www.iFourWinns.com

This is step 963 on your list of 1000, but I would have the drive checked out, sealed, assembled and pressure tested by a good marine mechanic. That's one thing that isn't just a bolt-it-together.

_________________


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

Agreed, that is step 963

Thanks for the advice, I'm sure I can find a good mechanic in the area to do it for a few bucks. the stern drive needs a new water pump impeller, probably needs to be fully gone through as well. the guys who had the equipment had the lower removed already and was sitting on the ground with leaves in it. the engine was covered and the upper was still bolted to the boat so those probably didn't get the worst of it.

Oh oh that ain't a Cobra boat, that last pic is clearly a stringer drive, and the newest it could be is an 85. Cobra came out in 86. Sometimes boats have a drive system 1 or 2 years older than the boat, but that looks like the older style horizon with the squared off.stern..
That means a complete transom job to make the merc drive work.

_________________
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

yea, when I picked up the sterndrive I thought to myself that there was no way I could bolt it on without sealing up the entire transom and cutting in a new hole for the mercruiser. I took that last picture because I didn't have a clear one before. Like I said before I have a buddy who does fiberglass for a living and I'm not too shabby and building things so we should be able to get that squared away.

Honestly I didn't glance too hard at the age, it was the newest one and in the best shape that I could find. while I go through it I'll make sure to get all the proper info down.

Is the mercruiser an alpha gen 1? I'm pretty sure it isn't a gen 2.

That Mercruiser is actually a "pre-alpha"...built during or before 1981. It has the little eye hook on the top plate. When the alpha 1 was released in 1982 they got rid of that and it has been flat accross the top since then.

Many of the parts are interchangeable between the pre-alpha drives and the Alpha 1 gen 1s.

My 81 Four Winns has a pre-alpha. People at the parts shop don't believe me that it is a pre-alpha because they thought they didn't make them after 1980...but my serial numbers check out as being a pre-alpha 1981 manufacture date.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

thanks for the info, is there anything I need to know about the pre alpha? prone to overheating? has a tendency to initiate a thermonuclear reaction when dinged?

Not that I'm aware of. They built a lot of them and there a lot of them still in use. The same precautions that you have read regarding the Alpha 1 apply. Keep it cool and keep it well lubricated. Running a 350 in a light boat should be no problem for it.

_________________
Current Operational Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'72-Chris Craft Commander 31 Sedan Twin-350Qs

awesome that's what I want to hear. something that's relevantly common and a few interchangeable parts with newer models makes me really happy.

Some folks like to put drive showers on them to keep the upper end cooler. But I think that's more to prevent the cosmetic white deposits than to fix an actual problem.

_________________


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

do the pre alpha stern drives tend to run hot?

Most Mercs do, not just the pre-Alpha. It's old news, but I've never heard anyone say a problem resulted. It's just how they are. Drive showers do seem to help with the white deposits and they make people feel better. I don't know if there's any more to it than that.

_________________


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

After you mentioned it, I looked it up and found many pretty pretty kits of bent 1/2" ID aluminum tubes with holes in them. I might make one if I get around to it. I've always wanted to learn mandrel bending.

Item #1040: build stern shower

Welcome to the forum THanks!!! for the great pictures of your project I wish you all the luck in getting her running. I will be looking forward to more pictures and your future stories of your progress.

Yay! I was able to get to the boat this weekend. It was over 90 today so I wasn't able to get as much as I wanted to get done, but I did make progress. The main highlights I found was the floor looks fantastic, the ski hold doesn't show any signs of mold or dry rot. the padding up front in the bow was soaked through and horrible so they where yanked and tossed. Here's the pictures below of my work.








this part was saggy when I stepped on it so I tore up the carpet to see what was going on. turns out it was just my fat butt that broke it loose when I walked over of it. From what I've seen under the carpet at random points, it all looked this good.

The transom looks fabulous and clean and under the carpet the fiberglass and flooring looks awesome.


This part looked the worst, the carpeting in the openings looked great just dirty.


Here's the ski locker, the flooring looks very good. I still need to get further back into it but sticking my head in it looks good.

in this picture the wood looks old and decaying, but I stood there for about 5 minutes stabbing the wood with a small screwdriver seeing if any of it would give, none did.

another picture by the engine area, still looks good.

So I know it's been a while since I've posted any updates on the boat. I've been busy. So I've pulled the carpet up and sanded down the deck. I need to get into the nooks and crannies, but it's pretty much prepped for new carpet. As you can see from the pictures the engine still isn't out yet, but it's prepped to get yanked.

But here's where my heart sank. While pulling up the carpet, I saw something moving, upon closer inspection.... it's termites i believe its located by the ski well on the driver's side. next weekend instead of glassing the transom, I'm cutting open the deck to see the extent of the damage and to see how much work is ahead of me. My question is, do I just scrap the boat? sell it off for parts or continue the work. I know termites are pain in the ass creatures in a home, I can only imagine in a boat.

Thoughts?




after sanding, but before vacuuming everything up




Before and after for the sanding, using 50 grit, the 80 wasn't course enough






vacuumed out and cleaned up