www.iFourWinns.com

First taste of Aussie water!
Boat performed almost flawlessly, other than me forgetting to tighten the lower exhaust coupler (filling the bildge with water! ), the dash speedo not working (is this a common fault?) and the engine needing a little throttle to start when hot (carb'?)...
These Four Winns hulls seem to handle the chop quite well!

_________________
2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

Speedo tube issue is very common. I replaced mine with Perfect Pass... a GPS based speedo and cruise control. Search the internet, I think around $300 for a replacement unit without cruise is common.

Throttle on hot start.... still running winter gas maybe? I would wait until you've run a few tanks through before addressing this, but wouldn't hurt to check/replace your fuel filter and check pump pressure to be safe.

Glad to hear you are enjoying her... keep us in high spirits, as we may have snow tomorrow.

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

I had a 96 Carb 5.7 for 14 years.....I had to nudge throttle at start too....every time...never had a bit of probs with Carb and she never failed and left me stranded.....just drive and enjoy...those man is are nice! The speed may be stopped up pick up that is a hole at front of drive...if not its mounted on transem...not sure on that model.

_________________
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

Hi Dolphin, I see you launched at Patterson Lakes. I used to live in the marina where you moored up at The Cove Hotel!

Search on the speedo not working. The pilot hole for mine was blocked on the drive, worked fine once I cleared out the dirt.

Congrats on getting out this weekend - wish it was me!! Speedo is a common problem - the tiny hole in the pitot (the little leg thing that folds down on the transom) gets easily blocked. Even when it's not blocked, it doesn't read below about 10 knots. I got a GPS for this reason.

One tip for fuel, make sure you run 95 octane as a minimum in Oz. Regular unleaded is too low and causes the motor to run on after you turn it off. Also don't run E10 if you can avoid it.

I spent the weekend cleaning all the road grime off mine after coming back from Paynesville in the rain the other week.

I go out at Patto River fairly often so keep an eye out for us!

_________________


Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Thanks for the kind words & tips, guys!
My engine specifies a minimum spec of 87MON fuel, which I think converts to 91RON.
I'm running 95RON at the moment, just to clean it out with fuel system cleaner...
Are you certain on not being able to run 91RON on a carbied 5.7GL?
I'll try look at unblocking the pitot, thanks!

_________________
2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

That instrument pack looks like a VDO one ; if so, no pitot tube. It would have a paddle wheel sender at the transom.

His gages look the same as my '97, it is auto style one-piece gage cluster but not VDO branded. Mine does have a pitot tube speedo.

Interestingly, I've never heard much about this style gage cluster. Everyone has problems with the VDO but I don't know if that applies to this style. I cross my fingers, knock on wood, and every other good luck thing I can think of when discussing them. I think they had them for a couple years before the VDO branded gages but don't know exactly which years or how long.

_________________
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

It goes to show, to jump to a conclusion is not always a good idea! I assumed that all the automotive type gauge clusters used by FM the mid 1990s onwards were made by VDO ( like on the 1999 Sundowner I had) . Clearly not !

Hard start when hot on a carb motor is generally always the fuel lines getting too hot. Happened on my H180. Run the vent fan always when at idle or slow cruise and that solves it for the most part. If you want a real fix... install a phenolic spacer on the carb and insulate the fuel line anywhere it goes close to the engine. Volvo Penta actually sells all that in a kit for that exact issue for a crazy amount of money. Ebay can land you everything for under $40. It's just a standard holley 2bbl flange.

_________________
1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

Thanks for the tips, guys!
I used my mountain bike's shock pump to pressurize & blow out the gross brown water blockage in my pitot tube.
She seems to be working perfectly now, thanks!
I'll see how annoying the heat-soak is on the carb & may look into a phenolic spacer...

_________________
2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

The octane rating shown in Canada and the United States is 4 to 5 points lower than the rating shown elsewhere in the world for the same fuel. Oz regular unleaded is 91 RON = US 87 AKI, Oz Caltex Vortex 95 is 95 RON = US 91 AKI, Oz Premium Unleaded - Shell V-Power or Caltex Vortex 98 is 98 RON = US 94 AKI.

If your book says 87, then regular unleaded should be OK. Mine is a carbed V6 and I got caught out on this when I first got my boat - looked in the book and it said 91 for fuel, so put in regular unleaded. At the first service I complained about it running on and they told me always use 95 as the minimum in Oz, the above is why. Whenever I fill on the water I can only get regular unleaded which causes the problem. When I fill at a servo with 95 or 98 the problem disappears.

Good call on the carb spacer Ric.

_________________


Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Nice pictures! Enjoy and have lots of great memories on her beautiful boat.