Four Winns Horizon 190 Cuddy restoration HELP

[Chadbud]

Hi guys! So I just joined the forums, I have always referenced this site for reliable information and I think it's about time I joined!! Anyway, here's the deal:

I've got a Four Winns Horizon 190 Cuddy that has been passed down to me from my father. I grew up in this boat, family trips every other season and for the most part the boat has been taken care of over the years. However, in the past 5 years my family had not been going on trips and my parents resorted to having a local marina dock and then dry dock the boat for the seasons. BUT we learned that the marina was NOT taking proper care of the engine.. When we picked it up last season, it would turn over but sounded awful. We took it to a mechanic who said that the engine looked like it had no maintenance done in YEARS. He checked the oil and said it was like tar coming out. Still, the engine did crank over and idled. Obviously this was very upsetting to hear considering that we paid a few thousand dollars over the years for this marina to properly care for our boat in the off-seasons.

So this is where we are at... The boat has been sitting in our backyard for about 8-10 months. We kept it covered and the outside cleanish for minor upkeep. This week my father said that if I can get the boat running again, it's mine.


SO, I'm a 24 year old college student with no boat repair experience at all. However, I do understand car engine pretty well and I always do my own brakes, oil changes and so forth. I guess what I am saying is I'm ready to learn whatever I have to and put in the very hard work it will take to get this boat seaworthy again.

What I'm hoping you guys can help me with is to tell me where I should start. I have pictures attached of various parts of the boat that I took today.

Firstly, what can I do to this boat without actually removing the engine (the hard part). Logically, what I want to do first is to flush the oil and gas lines (if I can) and replace the battery and go ahead and try to turn her over.. If she fires up I figure that will give me a good starting point. From there, I'm not sure what else I can do to tune up this engine besides taking it out completely.

I am considering rebuilding the engine entirely... But if I can get away with just doing a tune up and some minor replacements/repairs then I'd like to go that route too.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading all of this.. I'm glad to be starting this project and I hope with your advice I can learn where to start.


Oh and by the way, the transom on this boat is fantastic.. I know nothing about boats mind you.. But from what I can tell, the engine mounts/stringers/transom seem to still be very solid and didn't sound hollow or weak when I tapped them with a screwdriver. No holes or cracks either. Even the floor still has some nice sturdiness to it. Sure, there's some slightly soft spots on the surface but nothing major.


Please let me know if there is any more info you guys need to better advice me on how to tackle this project. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I will add pictures in a reply post to this one!

 

[Chadbud]

Okay guys here's the pictures.. they're in an album on imgur. I took various pictures of different parts of the boat.

I FORGOT TO MENTION! My father says that when the boat was purchased, he didn't winterize it properly the first year he owned it so the original engine had a crack in its block (shortblock portion). So, he says he had a mechanic friend of his totally rebuild the engine. He says that the engine is actually a GM/Chevy 262 V6. He also said that his mechanic put higher-end premium equipment into it (FORGED instead of casted parts of the shortblock). So anyway, according to him it's actually not a mercruiser engine. He says it's a GM/Chevy v6 engine but the TOP end of the engine is Mercruiser components.

Also, the stern drive you can see there has this whitish crusty stuff building up on it.. I think it's just the paint on it starting to erode.. It only started popping up over the past few months.

Oh and there is also a tear in this shock/tube thing in the center of the stern drive. Its in the pictures with my finger beside it.. I don't know what that part does or if that tear means anything bad.. Please let me know.

Here's the photo album of the boat:

http://imgur.com/a/2cGnw

 

[DeepBlue2010]

What I'm hoping you guys can help me with is to tell me where I should start.

Welcome to iBoats m8, you came to the right place.

Let's start at the basics ... There are few different aspects of the boat that should be evaluated and assessed to determine the extent of the work required

1- The power plant (that is the engine and the outdrive)
2- The structural elements of the boat (i.e. Deck, transom, stringers, bulkheads and engine mounts)
3- Miscellaneous items such as electric, fuel system (specifically the gas tank), steering system, etc (we will come to these later after assessing the first two as they will have an impact on when and how to handle these items)

For the engine and outdrive

Get the outdrive out, these are only few bolt that connects the drive to the transom assembly. If you don't know how to do that, just ask or youtube removing an Alpha One outdrive.

The shock/tube is called is your exhaust bellow. All bellow will be replaced in latter stage so don't worry about for now. When you take the outdrive out, take pictures of the U-Joint and take a note if there any water/oil or mix of both in the u-Joint bellow itself. Take lots of pictures

Drain the oil from the drive and take a note if you have water in it or not (if it has white milkshake like in it, water got in.

Most Mercruiser engines are Chevy engines. Mercruiser don't make engines they only Marine-ize them. In other words, they buy engines from Chevy or ford and then do some modifications/additions to make them suitable for marine use. So, even though your engine is Chevy 4.3, it is still a Mercruiser engine and you can buy parts from Mercruiser (even though I don't see why would you possibly want to do that)

To determine the condition of your engine, you need to change the oil (pour a quart of Gunk engine flush, run for 5 minutes and change the oil.

Take a compression test. If compression is low in one or more cylinders, the engine will come out for rebuild or repair depends on where the leak is coming from (lower end or upper end of the engine) that is to say cylinder rings or cylinder heads.


For the structural elements of the boat

Get a hammer and start tapping gently listening carefully to any muffled sound. You should always get a crisp sharp and consistent sound all around. Muffled sound COULD indicate weak, rotted or soft spot on the deck and this is almost always an indication of a bigger problem underneath. Rot always starts from the bottom up and from stern forward, so if the deck is weak, most likely any sub structure is long gone.

Take core samples of the stringers, transom, bulkheads and engine mounts. Core sampling is the process of drilling with a 1/4 or 3/8 drill bit set to a depth of 3/4 inch and inspect the shaving that is coming out. Dry and goldish yellowish color is good. Wet Brown/black is not.

For the transom, get down near the bottom of the boat (from inside of course) as much as you can. Again rot always starts from the bottom up and from stern forward.

If the test is successful, these holes can be closed with 3M 5200. If it is not, the boat needs structural work and restoration. But let's cross this bridge when we reach it.

I hope this helps you develop your action plan and shed some light on the start you asked for.

Any questions, ask away.

Best of luck to you on your project.

 

[Chadbud]

Any questions, ask away.

Thank you so much for that detailed response.. it was exactly what I was hoping for! I'm even more excited to start this project now!


Structurally, the boat seems to be in tip top shape.. no cracks/holes anywhere on the stringers or transom and when tapping on engine mounts/stringers I can't seem to find a hollow or weak sounding point anywhere.. Some points sound slightly more *Crisp* when I tap them but its not extreme.. Maybe I'll post a video of me doing it.


Okay, I would like to try and start her up and see if she at least idles. One of the belts in the front of it has definitely broken off, I'm not sure if I need to replace that before trying to start her.

When I turn the key right now nothing happens, but I think that's because the battery is dead.. (It hasn't been used for a year or two now). So, First I'm going to go get the battery tested and then replaced if need be.


For now I would like to make a check list in order from first to last of what my process should be.


Right now this is my check list:

1. -Check/replace Battery
2. -Drain out old oil and check it for water.. If it's dark and not milky then replace it. (Not sure how to do that, maybe there is a youtube video)
3. -Pump out old gas and replace with fresh (maybe add some additives to it?)
4. -Pull out all spark plugs and replace them (Is this the right kind? "BR6FS Spark Plug-NGK")
5. -Attempt to start the engine!
6. -Compression test (Does the engine need to be able to run in order to do compression test?)

If everything goes smoothly I'll proceed to these parts:

7. -Remove outdrive and check U-Joint for milky oil (take pictures)
8. -Get new belts for the engine. (Unless I have to replace them first before trying to start engine)
9. Clean engine belt pulleys (They have a tiny bit of orange crusty stuff on them, I plan to use a power tool with wire brush to smooth them out)

10. -TO BE DETERMINED!! I don't know where to go from here.. I mean, if everything goes smoothly then I may be good to go with the engine and can start focusing on repairing cosmetic issues!

Let me know what you think!

THANKS!

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Sounds like a plan to me :thumb:

Just be aware of few things.

The tapping method is not effective when you tap over fiberglassed surface. You could be hearing the glass not the wood under it. I see you have carpet on the deck not a glassed built in one. If it sounds nice and crisp to you, that is good.

Just be aware that you can't judge the condition of the structural core (wood in this case) by how the outside fiberglass looks like. Core sampling is the recommended method. You should at least sample the transom and the stringers just to be thorough.

