www.iFourWinns.com

Hi All,

I have an extremely low hour '95 horizon 190 with a 4.3L i/o that I bought at the start of last season. let me start by saying that this is my first boat, and I've already learned a few things, but I still have alot to learn.

So I had my boat winterized last fall ( I live in Northern Michigan), and stored the boat in my warm garage all winter. So today since it was 85 out, I decided to take my boat out to the lake for a spin. I now know that I probably shoul've ran the boat with muffs in the driveway first, and changed the plugs...but its not too late for that.

Heres the thing...I dropped her in the water, and she fired up right away on the first turn of the key. Immediately after firing her up, it sounded loud and rough. I thought it was just the fog burning off, but when I put it in gear, it seemed like the drivetrain was really noisy too, not really vibrating, just noisy. So I only ran it for maybe 15 minutes, the press and temp were fine but it just seemed noisy as hell, both the engine and the drivetrain. Well I got paranoid, and decided to put her back on the trailer before I got stuck out on the lake. When I put the boat away last winter, it ran like a top. I also had an impeller self destruct last year, and when it over heated I shut the engine off while underway, which caused the exhaust to siphon water into the engine (well...$1600 bucks later I learned a good lesson) so it had a good service mid summer last year. The mechanic said everything was solid, and that my boat is mechanically in very good shape.

I really have a hard time believing that something bad happened to my boat while it sat in the garage all winter, but on the same token, I dont want to cause myself a bunch of costly repairs either. Should I get a set of muffs and change my plugs and try to run it some more in my driveway before I consider taking it into the dealer?

I m not a mechanic, but I not a retard either. I can handle checking things out, but I just dont know what to check. Theres fresh oil in the lower end, and other than that I really dont know what else to look at...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Dobb.

Rough running could well be fouled plugs from the fogging oil burning off..I have often pulled the plugs out cleaned them and re-used them...but noisy driveline sounds like gimble bearing and/or ujoint issues...were they ever inspected and greased...this is part of what the mechanic should do when the boat is winterized...the drive should be pulled...bellows checked for water and cracks...gimble, ujoints and drivehsaft splines greased. If there was water in the bellows and it sat there all winter then it could have rusted the gimble bearing and ujoints..that's the first thing I'd check. I remove the drive when I winterize and check all these items....It isn't that hard to remove the drive but getting it back on can be a challenge sometimes....I built a stand to hold it to make the job easier...

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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

I think Lou about covered it.

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

I am having a similar issue with my boat. It runs rough at idle but OK when under way. I just had my pops refinished and balanced. Today I am hoping to go for a run and see if the prop fix has remedied my issues. Somehow I doubt it and will need to pull the drive and change the U-joints. My vibrations get worst whenever I turn the drive side to side (at each side) .....

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I concur...running rough could be the plugs, but the noisy thing is troublesome and the gimble bearing would be a concern. You did right to shut it down...when was the last time the gimble bearing and u-joint was inspected and serviced? If so that is a must fix issue before you take it back out or it can cause much much more damage.

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


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi