New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

[Thechanges]

Howdy.
Recently purchased a 1986 4winns 190 Horizon with the Merc 170.
"Changes" is in good shape both aesthetically and structurally for a boat of her age.
The motor is fairly mechanically sound although soon she will get a complete professional overhaul.
A few minor issues have cropped up as we have been cruising around our local lake in North Georgia.
The fuel gauge is less than reliable which resulted in a nice leisurely tow back to the marina courtesy of a friend.
The bilge pump has broken loose from its housing and to operate it one must reach underneath the motor and hold the pump in the housing. Needless to say this does not happen with the motor hot. By the way, how does one mount a new housing to a fiberglass hull? Is the hull double walled in the bilge area? Or will a mounting screw pass through the outer hull?
There is a stalling issue while accelerating from idle but it is intermittent and not a huge issue.
This boat is ideal for a family of four and we have spent several long days enjoying the early fall weather on the lake.

Just wanted to drop in and introduce myself to the community.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Welcome!

Bilge pump should only be necessary to remove rain or water that your brought aboard (through swimming, swamping, rinsing etc.) If you find you need to use it for any other reason, you have a leak and need to address it. The bilge pump might be screwed in place with short screws, or it might be glued down. There's no double hull in that area, but the glass is probably quite thick and has no core material to rot.

I would not put much money into that engine. Maintain, it and run it until it dies or you grow bored of the boat. Those engines are not well supported parts-wise and can become expensive to fix.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Welcome to iBoats . . .

just a few comments about the issues you mentioned . . .

bilge pump should have a mounting pad along the keel area in the bilge somewhere. Look for that and repair/remount as needed. Usually the lower part of the bilge pump is remove able and allows it to be fastened to the hull. Screws should be 3/4 - 1" at the most. Not a double hull or anything like that.

acceleration could be a carb issue(accelerator pump). Maybe clean, rebuild or replace the carb.

be careful with the professional maintenance/overhaul . . . Lots of things that could be replaced on an older boat, due to the age. Your wallet could get an overhaul as well. So, you will want to actively manage the maintenance process and do some things yourself.

 

[ricohman]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Getting the bilge pump replaced should be a priority. I don't know if I would sink the money into an overhaul of the engine. Lots of oddball parts and as mentioned above, not supported/obsolete.
I would have fun with it and then maybe move on to something else.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Getting the bilge pump replaced should be a priority. I don't know if I would sink the money into an overhaul of the engine. Lots of oddball parts and as mentioned above, not supported/obsolete.
I would have fun with it and then maybe move on to something else.

I AGREE 100%. Good advice. That Four Winns is not worth sinking money into. Use it while it is still running and in one piece, then get rid of it and get something a little newer.

 

[Natesms]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Getting it professionally tuned up may be worth it but is something you could do yourself for much less money. Plugs, wires, cap, rotor and a carb rebuild will probably do wonders for the motor and could give you several more years of use for less than a couple hundred bucks in parts.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Welcome to iboats!

Just to add to typenfield.....put some 3M - 4200 sealer on the screws before screwing into bilge.

Happy boating!

 

[agallant80]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

This sounds like a good starter boat. I would do what I need to make it safe but beyond that I would just enjoy it until it dies then decide if I want another "disposable" boat of if I liked boating enough to pony up the cash for something newer or take out a note.

 

[eavega]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Howdy!

So, what part of North GA you in? If you hunt around the site, there are a bunch of us that tried all spring and summer long to have an iBoats get together, but it has been a weird, crazy summer for most of us.

The bilge pump is easily replaceable. I used PL to glue down the base rather than screw into the bilge. It just seemed easier to me, and gave me the peace of mind of not opening another hole in the boat.

There are several testing procedures for the fuel gauge, but you are probably needing to replace the sender. Just make sure the gauge is working correctly before going through all the trouble of replacing the sender.

The hesitation at acceleration is probably a carb issue. As a previous person suggested it may be your accelerator pump. Carb rebuild kits should include the pump. Its never a bad idea to give the carburetor a good cleaning if you don't know when it was last done.

Its also a good idea to check the impeller or just replace it if you don't know how long its been in service.

As others have said, don't sink a ton of money into the boat. Use it, take care of it, do all the regular maintenance (which is an expense in itself), and more importantly learn how to work on it yourself. That way you really learn when the motor is performing satisfactorily and when its not.

Rgds

Eric

 

[Jonnybbad]

Re: New (used) boat for the family to enjoy

Yep, I would agree with most of what has been said myself. I would get a carb kit and disassemble and clean the carb to cure the stall. This particular engine is not worth any heroic measures though. The bilge pump will probably mount to a small chunk of plywood that is fiberglassed to the bilge. Both the boats I own are like this anyways. I should think the new pump would come with short screws, if not, I would just be sure to use about a 1/2 inch screw and seal it with a marine sealant such as the aforementioned 3m 4200.
Personally, I would not recommended running out to buy a newer boat as some have mentioned. If it floats enjoy it. Too many folks worry about their vanity. There's nothing hotter looking then a boat paid for with cash IMHO. Even hotter the lesser the value left to depreciate.