Regarding the engine, technically the ideal condition to run a compression test is when the engine is hot and ran for few minutes to reach operating temp. Then you shut it down, remove all the spark plugs (all of them, not just the one you are testing the pressure in its cylinder) and push the throttle plate wide open and test pressure by cranking the engine until you have 3-4 compression strokes completed (don't worry, you will see the compression stroke on the dial gauge of the tester. I not, just count to 4 slow)

If you are not interested in accurate numbers and just looking for red flags such as zero or very low compression in any cylinder, the engine at least needs to crank.

If you connect new battery and the engine is still not turning, remove the outdrive to neutralize its impact on the situation.

You will also need to add to your list checking the alignment. Get an alignment tool (it is the same tool for all drives) and check engine alignment after you remove the drive and before you install it.

I noticed that there is no gelcoat on the inner skin of your transom, was it rebuilt int he past? Also, what is this in the areas I highlighted in the picture?

I also noticed that there is no sacrificial metal on the outdrive, what kind of water you boat in, salt or fresh water? If salt, you need aluminum anodes, if fresh you need magnesium anodes.

The brown crusty layer over your metal parts is rust. let untreated it will eat away your metal and start causing problems and leaks, etc. Wire brush it, WD40 it, and spray rush inhibitor. Make this part of your winterization and de winterization list.

Also, make it a habit to use DampRid bags around the boat. I use the bags despite the bad reputation of occasional leaks. In so many years I had only one single bad that leaked, so not bad at least for me.

Regarding the spark plug model #, I will not know without the engine serial number. This would be on the cover.

Are you going to do the compression test yourself or you will have it done?

 

[Chadbud]

Sounds like a plan to me :thumb:

Just be aware of few things.

Regarding the engine, technically the ideal condition to run a compression test is when the engine is hot and ran for few minutes to reach operating temp. Then you shut it down, remove all the spark plugs (all of them, not just the one you are testing the pressure in its cylinder) and push the throttle plate wide open and test pressure by cranking the engine until you have 3-4 compression strokes completed (don't worry, you will see the compression stroke on the dial gauge of the tester. I not, just count to 4 slow)

If you are not interested in accurate numbers and just looking for red flags such as zero or very low compression in any cylinder, the engine at least needs to crank.

If you connect new battery and the engine is still not turning, remove the outdrive to neutralize its impact on the situation.

You will also need to add to your list checking the alignment. Get an alignment tool (it is the same tool for all drives) and check engine alignment after you remove the drive and before you install it.

I noticed that there is no gelcoat on the inner skin of your transom, was it rebuilt int he past? Also, what is this in the areas I highlighted in the picture?

I also noticed that there is no sacrificial metal on the outdrive, what kind of water you boat in, salt or fresh water? If salt, you need aluminum anodes, if fresh you need magnesium anodes.

The brown crusty layer over your metal parts is rust. let untreated it will eat away your metal and start causing problems and leaks, etc. Wire brush it, WD40 it, and spray rush inhibitor. Make this part of your winterization and de winterization list.

Also, make it a habit to use DampRid bags around the boat. I use the bags despite the bad reputation of occasional leaks. In so many years I had only one single bad that leaked, so not bad at least for me.

Regarding the spark plug model #, I will not know without the engine serial number. This would be on the cover.

Are you going to do the compression test yourself or you will have it done?

I will definitely take a core sample and see how that turns out then!

Would you be able to link me a compression test kit that I could purchase? I'm fairly aware of how to preform it, don't know exactly where the cylinders are on this engine (haven't looked real hard yet) but once I find them I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out from there.

When I crank it for the compression test, do I just use the ignition key or is there a manual way to do it straight from the engine?

Speaking of the outdrive, can I test compression/try turning it over without replacing the impeller? Or could I even remove the outdrive all together before testing (where would I connect water for cooling without ear muffs then)

I'll definitely check alignment then, just gotta pick up the tool.

I do not know if it was rebuilt in the past. Tomorrow I will get back in her and check what the line was, it looks like just some discoloration but I'll take some closer pictures of the transom for ya anyway.

What do you mean by sacrificial metal? The boat has spent 99% of its lifetime in freshwater. It was used once in saltwater back in the late 80s when it was still pretty new. Never again since then though, was just a one time trip to the east coast waters. I'll have to replace the magnesium anodes probably though right?

Definitely going to go in and clean up any rust on the engine and outdrive.

