Four Winns OEM jet....and no it isn't a fling

[Kenjunior]

Jet dive

 

[Sonyavdz]

Don't have many pics since hard to take them of yourself but here a couple. Both taken on Torch lake

 

[Sonyavdz]

I'm, as usual, late to the Four Winns jetboat party. I have a 95 FW H190 w/ the Redline 351 and AT jet drive. My rear floor plan is way different than your 96 but from midship forward it's pretty similar. I don't get anything close to 50MPH on the water.

What speeds are you hitting?

 

[Sonyavdz]

@Sonyavdz can you trim the jet output up and down? Wish Yamaha would add trim! Need some pics of you on the water with her!

Sure can. See earlier post with trimmed up

 

[Kenjunior]

You can trim your jet output? That's bad ass! Mine is fixed. It used to have some semi factory looking trim tabs attached in the far rear of the boat where there's no support structure. I (accidentally) tore one off so I removed them and just added the Nauticus Smart Tabs down and attached to the transom directly.

Got any photos of the jet drive? I see yours has a second cable running to the top side, I'm assuming that's the 'trim' adjustment.I'd LOVE to trim it down just a little to reduce the jetwash at the surface!

 

[Sonyavdz]

Yes I can. Don't have any more pics of jet. It's in the water or I would gladly take a few for you.

I'm pretty sure you can add the place diverter so you can trim but not sure how expensive it would be.

You can trim your jet output? That's bad ass! Mine is fixed. It used to have some semi factory looking trim tabs attached in the far rear of the boat where there's no support structure. I (accidentally) tore one off so I removed them and just added the Nauticus Smart Tabs down and attached to the transom directly.

Got any photos of the jet drive? I see yours has a second cable running to the top side, I'm assuming that's the 'trim' adjustment.I'd LOVE to trim it down just a little to reduce the jetwash at the surface!

View attachment 43115

 

[Kenjunior]

Yes I can. Don't have any more pics of jet. It's in the water or I would gladly take a few for you.

I'm pretty sure you can add the place diverter so you can trim but not sure how expensive it would be.

I zoomed in on one of your photos and yea, looks like a diverter that goes inline to trim up and down. Is yours powered or manual? What's the controls inside the boat look like?

I gotta do some research to see the option(s) of adding that. I thought about adding a droop snout to see if that lowered it just enough to change the aerated wake. The center of my wake is so bad that at tubing speeds you feel like you're in a rain storm riding a motorcycle without eye protection. It just plain HURTS! Swinging the tuber thru the wake from side to side is fine and getting them outside the wake is smooth riding but first time and inexperienced riders are tough to tow right now. Skiing is fine and wakeboarding, while having a small wake, is acceptable too.

 

[Sonyavdz]

I zoomed in on one of your photos and yea, looks like a diverter that goes inline to trim up and down. Is yours powered or manual? What's the controls inside the boat look like?

I gotta do some research to see the option(s) of adding that. I thought about adding a droop snout to see if that lowered it just enough to change the aerated wake. The center of my wake is so bad that at tubing speeds you feel like you're in a rain storm riding a motorcycle without eye protection. It just plain HURTS! Swinging the tuber thru the wake from side to side is fine and getting them outside the wake is smooth riding but first time and inexperienced riders are tough to tow right now. Skiing is fine and wakeboarding, while having a small wake, is acceptable too.

I honestly haven't pulled any tubers yet. Have left the dock to go tubing only for the sheriff to pull on lake 3 times so I just pull back out. Not really a high demand since am at a camp ground where everyone has a boat and the kids are always tubing with someone I'll see how it goes this weekend. I have read about the problem you are having and most recommend extending your rope 10-15'.

The trim tab is on the dash next to bilge and other switches. I find it isn't very convenient and wish it was attached to my throttle like a prop boat but haven't had time to dig too much into if switching it would be a possibility. I would think I should be able to do that. Add it to the list of a gazillion other things I want for the boat first.

