Shelter

[Shelter]

I own a 1992 Bayliner Trophy Hardtop with a 4.3 liter mercruiser engine. I do alot of trolling in freshwater for salmon and lake trout at very low speeds (2-3 mph). Recently, after trolling for a couple of hours and then returning home at a cruising speed, the engine quits after entering a river and no wake area (slow fast idle speed); but then would restart after a few minutes. I suspected the carb so I re-built that and the first time out it ran fine for about twenty minutes, and then quit at idle speeds and restarted a few times and eventually would not start at all. Acts as though it is not getting fuel. I suspect the fuel pump but would like a second opinion before I spend a couple of hundred dollars

 

[Don S]

Re: Shelter

Remove your fuel filter water seperator, empty it into a clean container and see if there is water in it. Then throw the filter away and install a new one.

 

[Shelter]

Re: Shelter

Thanks, I did that, but did not notice much for water in what I poured out of the filter, but, I screwed up and poured it into a clear plastic container, which started to dissolve immediately.:redface: With the new filter, the engine fired right up and I let it run for about 30 minutes at the slip and it appeared to run just fine. However, when I took it out for a sea trial, it lacked power and accelleration, then backfired and did not run smoothly. I idled back to the slip and left the engine running while I lifted the cover. At that point I noticed sparks jumping from the coil post to one of the primary wires and also a small bubble forming near the starboard center of the intake manifold Wires are easy, for that matter so is the intake manifold gasket. My next question is: Is it a good idea only to replace the intake manifold gasket ? (as long as nothing is cracked or somethng)

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Shelter

After your ignition tune up double check your fuel pressure and make sure its up to par.

As for the intake manifold. You said it was forming a "bubble"?

A bubble filling with air at the point where the intake manifold mates with the heads? or somewhere else? It should not make a bubble with air because that should be a vacuum at those points, but a bubble filling with steam at one of the water passages in your intake makes a little sense.

I would start by doing a compression check and a leak down check, also check your oil and make sure water did not finds its way in there leaking from the bottom of your intake...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Shelter

At that point I noticed sparks jumping from the coil post to one of the primary wires

Ayuh,.... That's a Sure sign of trouble downstream from that point...
Plugs, Plugwires, Distributer Cap, 'n Rotor....

I'd like to hear more about the Bubble too...

 

[Shelter]

Re: Shelter

I am back to the fuel problem. New wires fixed the spark jumping issue and the bubble disappeared (I'm thinking it was oil or grease on the manifold). However, I am changing the fuel water separator nearly every time I fuel the boat. Each time I add fuel to the boat, within minutes I begin to loose power, but everything returns to normal after changing the fuel water sepator catridge. I am careful to always purchase my fuel at the marina because of the ethanol/water issue we have with gas stations around here. This has happened at least four times over the past year. Each time I poured the contents of the filter into a glass jar but I have not seen any evidence of water. After the last change I did notice some whitish particulates in the jar. My boat neighbors mentioned it may be the fuel cell liner disintegrating (it is an aluminum fuel tank). I am guessing that the filter material is absorbing and capturing the water. I am getting ready to lay the boat up for the winter and am wondering what I can do to fix this pesky problem before next season.

 

[CV16]

Re: Shelter

I am having about the same issue with my dads boat. The marina that he is at still uses the ethanol crap gas. When I started to just pull the boat out of the water and fill up at a station, our problem went away. They didn't have a sticker on the pump at the marina stating that they used 10% ethanol, they have one on it now though.