Damprid bags sound great! I'll remember that, thanks!

Where can I find the engine serial number, on the cover of that logo plate on top? There is a serial number on the outdrive by the label and a few on the engine that are pictured in the photo album.

I have a mechanic that I'm talking to that is considering helping me rebuild the engine itself if it needs to be.. I guess I could ask him to do it but it doesn't seem to difficult and I'd like to learn to do it myself if I can.

Thank you for all your help so far I appreciate it so much, sorry about all the questions haha.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

See my answers inline

I will definitely take a core sample and see how that turns out then!

Would you be able to link me a compression test kit that I could purchase?

Amazon is your best source for this. Mine is Craftsman from Sears with different attachments since I work on so many different engines. NAPA or Autozone also can sell you a good one. Where are you located?

I'm fairly aware of how to preform it, don't know exactly where the cylinders are on this engine (haven't looked real hard yet) but once I find them I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out from there.

I don't know how much you know about engines so i will just assume you don't know much, don't take offense. The cylinders - in any engine - are integral part of the body of the block of that engine. Your compression tester gets inserted into the same hole the spark plug goes into. You remove the spark plug and screw in the hose of the tester and tighten it hand tight (it has an O-ring in it that keep a tight seal). To locate these holes, follow the wires that are coming out of you distributor. The distributor is this device behind the word Mercruiser on the engine cover plate in your first picture with what seems to be orange cables coming out of it. These Orange cables are what you need to follow all the way to the body of the engine, they will lead you to the spark plugs. There should be 6 cables coming out of that distributor, one for each cylinder. If your dad's recollection is correct and this is indeed a Chevy engine then Cylinder 1,3 and 5 will be on the port side of the boat (the left side of the boat when you are looking forward) and cylinder 2,4 and 6 will be on the starboard side. The cylinder numbers are not important now but when you take out all the wires you MUST label them so you know where to put them back. Use any labeling system you want as long as you will be able to tell where each wire goes. Don't mess this up or you will mess up you firing order and the engine might not start at all.

When I crank it for the compression test, do I just use the ignition key or is there a manual way to do it straight from the engine?

There is a remote kit that you can use to crank but you don't need it. Just ask a friend or a helper to crank and stop on your mark or after he count to 4 (one thousand style)

Speaking of the outdrive, can I test compression/try turning it over without replacing the impeller? Or could I even remove the outdrive all together before testing (where would I connect water for cooling without ear muffs then)

As I mentioned in my previous replies, when you are testing for compression, the engine is not running, it is just cranking. For that, you don't need water flow since there is no combustion (=heat) is taking place for the water to cool it down. If you will warm up the engine before the test, keep the outdrive until the engine warms up and then remove it to perform the test.

You don't technically need to remove the outdrive. The only reason I suggested that is that you don't know its condition if it is turning smoothly or not. Put you engine in neutral and turn the propeller. If it turns smooth with no bindings, don't worry about it for now

Also it is worth mentioning for your own knowledge that the engine can fire and run without the drive attached by sticking a water hose in the water inlet in the transom assembly.

I'll definitely check alignment then, just gotta pick up the tool.

I do not know if it was rebuilt in the past. Tomorrow I will get back in her and check what the line was, it looks like just some discoloration but I'll take some closer pictures of the transom for ya anyway.

What do you mean by sacrificial metal? The boat has spent 99% of its lifetime in freshwater. It was used once in saltwater back in the late 80s when it was still pretty new. Never again since then though, was just a one time trip to the east coast waters. I'll have to replace the magnesium anodes probably though right?

I mean these...

These are the sacrificial metals (anodes) that gets sacrificed to protect your important metals such as the out drive body and the transom assembly from being eaten away by corrosion. In other words, the corrosion eats those anodes instead of your drive and transom assembly but this is fine, it is what they were designed to do that is why we can them sacrificial metals (or more commonly know as Anodes or Zincs even though they are not made out of zinc anymore).

You have a stainless steel prop and this will expedite the corrosion. Some corrosion is showing on your outdrive and transom assembly already. You must determine the correct kit to buy based on your drive year/model and if you will be boating in fresh or salt as I mentioned earlier and install the correct kit.

Definitely going to go in and clean up any rust on the engine and outdrive.

Damprid bags sound great! I'll remember that, thanks!

Where can I find the engine serial number, on the cover of that logo plate on top? There is a serial number on the outdrive by the label and a few on the engine that are pictured in the photo album. It is there some where

Take a flashlight or inspection camera and go on the starboard side of the engine all the way near the transom, you will find a label there at the edge of the engine with the serial number.

I have a mechanic that I'm talking to that is considering helping me rebuild the engine itself if it needs to be.. I guess I could ask him to do it but it doesn't seem to difficult and I'd like to learn to do it myself if I can.

Thank you for all your help so far I appreciate it so much, sorry about all the questions haha.

You are welcome and no worries, we all have to start somewhere. Best of luck to you with the project

 

[Rick Stephens]

I would pump out every last drop of old fuel in the tank, inspect it, and clean out the entire fuel delivery system before I ever started the motor again. Guaranteed to be nasty gunky stuff in there and every bit of it pulled into fuel pump, lines and carburetor by trying to run on old gunk will just make everything worse. I would absolutely do a carb rebuild. No way I would expect the motor to run well until that is done.

I don't expect you will have to do any kind of engine rebuild. Clean the fuel system, rebuild the carb, do a tune up and change the oil. Once running do a compression check to be sure, but the engine doesn't sound like it will be worn out, only real risk is it was left full of water when winter set in and is cracked, in which case it is replace the engine, not rebuild it.

 

[Chadbud]

See my answers inline

Thank you so much for helping me with all this!

Okay I just ordered my Compression tester and a siphon to suck out the old gas. I'll copy and paste the links to them here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EVU89I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014LEQC98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also found motor oil, would this be the appropriate type for this engine? I hear a lot of 10w-30 or this stuff. Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Merc...&sr=8-2&keywords=mercruiser+25w+40+engine+oil


I found the plugs and cylinders! They were right where you said they'd be. They are a little difficult to reach (on the bottom corner of each port and starboard sides) but I think I can get them out. When I do my compression test, should only the spark plug for the cylinder I'm testing be removed? Or do I remove all sparkplugs then test each cylinder one by one?

I think I have a basic idea of how to change the motor oil for the engine.. From what I can see on youtube, you take a pump and screw it right on to where the oil dipstick is and pump the oil out? Then replace with new, right?

Will I need to mess with the carb at all? I know it should probably be taken off and rebuilt eventually but do I need to do that before trying a test start/run?

I got my battery tested by the way, advanced auto parts just said it needed a charge so they're throwing it on the charger overnight for me. Woo! Less money to spend! Hehe

Oh and here's a link to a new photo album with the pictures I tried to take of the engine serial number.. I couldn't find any obvious labels but I did find raised lettering on some back part of the engine. Maybe you can tell if one of the photos I took has the serial number on it and then I'll be bale to tell what kind of spark plugs I need.

Here's the link to the album: https://imgur.com/gallery/LTA2P

Oh I see what the anodes are now. They are missing off my outdrive? I wonder why.. I'll have to replace them after I get the engine running and start working on the outdrive.


Thanks again for all your help!!!!!

 

[DeepBlue2010]

My comments inline

Thank you so much for helping me with all this!

You very welcome! Glad I can help
.
.
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I also found motor oil, would this be the appropriate type for this engine? I hear a lot of 10w-30 or this stuff. Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Mercr...+40+engine+oil

This is the oil you should use.


I found the plugs and cylinders! They were right where you said they'd be. They are a little difficult to reach (on the bottom corner of each port and starboard sides) but I think I can get them out. When I do my compression test, should only the spark plug for the cylinder I'm testing be removed? Or do I remove all sparkplugs then test each cylinder one by one?

All of them at the same time and the throttle controller is at wide open throttle as if you are pushing your gas all the way. The engine is not running of course. The throttle opening is just to allow unrestricted air to travel through the intake manifold so there is enough air in the cylinder to compress.

I think I have a basic idea of how to change the motor oil for the engine.. From what I can see on youtube, you take a pump and screw it right on to where the oil dipstick is and pump the oil out? Then replace with new, right?

Yes, if you have the threads around the dip stick and the adapter for the pump. Or alternatively, you can just cut a piece of fuel hose and push it in the brass nick of the dip stick opening and push your plastic hose for the oil pump on the other side and pump away. Much easier and cheaper and works great

Will I need to mess with the carb at all? I know it should probably be taken off and rebuilt eventually but do I need to do that before trying a test start/run?

