battery posts but none are marked and i have a feeling thats a problem here.... i grabbed a link of a wiring diagram i will post when home.....its not a points condensor, its a normal 8 post distributor, with a rotor, i bought them from the local 4winns dealer in the area.

i dont want to go through rewiring the whole thing but if i must i will

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1984 4winns 190 horizon 350 chevy merc/alpha | repowered 350 chevy with upgraded cam, intake and DIY thru-hull. reworked interior and added sundeck. shorelandr dual axle trailer. our first boat!
tow:1996 F250 powerstroke diesel!

Any chance it's just a defective coil (even though its new)? Unlikely I know, but stranger things have happened.

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

Try the simple things first; Is the engine kill cord connected? - This generally interupts the LT circuit feeding the coil, no LT means no HT for the spark.

my people!!!

i checked out the wiring today, the coil is wired correctly from the battery to the coil and from the coil to the timing ignition box thingy.... wiring in the bilge pumps and pumped out the water....

tried starting it and the thing still just cranks, the coil isn't firing, i used a spark tester between coil and distributor.... and tried grounding the lead to the manifold.....where would this kill wire be found? under the dash their are wire screw connectors and alligator leads so everythings fubar

for testing the coil, its the one with a central out and a neg/postive post on top, how do i test this?

what else could cause this, it ran before we tore it down....

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1984 4winns 190 horizon 350 chevy merc/alpha | repowered 350 chevy with upgraded cam, intake and DIY thru-hull. reworked interior and added sundeck. shorelandr dual axle trailer. our first boat!
tow:1996 F250 powerstroke diesel!

By the shift stick.

Aussie_Horizon_190 made all good pionts!!! No pun intended, but you did check the pionts and adjust the dwell. A bad condencer will do it too.

update

tested for power at the coil positive with key on....test light lite bright.... grounded both the coil lead, and a few spark plug wires on the manifold....no spark is jumping, did it at night so i could see.....so im leaning toward the ignition box or maybe the distributor itself.....would not having gas or enough cause this, i don't smell gas at all when cranking? the distributor rotor is turning while cranking the engine.....its an electronic ignition as well for reference....

thanks forum

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1984 4winns 190 horizon 350 chevy merc/alpha | repowered 350 chevy with upgraded cam, intake and DIY thru-hull. reworked interior and added sundeck. shorelandr dual axle trailer. our first boat!
tow:1996 F250 powerstroke diesel!

The only way you can test the coil properly is with a multi-meter. Check the resistance of the primary coil (across the two small posts with the smaller wires attached) and the secondary (high voltage coil to distributor and plugs - test between centre high voltage post and the coil body). The coil resistance values may be in your repair manual. If not see if you can check it against another unit, do you still have the one you took off? Neither coil should be open circuit i.e. infinity on the muti-meter.
Is the coil correctly grounded, if it isn't you will not get a high voltage return path hence no spark.
If both coils and the grounding is correct then the fault will lie in the low voltage circuit. The points, condenser / ignition control module control this to the coil.
The kill cord switch is located at the driving position and is a plunger type switch which requires the kill cord and plug attached to run the engine. In some cases the switch interupts the low voltage circuit to the distributor and coil on others it may short the circuit to ground. You need to check this switch is operating correctly.
When you did the engine maintenance did you refit the engine earthing arrangements correctly.

ok thanks for the reply, i have the old coil, i will ohm both them out and report back once it cools down.... i will talk with my engine guy and see about those earthing parts.....thanks guys and gals

im not sure about the kill switch, dont remember seeing it

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1984 4winns 190 horizon 350 chevy merc/alpha | repowered 350 chevy with upgraded cam, intake and DIY thru-hull. reworked interior and added sundeck. shorelandr dual axle trailer. our first boat!
tow:1996 F250 powerstroke diesel!