What speeds are you making? I have figured out that my speedometer is off and when it says I'm hitting 50 my hummingbird actually shows around 41. And it GUZZLES gas. I've never had another boat so not sure if that is normal for all boats or worse with the jet

 

[Kenjunior]

GUZZLES gas, hehehehe. Yea. I don't have an hour meter but knowing the hours I put on the boat and the fill up it takes. YEP! I'm getting ready to change the vacuum 4 barrel spring to hold the secondaries closed longer trying to get heavier throttle on just the primary body. It's a classic small block Ford (Ford guys don't crucify me for the term 'small block') with a heavy load and a 4bbl carb. I have the factory paperwork/tag and the motor is listed at 5.8l H something, looks like HC but that doesn't make sense. HO would make sense and I was told when I bought it it's 285hp which falls in line with a 351 HO BUT.... mine does not have GT40 heads which is typically what makes the extra HP and the HO classifications. <shrug>

Speeds, I don't know, I relocated my pitot tube when changing the trim tabs, it didn't work well before and the speedo works worse now. Haven't put GPS to it for a while but guessing low 40s would be doable with decent lake conditions. Factory tach I don't know how accurate it is but I can push wide open and bump 5500 RPM and settle down around 5200 on the tach. I usually shoot for 4500 on the tach for water sports depending upon who's behind me.

I had carb rebuilt by a good carb guy. Mine's still just a little odd starting once warmed up. Cold, pump the throttle twice and set it in fast idle and it'll start immediately. Warmed up and shut off for a few minutes.... it's just gotta be cranked a while. I think it's running a little rich, carb guy told me to blah blah blah and I'm like, I'm an IT guy so I gotta look up WTH he means. You notice the dark scum line at the exhaust ports in the photo, it's a little rich smelling while water sporting behind it too.

I honestly haven't pulled any tubers yet. Have left the dock to go tubing only for the sheriff to pull on lake 3 times so I just pull back out. Not really a high demand since am at a camp ground where everyone has a boat and the kids are always tubing with someone I'll see how it goes this weekend. I have read about the problem you are having and most recommend extending your rope 10-15'.

The trim tab is on the dash next to bilge and other switches. I find it isn't very convenient and wish it was attached to my throttle like a prop boat but haven't had time to dig too much into if switching it would be a possibility. I would think I should be able to do that. Add it to the list of a gazillion other things I want for the boat first.

What speeds are you making? I have figured out that my speedometer is off and when it says I'm hitting 50 my hummingbird actually shows around 41. And it GUZZLES gas. I've never had another boat so not sure if that is normal for all boats or worse with the jet

 

[Sonyavdz]

GUZZLES gas, hehehehe. Yea. I don't have an hour meter but knowing the hours I put on the boat and the fill up it takes. YEP! I'm getting ready to change the vacuum 4 barrel spring to hold the secondaries closed longer trying to get heavier throttle on just the primary body. It's a classic small block Ford (Ford guys don't crucify me for the term 'small block') with a heavy load and a 4bbl carb. I have the factory paperwork/tag and the motor is listed at 5.8l H something, looks like HC but that doesn't make sense. HO would make sense and I was told when I bought it it's 285hp which falls in line with a 351 HO BUT.... mine does not have GT40 heads which is typically what makes the extra HP and the HO classifications. <shrug>

Speeds, I don't know, I relocated my pitot tube when changing the trim tabs, it didn't work well before and the speedo works worse now. Haven't put GPS to it for a while but guessing low 40s would be doable with decent lake conditions. Factory tach I don't know how accurate it is but I can push wide open and bump 5500 RPM and settle down around 5200 on the tach. I usually shoot for 4500 on the tach for water sports depending upon who's behind me.

I had carb rebuilt by a good carb guy. Mine's still just a little odd starting once warmed up. Cold, pump the throttle twice and set it in fast idle and it'll start immediately. Warmed up and shut off for a few minutes.... it's just gotta be cranked a while. I think it's running a little rich, carb guy told me to blah blah blah and I'm like, I'm an IT guy so I gotta look up WTH he means. You notice the dark scum line at the exhaust ports in the photo, it's a little rich smelling while water sporting behind it too.