People make their decisions differently and to each his own. I like to traverse the decision tree from the main node. In other words, get the big stuff out of my way and then worry about the small things as I go. You mentioned that the marina was not taking care of the engine at all so we don't know if the block is cracked or not, we don't know if it will build up good compression in all cylinders. We don't know if it will build up oil pressure. These are big questions that needs answers before worrying about things like carb rebuild.

The carb will need to be rebuilt for sure but what if you rebuild the carb now and the engine is toast and what if you decide to upgrade power or stroke the engine during the rebuild? Now the card needs to be re-jetted after it was rebuild. Again, this is how I make my decisions and to each his own. If I am in you shoes, I will worry about this after I get the big question marks out of my way.

I got my battery tested by the way, advanced auto parts just said it needed a charge so they're throwing it on the charger overnight for me. Woo! Less money to spend! Hehe

Oh and here's a link to a new photo album with the pictures I tried to take of the engine serial number.. I couldn't find any obvious labels but I did find raised lettering on some back part of the engine. Maybe you can tell if one of the photos I took has the serial number on it and then I'll be bale to tell what kind of spark plugs I need.

Here's the link to the album: https://imgur.com/gallery/LTA2P

This is the block casting number when the block was caste by Chevy. The serial number plate was done by Mercruiser much later when they marine-ized the engine. It looks something like this

Oh I see what the anodes are now. They are missing off my outdrive? I don't see them in your pictures.

I wonder why.. I'll have to replace them after I get the engine running and start working on the outdrive.


Thanks again for all your help!!!!!

 

[Rick Stephens]

I'm not so big a fan of buying Mercruiser brand motor oil. It is no different than major brand name oils 'ceptin it being a lot more expensive. Oil, filters, fuel filters, spark plugs, cap rotor and wires, all can be had at local NAPA, or AutoZone or whatever. Pick your oil viscosity based on the general temperatures you operate in. Because boat engines run so cool you can generally skip the higher temp range (higher viscosity) oils and stick with quality 5-30, 10-30 or even just 30 weight oil. Your engine will be just fine. Change your oils and filters every year before parking it for the winter. Not only does this ensure you have quality lubricants, but it gets rid of any water contaminants that break down into acids that corrode your motor and drive internals.

I think you need/must pull the carb and open er up to clean out the old crud. It is possible, barely, that old fuel run through old filters didn't put any deposits and crud inside your carb - but that is highly unlikely. Doing a clean out is really the best way. Issue here is that doing a carb rebuild, while very simple, is also the most often poorly done job performed on an engine - even by so called professionals! It takes paying attention to details, cleaning out every last little passage, port and corner to be done right. And it almost 100% of the time requires a carb rebuild kit because the gaskets get destroyed pulling it apart. If you take your time and use compressed air ad appropriate cleaners, you can do a satisfactory job yourself. Big step by yourself if you have never been inside a carburetor. If you have a friend who has spent some time inside one off a car or truck, that can be useful as well. It can be spendy taking a carb to someone who's good at rebuilding them. I would recommend you get a kit and at the very least pop the top off and get it all emptied out and clean as you can make it.

Rick

 

[Chadbud]

No Title

My comments inline

Hello again guys! Sorry it's been a couple weeks, I have been fixing up my old 1963 Evinrude to gain some more experience and also doing as much research as I can on boat restoring.

So here's where I'm at now:
I have a picture of the serial number of another engine of the very same type and look of mine. I uploaded it to this post.


So I'm ready to replace the oil and test Compression. However, I can't seem to find a dipstick or anything resembling one. Now that you have serial number and engine name could you guys perhaps find a picture somewhere that I can see?

Both of the belts on the front of the engine are broken and will need replacing, where can I find them and are they hard to put back on the pulleys? (I may have asked this already, sorry)

I went out and bought a brand new battery and hooked it up: admittedly I couldn't help myself and had to try turning the ignition for just a second to see what happens.

At first when I quickly turned it for half a second, I heard one single click and nothing else. Then I tried it again and the engine began to turn over, as soon as I heard it I immediately stopped turning the ignition key.

Then I tried it once more and got the single click noise again. From what I've read, it has something to do with my starter solenoid and it may need replaced?


Oh and last thing: I couldn't fit my gas pump hose I bought on Amazon down to the fuel tank. I feed it through the fuel fill hole on the back of the boat and it seems to hit some sort of wall or blockage when I get a few feet in. I don't think I'll be able to drain the old fuel this way. Does this mean I have to cut the big giant fuel hose in the engine bay and drain it from there and then replace that hose??

