www.iFourWinns.com

Seems a few folks here have their share of bad days on the water, so I figured my time was due. Started off on Saturday, getting the boat ready, looked in the engine bay, something didn't seem right, something was missing, but I couldn't figure it out. Then I saw something black laying in the bilge. Turns out to be my alternator belt, in 2 pieces . Quick trip to NAPA, belt replaced. Next, I give my trim switch a bump like I always do.....nothing, dead switch . Check all connections, wires, the switch, etc. Nothing. Quick check here on the forums, and I'm soon laying on my side behind the engine checking the trim pump fuse. It's blown. And of course I don't have any AGA 10 amp, old school glass fuses. Another quick trip to NAPA, CARQUEST, Advance Auto, and Radio Shack. Nobody carries this type fuse anymore. Arrrgh. Luckily Autozone had them. Fuse changed, trim goes up and down. Yay, I'm head to the ramp at 4pm (original start time was supposed to be noon). Anyways, wasn't a bad rest-of-the-day.

Sunday I figured I'd get a earlier start to make up for the late start the day before. Everything went well until the end of the day when it was time to head in. Go to give her some power, realllly sluggish, wouldn't get on plane. Then I noticed my bilge pump had kicked on....uhoh. Lift the hatch, and yep, bilge FULL of water. Luckily I was close to dock, so I putt over and tie up. Lift hatch again, couldn't see anything that would be the reason for so much water, no hoses leaking or popped off. So I load her on the trailer and since I was so concerned about the taking on of water, I forgot to raise my drive. The sound of a drive dragging on concrete is very distinct, you know immediately what has just happened. So, pull the hull plug and let about 1000 gallons drain out. By the time I got her home, I was so bummed, I just threw the cover on her and had a beer. Will dig into it this week and see where the water came from. Hope everyone else had a good weekend.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Wow...too bad. Keep us posted on what you find out. Check all hoses and thru hull fittings obviously. Wonder if what happened to Lou last year might have happened at the back of the engine with the power steering pump cooler?

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

That's the first thing I thought of too. Will find out this week.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Wow it's a good thing you were not far out when that happened. For that much water to come in it was probably on the pressure side of the impeller hose or between the pump housing and the Thermo housing. On the Cobra with the impeller in the drive the whole line from the transom to the Thermo housing is pressurized. Did the motor overheat? Starter underwater?

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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

Another story to bump those dual 1100gph bilge pumps up the project list.

Hopefully it is all an easy repair and you're back on the water in no time.

It's worth commenting about the engine drag. That is so, so easy to do. I've seen similar situations hundreds of times in aviation. A person gets distracted by something, taken out of their normal flow, and forgets something key (putting the landing gear down is the classic example). The only and best defense against it (at least for single pilot operations) is to train yourself to recognize the feeling of tension building inside yourself, and let that trigger a conscious decision to slow down and be very methodical. Otherwise, the normal reaction is to over-focus on the problem, rush and cut corners, and, well, ouch.

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2004 Horizon 230
Volvo/Penta 5.7 DuoProp

Nope, stayed at a normal 150 degrees. And the water was just touching the oilpan, so the starter should have been spared, maybe some residual splashing, but not underwater.

I hear ya, but I'll take a boogered up skeg over a no landing gear landing any day, lol....

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Just a thought, and I know it doesnt always work when stuff goes wrong you deviate from standard procedure. I have a list on my phone, and the wife asks before we pull out everytime if the prop is up. I feel your pain. Hopefully we all only have one bad day a year.

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2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

+1 You sound exactly like my flight instructor. Fly the plane just fly the plane.

I'm still feeling the stress of my fuel pump issue. I had and hour drive so that's why I had to stop for hot apple pie and ice cream. The beer tops started flying once I got home.

Ordered the new pump assembly today from Michigan motorz. Cost $ 625 delivered which is bad but not as bad as the 890 the local dealer was charging.

Wonder if your broken belt slapped up against a hose...may be coincidence in two failures, but timing of leak is suspect.

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


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

Well today was "find and fix the leak day". Took all the seat pedestals, engine box, cushions, and stuff outta the boat so I could have a "clean" deck to work on. Took the boat down to the ramp and backed her in. Climbed in and looked around under engine. Mini waterfall trickling down the transom from under the transom plate. Aha!

What transpired next over the following 2 hours was a tale of busted knuckles, scrapped arms, pulled muscles, and ALOT of profanity. The top bolts for the transom plate are well hidden, but after some unpleasant contortions I was able to locate and fit a deep dwell 5/8 socket on and start tightening. And tightening. And tightening. Those suckers were verrrrry loose. I'm surprised my outdrive didn't fall off while under way. Anyways, they weren't TOO bad to get at. I found I could lay across the engine and reaching behind with one arm, get it done. Now the bottom bolts, haaaa, somebody in FW's engineering must still be laughing over that one. They are located behind the exhaust Y-pipe and the only way to get at them is to lay on the deck next to the engine, slide an arm under the manifold, and use an open ended 5/8's wrench. Oh, and the fun part is because of the tight confines, you can only tighten about a quarter turn at a time, then take the wrench off, get another bite, then another quarter turn. Did I mention that you cant actually SEE where your hand and the wrench are. All by feel.

So, after all that, I backed her into the water, and hurray!! No more waterfall. I just sat back and marveled at the job I just completed and thought "this is why marine mechanics get paid so much". I wanted to take her for a test run, but the sun was going down, there were tools and rags everywhere, I was hungry and bleeding from a dozen places, and I just wanted to get home to dinner, a beer, and a cigar. So test drive tomorrow.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Nice work, let us know how it goes! I wonder how they got so loose?

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

Glad you found the "problem"...but did you?

Why were they loose?

Many times loose transom plate bolts are sign of a rotten transom. I don't intend to send shivers down you spine, but you need to be looking at things very closely.

RJP

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

Ok, well 6 hours of boating on Lake Ontario and my bilge is bone dry. Looks like I found the prob, and it is resolved (fingers crossed/knock on wood/etc.



I'm thinking that they were never re-tightened since new (96'). Almost 20 years of vibration and such coulda been the culprit. Believe me, I was thinking "spongy transom" too as I was tightening and tightening. But I think (hope?) all is well.

BTW, it was a beautiful day out with the fam and my buddy with his 88' Sundowner. Lake O was as flat as ice, small breeze, 72 degree water. Ahhhh, what a day.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

I'm hoping for your sake all is well also. It seems odd to me though that all of the sudden 18 years later it starts to leak "like a waterfall".

Have you hit anything recently with the outdrive? Any thing else that would have put a load on the transom plate that may have caused a separation?

To be sure you don't have any rot, you may want to drill a small hole from the inside to confirm the wood is dry. You would want to drill the hole as low and as close to the transom plate as possible. Only go through the inside f/g skin and part way through the transom (1-1/2" or so) and look at the wood shavings.

If they are dry and rot free, use a little syringe and some epoxy and fill the hole and move on with life.

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

Any pics? It was gorgeous here today. Water in the bay was 75, calm, nice 5-10kt wind...absolutely perfect beach day with the family and jumping off the platform. Makes living here worth it!

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1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC