88 4.3l cobra

[scagwildcat]

hi all, i just bought a 88 four winns 180, my wifes boss ,had it since new and had not used it in a few years due to the kids not being around now, i was told that all gauges worked, he maintained the boat and is someone trustworthy, i serviced the boat, and have been using it every weekend.
my problem is, that i have found alot of things that need to be fixed here and there, no big deal, however, i cant get the trim gauge to work, and when i trim down, it makes a loud noise, like a belt woud make, going up works smooth, it does this with the motor on or off and at times if i go from up to down at the dock, it works fine with no noise at all? i dont get it, ive checked the fluid and it seems fine, is there any grease points? as far as the trim guage, how do i know if it is the wires or a bad gauge? also, i noticed a round disk like thing in the bilge area under the motor just sitting on the bottom not attached to anything? the wire that is comming out of it is not the same color as the trim wires that i have checked out... im sorry for the book i wrote, i appreciate any comments, thank you guys...

 

[gbeltran]

Re: 88 4.3l cobra

Can't help with the noise without really hearing it, there are a few grease points on the drive but if it squeals with the trim motor going then it's probably in the motor itself. As for the trim unit not working, the sender is on the drive, and they are not known for being a long lasting unit. (the piece you see in the bilge sounds like a transducer for a depth meter) The trim sending units are not easy to come by and expensive. It is on the right side of the drive (looking at it from the prop), it's a plastic unit held on by two bolts, has a spring loaded arm. If you push the drive to the left it is easier to find. If you take it off you can check the resistance range, should be from 2 to 200 ohms or something close to that. If you plan on working on your boat much I would get the shop manual for the OMC, you can find the factory ones on ebay for about 60 bucks, a worthy investment, in my opinion.

 

[scagwildcat]

Re: 88 4.3l cobra

Can't help with the noise without really hearing it, there are a few grease points on the drive but if it squeals with the trim motor going then it's probably in the motor itself. As for the trim unit not working, the sender is on the drive, and they are not known for being a long lasting unit. (the piece you see in the bilge sounds like a transducer for a depth meter) The trim sending units are not easy to come by and expensive. It is on the right side of the drive (looking at it from the prop), it's a plastic unit held on by two bolts, has a spring loaded arm. If you push the drive to the left it is easier to find. If you take it off you can check the resistance range, should be from 2 to 200 ohms or something close to that. If you plan on working on your boat much I would get the shop manual for the OMC, you can find the factory ones on ebay for about 60 bucks, a worthy investment, in my opinion.

thanks for the info! i will look for a manual, its always good to have one, i like to know how to repair my own toys..

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: 88 4.3l cobra

And aftermarket trim sending units are available now through Sierra if you end up needing one.

 

[scagwildcat]

Re: 88 4.3l cobra

thanks