Thanks for all your help again guys. If you don't mind, it would be amazing if you replied to my questions in the same manner that DeepBlue10 did because it was so neat and easy to understand.

THANKS!

 

[DeepBlue2010]

My comments inline...

.......................

So I'm ready to replace the oil and test Compression. However, I can't seem to find a dipstick or anything resembling one. Now that you have serial number and engine name could you guys perhaps find a picture somewhere that I can see?

What year is the engine (usually, it is the same year as the boat unless it was replaced)?

Both of the belts on the front of the engine are broken and will need replacing, where can I find them and are they hard to put back on the pulleys? (I may have asked this already, sorry)

Belts are easy to find in any marine store or even auto parts store like NAPA or AutoZone. If you go to a marine store, they can look you up by the serial number and get you the right sizes. If you don't want to buy it from a marine store becuase of the price, just get the size and buy the same size from an auto parts store.

Installing them is easy. We can get to the exact procedure when you locate them and after you let me know the engine year.

I went out and bought a brand new battery and hooked it up: admittedly I couldn't help myself and had to try turning the ignition for just a second to see what happens.

At first when I quickly turned it for half a second, I heard one single click and nothing else. Then I tried it again and the engine began to turn over, as soon as I heard it I immediately stopped turning the ignition key.

Then I tried it once more and got the single click noise again. From what I've read, it has something to do with my starter solenoid and it may need replaced?

The starter could be malfunctioning. Do you have plans to take the engine out?


Oh and last thing: I couldn't fit my gas pump hose I bought on Amazon down to the fuel tank. I feed it through the fuel fill hole on the back of the boat and it seems to hit some sort of wall or blockage when I get a few feet in. I don't think I'll be able to drain the old fuel this way. Does this mean I have to cut the big giant fuel hose in the engine bay and drain it from there and then replace that hose??

Do you have access to where the hoses fitted to the tank? If so, just undo the hose clamp that fits the fill hose to the tank and pry out the hose and get to the tank from there. Don't cut the fill hose unless you plan to replace it.

........................

THANKS!

Just couple of suggestions, you might want to update your signature and add the boat/engine info for easy reference of our members. This way if someone wants to look it up to be able to answer your questions, they have the info handy.

Also update your location. You don't have to put the address, just the state or even the country. When I said you can find them in AutoZone or NAPA, I looked to see if you are in US but your location is blank

 

[Chadbud]

My comments inline...



Just couple of suggestions, you might want to update your signature and add the boat/engine info for easy reference of our members. This way if someone wants to look it up to be able to answer your questions, they have the info handy.

Also update your location. You don't have to put the address, just the state or even the country. When I said you can find them in AutoZone or NAPA, I looked to see if you are in US but your location is blank

The engine year is probably the year of the boat (1986). One year after the boat was purchased, the marina it was docked at didn't winterize it properly and the block cracked. It was removed and rebuilt with a new block immediately.

I will definitely visit my auto parts store and see if I can pick up the belts for cheap.

I do not currently have solid plans to pull the engine. However, after I do a proper compression test and diagnose any issues further, that may become part of my plan. Basically, if I would prefer to get her fixed up without pulling the engine or doing anything overly intensive in labor. If the engine does end up having to be pulled no matter what then that will be my next move. Like I said regarding the starter, it sometimes turns the engine over fine and then other times it just makes one click noise.

I'll have to check when I get home but I think I do have access to the filling hose. It's a large thick hose with smaller hoses along side it and they lead directly underneath the floor to the center of boat from the front of the engine bay (if you are facing the engine and transom from inside the boat). I'm not sure if there is a clamp fitting I can remove to gain access and that's why I'm thinking I may have to cut it if I really want to drain the gas tank. Or maybe I could just treat the gas? It's been sitting in the tank for 2-3 years.


Thanks for the tip! As soon as I get on my home computer I will update my signature with my boat info!

Here's my boat information as far as I know:
Boat type: 1986 Four Winns Horizon Cuddy 190
Engine: rebuilt year after purchase (new) because of cracked block from poor winterization. It was also professionally rebalanced and tuned. Racing grade bearings/rings were used in rebuild. Should be a 1986 block (GM/Chevy 262)


Thanks again, love this forum!! So helpful!