www.iFourWinns.com

Marine starter and alternator are shielded to prevent spark from occurring in bilge area. Automotive versions do not have that safety feature.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

I can't tell you the exact differences, but have always heard that any accessory that may produce an ignition source (spark or heat) or flammable fumes should be made for marine use. Your current starter, alternator, and carbare likely still good. Catching on fire is real bad, but not many can outrun an explosion. Be safe.

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Surface Interval: A scuba diving term for that time between dives to relax and prepare for life's next great adventure.

Current boat: '02 FW 268 Vista
Previous boat: '95 FW 190 Horizon

Good to know... Still on the fence as to whether I should splurge on another marine engine complete, or do the automotive swap over. This is going to require some pondering... And beer.

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Newbie Boat Owner, Looking to Learn!
1998 Four Winns Horizon RS 180
4.3L OMC/Volvo Penta Outdrive

While you ponder, don't lose sight of this. Where boats are concerned, "cheaping out" almost always comes back to bite you, eventually. Not always soon, but eventually. And sometimes in the middle of a lake with no one else around.

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

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a complete drop-in marine assembly... 164 hours on it, and I'm upgrading to 4bbl at the same time!

If anyone needs parts from this one let me know, I'm hoping to offset the cost of the new engine by parting the old one out. I should have the following available in about a month:

2BBL carb and spark arrestor
Exhaust Manifolds
heads
rotating assembly
various external pieces

I'll do my best to get these pieces checked out by a machine shop before selling, to make sure there's no damage from the freeze up. I'm likely going to keep the starter, alternator and impellor pump for spares tho.

I also wanted to say thanks to everyone who offered their assistance and knowledge in helping me trouble shoot. I learned alot and hopefully others will too from reading this thread. If anyone has any helpful tips for me regarding doing the motor swap, please let me know... especially if there's any 'gotchas'? I know I need to get my motor alignment right... I'll have to do some research on that one unless anyone can tell me exactly how to do it?

Thanks again,

C.

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Newbie Boat Owner, Looking to Learn!
1998 Four Winns Horizon RS 180
4.3L OMC/Volvo Penta Outdrive

I am glad you got that sorted out and well on your way to finding all the other issues with the boat once she is running.
Just remember and it's true. "Break Out Another Thousand".

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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!

Any of the shop manuals will give instructions for aligning the engine to the drive, but will refer to an "Alignment Tool"

If you want to have your own tool made by a local machine shop, here are the dimensions. (I think Aluminum, Brass, or Steel would all be fine):

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

I would NEVER swap out a marine block for an automotive block.......there is a difference, not just in the marine bold-ons--alt., carb, starter, etc....but a marine engine has a different torque curve from a car motor--different cam, and I hear that the cooling passages are larger in a marine motor than auto? Is this correct? Anyway, I wouldn't cheap out----buy a marine short block at the least....might be twice the price from an auto block, but piece of mind is everything....

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"For My 50th"
1996 238 Vista
5.7VolvoGL DP
Previous boats; 91 Cobia 19' Cuddy, 87 Starcraft 16' BR,
67 Winner BR, 65 Arrow 14'

I would recommend checking the alignment a little more often than normal for the next 1-2 years. Normal schedule is to check it once every year or two, but after a swap I wouldn't wait more than a year to make sure nothing is moving around.

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

Good point! Will do.

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Newbie Boat Owner, Looking to Learn!
1998 Four Winns Horizon RS 180
4.3L OMC/Volvo Penta Outdrive

Well it's been a long and busy winter but I finally got the new motor swapped in. I'm just about done hooking it all back up, but I have a couple connections I can't remember where they go... Hoping someone knows!

I have a large ring terminal with 3 black wires and one green or blue wire, not sure if this is a ground terminal or if it should be connected to the positive starter post? It's located down on the starter area of the engine anyway...

And then I have a white plastic 2 pole plug that has two purple wires on one post and a black wire on the other post. Located by the main harness plug

Anyone know where these might go?

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Newbie Boat Owner, Looking to Learn!
1998 Four Winns Horizon RS 180
4.3L OMC/Volvo Penta Outdrive

Another question... when putting my motor mount lag bolts back in, it's pretty apparent that they are not holding much... the holes seem to be stripped. Any ideas as to an epoxy or something that a guy could put in there to rebuild the threads, so I can tighten it down properly?

Thanks,

C.

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Newbie Boat Owner, Looking to Learn!
1998 Four Winns Horizon RS 180
4.3L OMC/Volvo Penta Outdrive

I just got done rebuilding my 2007 4.3 . long story short texas weather changes very fast . I will post pictures of the rebuild hopefully this weekend. cost around 1,000to do.

That depends on what condition the wood is in?

My thought is to drill the hole out larger (such as 1" diameter), and then also drill some holes into the side of that hole with a smaller drill (such as 1/4 to 3/8" diameter) out in several directions...like roots on a tree, but shorter. Then fill that whole cavity with some kind of fiberglass reinforced epoxy. After curing, then drill the proper size holes for the lag bolts.

Another thought is that you wrap the lag bolt with teflon tape (just one layer), and then epoxy or 5200 the lag bolt into place. The tape should keep the filler from bonding to the lag, so it can still be tightened or removed.

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Lag bolts tend to go into wood. As in, the stringers inside the fiberglass. When a screw doesn't hold in a stringer then it's "ru-roh!" time. Could be rot has gotten to them. Or it could just be a stripped out hole. I'd use a small screwdriver and press in the hole a bit. If the wood is rotted then the screwdriver won't get much resistance. If it's solid then perhaps using the next size up screw is in order.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista