Search results

  1. L

    Only goes 20 MPH

    If you had a broken flapper or bits off a broken flapper constricting the exhaust, could the flow of water cooling the exhaust back up all the way to the engine causing water to enter engine cylinders through exhaust ports?
  2. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    It turned out that only the rings for cyl#1 were tight, all the others were above the general 4thou per inch ring gap advice, most cylinders had 18thou ring gap low in the cylinders to 20thou near the tops of cylinders - probably due to cylinders tapering toward the bottom by a couple of thou...
  3. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    It's been a while since I last updated this thread. I stripped the engine down, honed all the cylinders (especially cyl 2 that had the bad scratches but a few other cylinders had minor scratches too). Used a calliper with a cheap comparative bore gauge to measure and record all the bore sizes...
  4. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Where can I look up parts numbers for this boat engine and drive? When I look for items like alternators, exhaust manifolds, gaskets, gimble bearings, etc, the seller usually lists a part number but I need a way to check if parts I'm looking at will fit my boat. As said in one of my posts...
  5. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I measured the bore of number 2 cylinder, it's 4.040 (so the standard 4inch bore + the 40thou overbore as expected) but it has the up/dowm scratches. I now need to try to hone cylinder 2 to see if I can get rid of the scratches, then after honing re-measure the bore to see if it's oversized...
  6. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Bore and piston number 2 cylinder
  7. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    The engine expert has been, he spent some time looking at the engine and talking me through what he was doing but we didn't strip it fully down. His initial thoughts were that the engine has obviously been rebuilt, the builder seems to have known what they were doing and took care building it...
  8. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks, yes I too noticed the +.040 pistons and it still looks to me like there's too much piston to bore clearance, we're thinking along the same lines but it'll still be worth having the engine guy take a look on Monday. I'll be fixing this engine or buying another but either way there'll be...
  9. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Got the heads off. I still think there's a problem with number 2 cylinder, scuff marks in the bore and I might have seen a broken top ring unless I've just seen the ring gap. Block casting number...points to 1991 Underside of heads and head casting numbers pointing to 1993 Not...
  10. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    When I last made enquires about buying another engine or having my engine rebuilt lots of people advised me to contact this local firm http://www.engine-data.co.uk/engines.html so I called them, they seemed very knowledgeable and helpful. Their website doesn't seem to be working properly at the...
  11. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Drained the oil. Unusual dipstick combined with drain plug setup... unless that's normal for a boat inboard? Around half a pint of water came out first but I think that'll just be due to rainwater entering through a removed rocker cover. I had the boat road cover on but it's not great and water...
  12. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks @Lou C . The PAS seemed to work well and the reservoir remained full over the 4 days I used the boat but there was some play in the steering.. If say I turned the wheel left then turned it right (or vice/versa) I could feel maybe 20 degrees of play in the steering. Not really a problem...
  13. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Got the engine out The crane height extension and help from one of my long time customers who's become a friend (and has been into boating himself for years) made lifting easy. The engine is currently on a stand in my garage, haven't even drained it's oil yet, seemed easier to drain the...
  14. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I've been making a few modifications to my portable engine crane so I'll be able to use it (it'll have enough lifting height and stability) to lift the engine from the boat... Increased the height of the mast using some 70mm x 6mm angle that I welded together to form a box section (found out...
  15. L

    Overheating at idle, cool as a cucumber at speed

    I forget what make/model the little 2 stroke my dad had but it's just a little 1 or 2 cylinder engine around 5hp, it's still at the back of the garage, I might dig it out to use as an emergency/pusher engine on my boat. I have since (still around 10 years ago) rebuilt an early 1980's Mercury...
  16. L

    Overheating at idle, cool as a cucumber at speed

    My dad owned a small 2 stroke outboard he used on a tender, he told me "If you ever use that engine be aware it overheats after a few minutes, I've changed the impellor but it still overheats and I don't know what's wrong with it". Shortly after his death I took that engine and an inflatable to...
  17. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I measured the length of shift cable protruding from the rear of the pivot mating flange, measured the distance from drive leg internal shift arm to drive leg mating flange to the pivot, the two lengths are equal.. so it seems I haven't damaged the shift cable by pulling on it. Had an idea...
  18. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks Lou. Do you think I'll have damaged the shift cable? I don't know how far it's supposed to stick out at the back, or if the cable seems stretched? Is there an adjuster at the controls? The universal joints and splines seem in great condition. It's oil inside the driveshaft bellow...
  19. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I haven't had much to report until today, spent some time researching my options. I narrowly missed out on buying the 351 (mentioned in posts above) that was removed from a pickup, it was sold while I was still researching potential compatibility issues. Went to view a 302 that was rebuilt 5...
  20. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    OK The new manifold arrived today, supplied with gaskets. I expect the other side manifold (the other side doesn't seem to be getting water in engine cylinders) also won't have any gaskets fitted so today I ordered the same gasket set that was supplied with the new manifold so I can fit...
Top