www.iFourWinns.com

Well my spring isn't going as smoothly as I thought.

My boat is bogging down. Last summer, I got my 180 w/ 4.3 up to 45 MPH with all kinds of jump out of the whole. Now I am getting nothing out of the whole and pulling a 11 year old on a tube can't get more than 10 MPH for a while then eventually it will get up to 25.

I am thinking I did something during winterization to cause this lack of peformance. Idle is a bit rough but reving the engine (not in gear) sounds smooth. Soon as I try to push the boat though...very poor power.


Any suggestions on what to look at without pulling it out of the water and taking it to a mechanic? Seems to me like it is either starving for fuel or air......or not burning the fuel well.

Stabailzed fuel last fall and topped it off. Fogged the engine and each spark plug well. Changed fuel filter (round one)


Any thought?

Im certainly no expert on this....but it almost sounds like maybe not getting enough fuel. Bad spark plug(s) from the fogging agent maybe?

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Fuel Filter? Running lean? Not good for those engines to power it hard when it is starving for fuel.

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Four Winns 1996 Sundowner 205
5.0fi/SX engine (Volvo Penta)

Try taking out the plugs & replacing

Check the cap & rotor or just replace

Replace fuel filter again

Go from there

My guess would be that the plugs our now fouled. I'd check them out carefully to see if they look black and sooty/oily/greasy.

Did you run the engine after stabilizing the fuel or just dump stabilizer in the tank without running?

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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)

Thanks for all the help. I did run the stabilzer for a while last fall.

Today I replaced all the plugs which were oily around the threads where the foggin oil when in. Probably a bad sign. Also checked the fuel screen on the inlet to the carb (perfectly clean)

Boat ran much better with the new pluggs but I still couldn't get the tac above 4000 RPM without over tirmming (no additional speed)

I am running a new prop since i wrecked my last one and although had it repaired, it needs balancing. I bought a new Michigan wheel prop at my OEM pitch and size so would have expected to get my RPM back up to where I saw them last year around 4600 RPM and 45 MPH.

Haven't checked the rotor yet but will try that next.

Also am looking to replace with 90% fresh gas. I'm down to 1/8 tank now and will fill up with fresh gas and see if that makes a difference. Might go ahead and buy next years fuel filter and just swap it out to see if it makes a difference.

(Replaced it last fall)

You might want to run a tank of premium through it and see if that helps.

Jeff

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2009 H180 3.0 Volvo Penta

Try the old prop