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  1. Lou C

    My 84 4winns horizon 195 project.

    While it’s a huge amount of work you will wind up with a better built boat than you can buy. I went to the Nassau County (Long Island NY) boat show last year & the Four Winns prices were out of sight expensive. In fact there were very few boats under 55,000 in the 19-20 foot size range.
  2. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    Well I don’t know about Merc electronic units but for sure on the old points/centrifugal advance distributors (Prestolite) used by both OMC & Merc the V6 had much less advance than the V8s. I have the graphs in my OMC factory shop manual. Not sure if the V6 was more prone to detonation than the...
  3. Lou C

    Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

    then there’s us of a certain age who are semi retired who got no excuse! My projects: Rebuild spare Cobra trim rams In fall fix rotted wood in coaming panel & finally install the new control I bought….10 years ago! If I get really ambitious I will also replace the helm steering unit & cable...
  4. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    If looking at older engines remember if yours is a one piece rear seal then you have to stick with the same design. The flywheel changes with the design of the rear seal & then your coupler might not fit. 1985 & older is 2 piece 1986 & newer is one piece.
  5. Lou C

    Houston….. We’ve had a problem…..

    I put an ARCO PMGR in mine. Good quality starter.
  6. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    When I did my top end rebuild I was really just doing an experiment of sorts to see if I could rehab the engine after a bad overheat and subsequent head gasket failure and water in a couple of cyls. Never actually took apart an engine beyond lawnmowers and yard equipment so I figured it would be...
  7. Lou C

    OK I’ve had enough.

    We used to get winter.....real winter....but the last few years....nothing....snowblower gets tuned up and hardly used....then I just wind up draining the the carb in the spring.....I have 4 sets of snow tires in the garage, just taking up space, have not used them in a few years. I find this...
  8. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    Maybe the extra 100-150 lbs of the V8 made it sit a bit lower, I know with the Volvo exhaust I have on mine there is a choice of standard height elbows, and ones that are approx 3" taller. If I go with a V8 I might have to use those, would have to measure first to make sure there's enough...
  9. Lou C

    Houston….. We’ve had a problem…..

    Looks like they were way too long. The pre Vortec heads took the short plugs while the Vortec heads took the longer ones. Nice work there gotta love the simple Chevrolet small block!
  10. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    This boat was offered with the 5.0 and the engine mount pads are long enough for the V8 already. The the same hull with a different top cap was sold as the Liberator 201 and these were all V8s.
  11. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    Agreed, working with wood n 'glass is pretty forgiving and doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be strong. I too go back and forth with the stay with V6 vs take that chance to have a V8. I think in my case my 20' is a heavy one, very thick 'glass it weighs in at approx 4200 lbs. So the...
  12. Lou C

    Bellows Water Detector - Retrofit?

    I check the bellows every season when I pull the drive, what I have learned is that you will see small cracks forming in the folds, way before it fails, if you replace it then, you are unlikely to ever have a problem. I saw that on one that was installed in 2005, by 2016 and replaced it then...
  13. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    Yes you need the PS cooler, they sometimes self drain but they can freeze and crack just like the engine if not drained. You can get them aftermarket in some cases, look for Mr Cool's website, they sell them, or depending if it froze, it might be repairable, depending on what the damage was.
  14. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    People who know me know what I'm gonna say: Just say NO to raw water cooled inboards! There is an increased cost factor but if that boat even had just a half system on it, all you'd be doing now is changing the exhaust & heat exchanger. I would never ever put a new or reman engine in my boat...
  15. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    Yep in freshwater they last forever here in the salt they are wear item. The elbows are good for 5 seasons maybe 7, manifolds can last longer if filled with good no tox antifreeze over the winter to cut down on corrosion. The cyl heads will eventually rot out too but it takes like 15 years...
  16. Lou C

    Leaf Spring Placement

    Those are C-Hook springs and it’s normal to for them to look like that with a load on them. With no weight on the trailer the C end will move inward. Weight makes the spring flex & get longer.
  17. Lou C

    what is it with spark plug $$$$

    IIRC the AC Delco 43s for my old 4.3 are like $3 each. I never seem to wear em out, I have a couple of sets that I clean and rotate in use.
  18. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    It is! No sign of water intrusion there
  19. Lou C

    Engine replacement help…

    The 4.3 only holds approx 4.5 qts, less than the V8. Mine has never taken 5 qts for an oil & filter change. If nothing read on the dipstick I wonder if the oil pan rotted through and the oil wound up in the bilge under the oil pan!
  20. Lou C

    Parallel battery specs

    You can do it 2 ways: one way is the typical #1, #2, 1+2 and off switch, 1+2 parallels the batteries, which should be used only if neither battery has enough amps to start the engine, or you want to charge one of the batteries which is weaker than the other, but do not leave it on 1+2 because...
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