OK! Anyone interested in my Four Winns Fling saga, can avoid a lot of time and money spent, chasing problems that may or may not be an issue, if they don?t follow my example.
My 1994 Fling with a turbojet 115 would not start when I purchased it. I should have taken it to a marine repair shop but I chose to buy parts and change those parts for the parts I thought were bad on my motor. I replaced the power Pac, stator, fuel pump, all the fuel lines, fuel filter, spark plugs (twice or three times) and I rebuilt both carburetors. I removed the seat bottom and exposed the fuel tank, and then I removed and cleaned the anti-siphon valve on the fuel tank. I installed a radiator hose spring in side of my exhaust hose to keep it from collapsing. I broke the key switch during all this and had to replace that also. I ran the boat in the lake twice (got lucky it started) and it seemed to run good, it just didn?t have all the performance it should have. After about 3 weeks I got the motor to start and run in the driveway like it should have when new. I read about the turbojet on the internet and participated on different forums. I may have read every post on iboats about turbojet and I asked a few questions too. On more than one occasion someone asked about compression and I responded I had good compression in all 4 cylinders. I checked compression with my finger not a gauge.
Today I ran the boat in the driveway connected to the garden hose for cooling, and it purred like a kitten. It run a little fast at idle and I adjusted that. I let it run for close to 30 minutes, idling and off idle, with no issues. I turned it off and about 20 minutes later I turned the key and it started, right now. With garden hose cooling I allowed the motor to run 10 minutes more. Off to the lake for a test cruise. On the trailer in the water it started with one turn of the key and I let it run 2 or 3 minutes. Shut the motor off and launched the boat, parked the truck and trailer, and climbed on board. Well after 10 minutes (seemed like 30 min) I could not get the boat to start so we loaded it up and drove to the marine repair shop. I?m told my compression is just a little low, not really bad, just low enough that water against the exhaust creates enough back pressure to affect cylinder vacuum and not allow the fuel mixture to be drawn in. If I use the primer it floods and if I don?t prime it doesn?t get enough.
Had I taken the boat to the marine repair when I got it and waited the 4 or 5 days (their backlog of work), they would have said you need a stator, fuel pump, spark plugs, carbs cleaned, and you have low compression that could affect how the boat will operate. Their diagnosis charge would have been $105.00 dollars or possibly as much as $210.00 dollars (about what I spent on the stator alone). I could have made a decision about repairing the compression problem or selling the boat as it is. I could have made that decision two weeks ago with about $350.00 dollars more in my pocket.
But don?t feel sorry for me, as I?m about to continue on my way. If the cylinders aren?t scored and the head bolts come out without damage I?m thinking of machining a few (.010) thousands off the heads (increasing compression) and maybe I can get some use out of the boat this season. I?ll keep you posted on my progress.
I can only hope this is helpful to someone
Jim
My 1994 Fling with a turbojet 115 would not start when I purchased it. I should have taken it to a marine repair shop but I chose to buy parts and change those parts for the parts I thought were bad on my motor. I replaced the power Pac, stator, fuel pump, all the fuel lines, fuel filter, spark plugs (twice or three times) and I rebuilt both carburetors. I removed the seat bottom and exposed the fuel tank, and then I removed and cleaned the anti-siphon valve on the fuel tank. I installed a radiator hose spring in side of my exhaust hose to keep it from collapsing. I broke the key switch during all this and had to replace that also. I ran the boat in the lake twice (got lucky it started) and it seemed to run good, it just didn?t have all the performance it should have. After about 3 weeks I got the motor to start and run in the driveway like it should have when new. I read about the turbojet on the internet and participated on different forums. I may have read every post on iboats about turbojet and I asked a few questions too. On more than one occasion someone asked about compression and I responded I had good compression in all 4 cylinders. I checked compression with my finger not a gauge.
Today I ran the boat in the driveway connected to the garden hose for cooling, and it purred like a kitten. It run a little fast at idle and I adjusted that. I let it run for close to 30 minutes, idling and off idle, with no issues. I turned it off and about 20 minutes later I turned the key and it started, right now. With garden hose cooling I allowed the motor to run 10 minutes more. Off to the lake for a test cruise. On the trailer in the water it started with one turn of the key and I let it run 2 or 3 minutes. Shut the motor off and launched the boat, parked the truck and trailer, and climbed on board. Well after 10 minutes (seemed like 30 min) I could not get the boat to start so we loaded it up and drove to the marine repair shop. I?m told my compression is just a little low, not really bad, just low enough that water against the exhaust creates enough back pressure to affect cylinder vacuum and not allow the fuel mixture to be drawn in. If I use the primer it floods and if I don?t prime it doesn?t get enough.
Had I taken the boat to the marine repair when I got it and waited the 4 or 5 days (their backlog of work), they would have said you need a stator, fuel pump, spark plugs, carbs cleaned, and you have low compression that could affect how the boat will operate. Their diagnosis charge would have been $105.00 dollars or possibly as much as $210.00 dollars (about what I spent on the stator alone). I could have made a decision about repairing the compression problem or selling the boat as it is. I could have made that decision two weeks ago with about $350.00 dollars more in my pocket.
But don?t feel sorry for me, as I?m about to continue on my way. If the cylinders aren?t scored and the head bolts come out without damage I?m thinking of machining a few (.010) thousands off the heads (increasing compression) and maybe I can get some use out of the boat this season. I?ll keep you posted on my progress.
I can only hope this is helpful to someone
Jim
