SalmonLake
New member
Hello! I'm looking for info about my issue with our Four Winns 180 with a Volvo Penta 190 inboard engine. We have it on a lake and have it professionally winterized/ maintained and stored- we are clueless. Sooooo spring 2016 they told us we needed a "new drive shaft" to the tune of $2,000 in parts and labor. We wondered why this wasn't noted in the fall when we took the boat in for winterization and storage giving us NO TIME to save for this huge bill- but we pd and got it done. Spring 2017 we put the boat in and all was fine for the weekend we used it then it sat for 3 weeks until we returned to the cabin. The battery was dead. (was this a sign the bilge was running?) We recharged it and it was fine for the next 2 months we noticed nothing concerning except water in the hull (under the floor where we store life jackets)- a gallon or so every few days. Being clueless we just dried it out and kept running the boat. Took it in to be winterized and stored in the fall.
Spring 2018. The dreaded "we were looking over the boat and...." another $2,000 repair is needed. They say our bellows cracked and water got into the lower unit damaging the drive shaft, gimble bearing, o rings. Need $1,000 in parts and $1,200 in labor. I have some questions:
1. Was that dead battery in the Spring of 2017 indicative that the bilge may have been working overtime in those weeks it just sat?
2. Why are these issues found one month before we need the boat to be in the water?- Is this stuff not a routine check before winterizing?
3. Since the boat was FINE when we dropped it in the fall for winterization and storage- is it possible that over the winter water that may have gotten into lower unit FROZE and caused all of this? (could it have been prevented?)
Trying to decide if we should change marinas, get a second opinion, or what. Thanks for your advice and insight
Spring 2018. The dreaded "we were looking over the boat and...." another $2,000 repair is needed. They say our bellows cracked and water got into the lower unit damaging the drive shaft, gimble bearing, o rings. Need $1,000 in parts and $1,200 in labor. I have some questions:
1. Was that dead battery in the Spring of 2017 indicative that the bilge may have been working overtime in those weeks it just sat?
2. Why are these issues found one month before we need the boat to be in the water?- Is this stuff not a routine check before winterizing?
3. Since the boat was FINE when we dropped it in the fall for winterization and storage- is it possible that over the winter water that may have gotten into lower unit FROZE and caused all of this? (could it have been prevented?)
Trying to decide if we should change marinas, get a second opinion, or what. Thanks for your advice and insight
