www.iFourWinns.com

HI, I have a four Winns speedboat with a ford 2.3 engine, it free revs fine however most of the time when I am running it on water as I rev it gets faster then reaches a point where it seems to loose power and die a little rather than speeding along. do you have any idea what's wrong?

SOunds like a fuel filter or bad gas issue to me.

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Most likely fuel filter/ fuel starvation. Could also be running lean on the high end. Can cause similar issues.

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Rob
2007 Four Winns 180 Horizon

I agree it sounds like a fuel issue. Starvation most likey. Start with the fuel filter and see where it goes. If problem persists might be a carb issue.

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1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

Hi guy's and thank you for your replies, I have been told locally that its a heavy boat and with four people on board and a full tank of gas it will struggle to get "on plane" and that i need to have the trim up to get the nose in the air then as it speeds up i should then lower the tilt. This is something i have not had to do with my previous boat does it sound right?

Sounds the opposite to normal ! Usually, it's best to trim the drive in to push the bow down to get it on the plane (plus deploy trim tabs to help this, if the boat is fitted with them). Also, to get as much weight as far forward as reasonably possible ( without a risk of people falling off !).

Graham

I agree with graham. If you are trying to plane with your drive trimmed out, you'll find the other side of the lake before you get on plane. Try trimming all the way down and see how it goes. You still sound like you have a fuel issue.

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

hi guys i have videoed what my problem is, if i accelerate suddenly the engine revs seem to die, however if i increase the revs slowly it gets on plane fine. this was done with just me on the boat rather than 5 of us, where it wouldn't go up on plane at all. any ideas and suggestions would be greatly received, the video link is below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=kBRK5OtP68U

Regards

It sill looks/sounds like a fuel issue. Check to see if all of your vacum lines are attached. Look at your fuel filter. Run some dry gas/carb cleaner.

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Is this the 2.3 "Pinto" 4 cylinder OHC engine with a Weber twinchoke carb? Could it be overfuelling or undefuelling due to the carb? If it's the same type of carb fitted to European 1.6 and 2.0 versions of the same engine, there is no vacuum control over the secondary throttle butterfly, it's purely mechanical. With full throttle, both butterflies are fully open. There is also an internal vacuum type actuator operating the "power jet" that sits in the bottom of the float chamber which controls the quantity of fuel available to the main jets ( I think it's called that, I'm going back over 30 years here!). There would be a lot of air going in, but maybe not enough or an incorrect level of fuel if there is a problem on the secondary side or the power jet ( there are actuall a pair of "idle" jets that cover the transition from idle to moderate RPM, and a pair of main jets that kick in later. Plus air corrector tubes) Perhaps using partial throttle ( = primary butterfly and jets only ) allows it to reach moderate RPM, then it can cope with the problem on the secondary side when the throttle is then opened further.

If it's not the same engine or type of carb, ignore me completely!

Graham

thanks Graham, great info however not a Webber carb. I changed the fuel filter cleaned the air filter and put some octane booster in the tank and topped off with 98 Ron fuel. it has improved considerably and I am running the fuel down as much as I can with a view to having a full tank of Ron 98 fuel. Given I am running this boat on the sea and its not the smoothest conditions and with four people it takes a little to get on plane and I have used my GPS to work out top speed which came out at 33 miles an hour, is this the correct speed for a 2.3 170 freedom.

I couldn't find your exact boat -- but my guess is that is should be faster. Go to the Four Winns site and look at PAST PRODUCT INFO -- you should be able to find your boat and engine. Tables there will give fuel consumption and speed at various RPM --

Good luck

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DaleG -- West Palm Beach FL
2003 240Horizon -- 5.7Gi -Duoprop

From the video, it seems like the accelerator pump on the carb is not working. Definately fuel / carb related whatever it is.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

According to my 88 OMC shop manual...the 2.3 Ford (yep it's the same engine used in thousands of Mustangs, Capris and Ford Ranger pick ups) used a Rochester 2 bbl in this application...it does have an accelerator pump and this may be the likely cause of your problem..but on a boat that age it's probably best to have the carb disassembled, cleaned thoroughly and rebuilt with all new gaskets and then set up correctly....my Quadra Jet needed to be cleaned and rebuild, along with the anti siphon valve needing to be replaced..that corrected an even worse running problem than you had in your vid (mine wouldn't even get up on plane). That was 5 seasons ago...been running great ever since..and if you don't have a nice 10 micron water seperating filter I'd think about adding one...

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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

Could this be as simple as adjusting the mixture? Rich/lean?

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Rob
2007 Four Winns 180 Horizon