Looking at a 1990 four winns 265 vista...

[NovaScotian]

Hi guys. I dont think i have posted here before, although i was already signed up from a while ago. Good to be here, ive learned a lot from watching and reading.

Im looking at a 1990 four winns 265 vista, with a bbf460 king cobra (i know...). It belongs to my friends boss who isnt in a huge hurry to sell, and i get the advantage of having it parked beside my shop to go over before i decide if i want to buy it, i can take another week or two if i want. Engine is showing 206 hours. Was purchased by the current owner at auction with a smashed out drive, and he replaced and rebuilt the drive, and installed a brand new prop. He had it in the water a couple times since then, said it worked good. Hes an honest guy, i can believe what he tells me to be true. Shore power works, all the 12v stuff seems to be working, fresh water tank pump, stereo, lights, etc. No plumbing leaks, and i havent found anything that scares me yet. Im fairly mechanical, used to working on trucks and equipment.

The part that has me stumped is the fresh water tank in the bow. I pumped the antifreeze out through the sink and half filled the tank a couple times and pumped it out the taps to flush the tank. All went well. Then i decided to fill it to the top. I was watching the tank through one of the top hatches, and saw the water touching the top of the tank and thought it was nearly full. Next thing, the water level is dropping in the tank, and there is a gurgling noise coming from the cabin. The tank drained all the way down, and i cant seem to find where the water went. Tried it again with the gf watching under and around the boat, and there was nothing hitting the ground. The bilge in the rear is still dry, as well as the sump in the middle of the boat (i believe that is referred to as the shower sump...?). The boat is sitting fairly level on the trailer.

So two questions. Why did the tank drain itself, is it a siphon for some reason? And where the heck did that many gallons of water go?

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me. Ive been around a few boats, but i dont have much experience with the “camper” systems on board.

 

[tpenfield]

You may not be well served by becoming the owner of a Ford 460 / OMC King Cobra combo.

I would assume the water tank is and has been leaking and the water is finding its way into the structure of the boat.

Keep your friend, but you may want to pass on this boat.

 

[JoLin]

Listen to Ted (Tpenfield). He's right.

My .02

 

[NovaScotian]

So is it a double hull, and the water likely ended up in between?

 

[NovaScotian]

To clarify, it doesnt have a slow leak. I could fill it 1/2 or 3/4 full and it will stay that way. Seems like when it hits the top, a siphon starts (im guessing) and drains the tank in about a minute...

 

[mr 88]

In most cases the fresh water or black water vent for that matter is attached to a fitting on top of the tank ,so no accidental siphoning will occur. IF the hose went into the tank and ended at the bottom you might get some siphoning but the vent hose would have to terminate below the holding tank,which makes no sense. If the water is pouring out like you say, then you must find out where the vent hose ends or crawl around with a flashlight or buy a 10.00 boroscope that attaches to your smart phone and inspect with that. That amount of water pouring out must leave a trail or have a obvious ending point where you can see it.

 

[NovaScotian]

Ok so now im really confused...

The water tank was already completely empty, but i just hit the pump switch and water came out of the faucet... Continued for 10 mins or better. Pump says 3 gpm, so id say that was about how much water i put in the other day...

The vent on the water tank isnt the issue, i took the fitting out to check and it doesnt extend down in the tank or anything weird. Other than the “fill” fitting up top and the vent, the only other fitting is a large (about 1 1/4”) fitting with a corrugated hose identical to the “fill” hose, that comes up almost to the top of the tank level, then bends around and goes back down under the floor. Stands to reason that this is the hose that siphoned the water out of the tank once it was nearly full and got to the top of the bend, its large enough to drain the tank in a couple minutes or less. But where 30 or so gallons went until today when i pumped it back out through the faucet is currently a mystery to me...

 

[mr 88]

The water you pumped into the sink today went out a the discharge hose and onto the driveway or wherever your trailer is sitting. The tank with two 1 1/4 hoses is the holding tank for the head. One hose goes to the toilet and the other goes to the fitting ,usually on the gunwale that the poop vacuum get hooked up to. You have a fresh water holding tank and a holding tank for the heads discharge waste.

 

[NovaScotian]

Im positive this is the fresh water tank, the water fill port on the bow goes directly into it. The boat only has a porta pottie and two sinks that drain overboard... No black or gray water tank on board as far as i can tell...

I realize im probably sounding a little stupid/crazy, but this is exactly what im seeing...

 

[mr 88]

My boat had a bulkhead separating the cabin area from the rest of the hull. It also has 3 factory bilge pumps,1 in the cabin area ,1 midship and 1 in the stern. My shower drain flows into the bow cabin section and the bow pump drains it. There is no way for that water to make its way past that bulkhead unless she sank. Do you have any fittings on the deck labeled Waste ? Is it possible that it had a factory head in it and someone replaced it with a porti potty. I know the Canadian discharge rules with toilets are pretty stringent and maybe the factory one wouldn't pass regulations. Other than that your going to have to poke around and follow all hoses from there source to there ending .

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I talked to the guys at the Marina today. Based on the Ford 460 they said unless you want to repower now pass.

 

[tpenfield]

Regardless of the water tank, what do we have to do to get you to forget about this boat and move on? :noidea:

 

[AnthraxBird]

I know about the 460 Ford, but what’s so bad about the 460 / King Cobra combo?

 

[NovaScotian]

Im not sure to be honest, any 460 ive come across outside of boats was bullet proof, and people seem to be either hot or cold on the king cobra drives. Ive read that theyre tough, but major parts arent available any more...

 

[southkogs]

OMC has been out of business since the 90s. Two things tend to come into play just for that reason: many marine techs out there haven't ever even worked on one, let alone know them well; and parts are getting a little more difficult to get hold of. Each iteration of the OMC stern drives have their own quirks. I don't know the Cobras that well, but the Stringers you kind of have to know 'em to keep them going.

Instead of buying a boat to go boating on, buying a Cobra you're essentially buying a "vintage" drive system that has been obsoleted and you have to be prepared to be working on it as much as running it. The engine is probably easier to deal with than the drive, but the Ford engines have a bad rep when coupled to marine drives.

The statistics say you're going to have problems with the drive / engine combo.