I'm cruising comfortably at 4500 RPM and I don't run wide open all time. When I occasionally do RPM bump to around 5000. I had it running at 5500 RPM one day with it trimmed up all the way and it started to spark knock so I backed off. It is an older engine so I don't beat on it much, plus it is a Ford which is a pain in the ass to work on so I try not to break it. I bought last year and it runs pretty good. A lot of people turn heads when I start her up. The thru hull exhaust sounds wicked plus my carb is tuned pretty well so it idles like a hot rod. I'm sure it has some after market work done to it but I'm a girl so not sure. My hubby has ZERO interest in my boat and a year later is still pissed that I bought a jet (& that I broke cable this summer and ended up with $1k repair bill) but I keep telling him it is a B.O.A.T!

I would love to have access to some of the original paper work if you wouldn't mind scanning and emailing to me? My title list as 96' but the VIN registers it as a 95'. When I bought boat I tried to track down some paper work online but couldn't find anything that referenced that Four Winns made anything besides a Fling. I even had Four Winns experts arguing with me that my boat was completely custom! I finally came across something online that explained why they were only made for 2 years but that was it. I reached out to the AT expert on one of the forums and he walked me through the maintenance that needs to be done. Make sure you are greasing the 2 grease spots on jet at least every other time you take it out!

 

[Kenjunior]

I love the arguments you get when you say Four Winns and jet.... compound that with "Ford" and the marine guys just look at you like you have 3 eyes and are one of those people. I argued, albeit briefly, with a guy on the phone I wanted a starter for a Ford 5.8l, he says "Ford didn't make a marine motor..." yea, well, no shit, but they did make the long block for 900 some mariners to use so can I get a (insert any effn boat/mariner brand you want that uses a 5.8l Ford motor) starter please. Hey look, it's a starter for a F 5.8l marine rated, gosh be Wally, thanks! I've been thru it for plugs, plug wires & coil. I have it documented, SOMEWHERE what the proper parts are that can be safely pruchased from [insert local parts store]. Firing order is 351W order but the location of #1 in my Mallory ignition isn't where it's listed for a 351W. Not hard to figure out but it was still time I'll never get back.

I'm sure you've done some digging on the Redline Marine motors. Long story short, give a few guys a warehouse and they'll build ya some solid boat motors. I'd love to know more about the internals, specifically what cam and pistons were used. I've got this terrible hankering to pull the 351 out this winter and tinker a little. The AT jet says safe up to 500hp. I don't want 500hp outta it but then again.....

 

[Kenjunior]

I built an integrated cooler for the bow area. It's not a Yeti but it was designed and fits well in the area and will hold ice all day long on the water.

 

[Speedling]

I built an integrated cooler for the bow area. It's not a Yeti but it was designed and fits well in the area and will hold ice all day long on the water.
View attachment 43459 View attachment 43460 View attachment 43461 View attachment 43462 View attachment 43463

Dude.... thats awesome!

 

[Sonyavdz]

Thats awesome and a great idea! You obviously have more skills than just IT

How is your layout?

I built an integrated cooler for the bow area. It's not a Yeti but it was designed and fits well in the area and will hold ice all day long on the water.
View attachment 43459 View attachment 43460 View attachment 43461 View attachment 43462 View attachment 43463

 

[Sonyavdz]

But t

I love the arguments you get when you say Four Winns and jet.... compound that with "Ford" and the marine guys just look at you like you have 3 eyes and are one of those people. I argued, albeit briefly, with a guy on the phone I wanted a starter for a Ford 5.8l, he says "Ford didn't make a marine motor..." yea, well, no shit, but they did make the long block for 900 some mariners to use so can I get a (insert any effn boat/mariner brand you want that uses a 5.8l Ford motor) starter please. Hey look, it's a starter for a F 5.8l marine rated, gosh be Wally, thanks! I've been thru it for plugs, plug wires & coil. I have it documented, SOMEWHERE what the proper parts are that can be safely pruchased from [insert local parts store]. Firing order is 351W order but the location of #1 in my Mallory ignition isn't where it's listed for a 351W. Not hard to figure out but it was still time I'll never get back.

I'm sure you've done some digging on the Redline Marine motors. Long story short, give a few guys a warehouse and they'll build ya some solid boat motors. I'd love to know more about the internals, specifically what cam and pistons were used. I've got this terrible hankering to pull the 351 out this winter and tinker a little. The AT jet says safe up to 500hp. I don't want 500hp outta it but then again.....

But then again 500 hp would be FUN!

 

[Sonyavdz]

That's her name!