www.iFourWinns.com

OK I am stumped! I have a 91 Freedom. with a 4.3. I am having major issues and can not track it down. I have replaced the cap, rotor, wires, points, plugs, and rebuilt the carb and she is still actin up. What it is doing is: I will leave the launch and everything is fine. I will cruise for about 10 minutes and it will start to slow down and lose power. After I turn around and get back to the launch it is spitting and chugging and barley running. I am at a lose here and can not come up with any other ideas on what it might be. I even changed the oil thinking maybe the lifters might be collapsing, but nothing seems to help.

Any ideas PLEASE!
Thanks in advance
Stika

I had a similar problm with mine. It would start fine, idle fine, rev in neutral fine, but would not plane out the boat. Turned out to be the anti-siphon valve on the gas tank, it had corroded internally and was restricting fuel flow. If you remove the section of floor over the gas tank, it's a right angle fitting screwed into the gas tank, and the fuel line that runs to the fuel pump is attached to it. There is a spring loaded ball inside that is designed to keep gas from siphoning out of the tank if the fuel line ruputures.
Make sure your fuel filters are clean and check the gas tank pick-up while you are at it. Also check the gas tank for debris/water while you are at it. If your area just changed to E-10 gas it can clean the junk out of the tank and that can clog the filters.

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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

have u done a compression test?

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

I just got back in town from being trapped on the other side of the state witha broke boat and no tools.
I will be checking the valve and the compression in the morning.
Thanks guys

First thing I would suggest is run it without the gas cap on - simple and cheap fault isolation! If you have a blockage on your fuel tank vent, this is exactly the sort of problem you will see.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Of course it is not any of the simple fixes. On to the compression check tomorrow.

Howdy,


If the engine runs fine initially, The problem is NOT compression. It sounds like you have a fuel starvation problem.... Either the anti-siphon valve, fuel filter, carb, or fuel pick up/screen is the problem.


Regards,

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1987 Four Winns Liberator 211, formerly OMC 460 King Kobra powered, replaced in 2006 by a 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III

I totally agree with your Rick - I raced Chevs for 25+ years, come across most of these types of problems in my time - usually when under the pump between rounds! Trust me Stika, the motor itself is perfectly fine. Don't wast yout time on a compression check, it will come back OK.

If it isn't a fuel supply problem from the tank, then it may possibly be carby gaskets dried out or a carby float with a leak in it (the old Holley side-hang brass floats were a bugger for that). Whatever it is, it is fuel related I think.

As an ouside chance it could be a coil (as it heats up) or absolute outside chance (like one in a million) it could be the dizzy.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Well, you guys were right! it was a combination of things. The float in the carb actually came loose, ( weak e-clip) and after we found that it still had a miss. After plling the brand new plugs out found one had Splatter fouled (new one to me) . All the crap that had built up in the cylinder from running bad came loose once it heated up and welded the gap closed on the new plug.
So Thanks again guys my season is not over!!!

Good to hear Stika. That's what this forum is about - sharing the knowledge!

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport