wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

[s.hadley81]

i was considering buying a 86 four winns 160 with a merc 3.0L 140 in it the boat seems very solid trailer could use some new tires and its galvanized drive seems fine too without pulling it was told it has a bad head gasket the guys asking $500 and had it for sale awhile so i could probably do better than that i figured might be a good boat to put some work in to just dont know much about merc 3.0L motors just figured i'd ask your guys opinion dont mind doing the work .Also its only been in freshwater so he says but he does live on a freshwater river.

 

[Rellik546]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

The 3.0L merc is very easy to work on and tune up. my brother and i jumped into our own purchase last year but the boat had a rotten floor and we decided to replace the deck stringer and transom....this isnt a fun job to do and i dont recommend it unless your a project kind of guy. If the motor starts and runs, and the drive works you can get at least your investment back.

If you really want to use the boat. check the boat well, all over the floor, and the transom. If there is rot, guaranteed its not just localized, there will be much more under the deck, my advice...walk away. Unless you wanna grind in a tyvek suit, dig up foam, scribe and cut timber, and learn how to properly lay up fiberglass laminate.

 

[achris]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

$500 seems a little light for a boat with just a head gasket problem. Is it in an area that freezes in winter? If so, I would also suspect a cracked block and/or manifold if it wasn't winterised properly....

Just saying.... Caveat emptor...

Chris.........

 

[s.hadley81]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

I dont mind putting in a little time(A LOT),work and money i have a glassteam probass i've done a ton of work to so i know what i could be getting in to and wit that i have something to run now so i just thought ask more about the motor than the boat itself the boat seems really solid no soft floors and even has a good oringinal interior so that leads me to believe it was covered pretty good it has a mooring cover so it was even covered in the slip this would be my first i/o but my dads had them for years i was just hoping you guys could give me some on how the merc 3.0L 140 is.

 

[s.hadley81]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

sorry forget to add also the block and exhaust riser appeared crack free the guy said it was winterized every year he said he blew the gasket and never fixed it cause he had a newer boat but you know how that goes thanks for input

 

[achris]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

sorry forget to add also the block and exhaust riser appeared crack free the guy said it was winterized every year he said he blew the gasket and never fixed it cause he had a newer boat but you know how that goes thanks for input

You won't see a crack, especially if it's internal.

If I had a dollar for ever 'the guy said' I've seen on this board, I'd be retired...

Chris........

 

[scottn83]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

If you are a mechanical type guy That motor is pretty simple. I just rebuilt one from a 500 boat that i bought. I have about 800 in parts and machine work. I was lucky enough to find another 3.0 that had a Good blockfor 100.00. Rebuilt it and pulled all the external parts off the boat motor that was in the boat. I knew the one in the boat had issues before i bought it freeze plug blew out the back but it was a little worse the the seller let on. Anyway I had never rebuild a motor in my life and put it all back together hooked up the water fuel and battery while it was still on the ground and fired her right up.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

head gasket failures aren't all that common on 1980's 3.0L. The cooling system isn't pressurized so what symptom makes the owner say head gasket? Does he have xray vision?
Water in the oil (milky)? That's not a head gasket failure. That's a cracked block.
Drain some oil (or water) out of the bottom of the oil pan before cranking it, then compression test it and see what's up.
$500 is a good price though. It's worth that in parts any day.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: wondering what you think about four winns freedom 160

The compression test will definetly tell most of the story check, the oil for the milky look! visually insepect the castings for any cracks manifold,block (between cylinder #2&#3 mosy common) but for the ease of how hard they are to work on pretty straight forward and simple get a merc service manual and follow all the step outline for your procedure and you'll be fine. post back with your findings and or decision.