2001 Mercruiser 3.0L, FUEL/POWER issue!!!!

[bryen813]

This is a 2001 Mercruiser 3.0L Alpha I. When I bought the boat the owner said when she barely put any hours in it (49 hours) and by then it would only go 15 mph... Well she couldn't figure it out and the boat sat for 4 years.

When I was diagnosing why it had no fuel going down throat of carb I checked fuel line to carb and nothing. I installed a new fuel pump (here from iboats) and WOOHOO got fuel to the carb!!!

Well from here I couldn't get it to start up on it's own! It would crank and crank and crank but never turn. Finally I took off the throttle cable, opened it manually (yes I see the jets spraying fuel) and had helper crank it and what do ya know she started up and stayed running!!!

But I still couldn't get it to start up on her own. I adjusted the throttle cable little by little to see if that could get it to start on her own. and it did, but it has a high idle of about 1500 give or take.

****NOTE**** When I tried to rev the throttle manually it wouldn't rev high and seemed to cut out of power. I believe whatever this cause is could be the culprit to my whole problem, which we will get to in a sec!

so I shouldn't have put it in the water until I fixed the high rev but such a hot day today and she ran so steady on her own I got a little too excited I ran it for about 2 hours last night to be sure everything was running okay. started up anytime I tried no issues.

Come this morning when Im going to warm the engine, same thing, couldn't get it to start!! But since I didn't have a helper, I had to adjust the throttle cable to be open enough to get it to start(is this normal!? She said even when she first bought it brand new she always had starting issues, maybe related??) But it did start and when it was warm enough I killed it and was able to adjust the throttle down to lower the idle.

So I take it down the road to launch and it starts right up, but when put in gear(drive or reverse) it KICKS pretty hard!!!! i'm guessing because of this high idle issue, but I can't get it to stay on with lower idle! It just dies. Any help here to fix my high idle/ hard drive kicking!!!

Besides the KICK im just GLAD it's running and on the water for the first time in 5 years! BUT it doesn't accelerate fast or strong, if I put too much throttle it will just DIE! so I was again only able to go maybe 15 mph (Speedometer wasn't working).

Does this sound like a carb issue or could the new fuel pump have gone out already?!!? what are common things that make fuel pumps go out or is this unlikely cause?(i've yet to test for fuel or pressure since I've just gotten back) Could the carbs pump gone out or could the carb just need a rebuild?

Thanks for input guys really need it.

 

[Maclin]

Re: 2001 Mercruiser 3.0L was running, died, now no fuel spraying down carb

Re: 2001 Mercruiser 3.0L was running, died, now no fuel spraying down carb

Regarding the "start on it's own"....it is a carbureted engine, you have to pump the throttle a couple of times before cranking when it is cold or it will indeed take a long time to start. Before starting the cold engine, put the throttle lever into Neutral, engine only mode. Then move the throttle lever past half way twice. Leave the throttle at idle and crank the engine.

Also, I believe you should not have to remove any linkages from the throttle control to just move the carb throttle manually at the carb.

You need to undo what all you did with the cabling adjustments.

The rest of the problems are probably not in just one area, but the carb is probably due to be taken apart and cleaned and rebuilt. The engine also needs a fresh ignition tuneup just so you are starting with known values.

 

[bryen813]

Re: 2001 Mercruiser 3.0L was running, died, now no fuel spraying down carb

Re: 2001 Mercruiser 3.0L was running, died, now no fuel spraying down carb

Regarding the "start on it's own"....it is a carbureted engine, you have to pump the throttle a couple of times before cranking when it is cold or it will indeed take a long time to start. Before starting the cold engine, put the throttle lever into Neutral, engine only mode. Then move the throttle lever past half way twice. Leave the throttle at idle and crank the engine.

Also, I believe you should not have to remove any linkages from the throttle control to just move the carb throttle manually at the carb.

You need to undo what all you did with the cabling adjustments.

The rest of the problems are probably not in just one area, but the carb is probably due to be taken apart and cleaned and rebuilt. The engine also needs a fresh ignition tuneup just so you are starting with known values.

Yeah I know I always pump it before I try to start it because it is carbed.

but If I do not remove the throttle cable from the carb then I cannot manually move the throttle on the carb unless the throttle cable moves also which trust me I try and it doesn't move much. so is this not normal???

but anyways i found the solution to it dying and not starting...my gas gauge is broken and it was just out of gas, should have checked everything out before posting, but I do still have the current issue of it not accelerating enough, dies when WOT or even just 1/2-3/4 throttle. only goes 15 mph. My friends mom(who i bought boat from) said that she remembers someone saying fuel line is gummed up. What is best way to clean gummed fuel line? I already replaced fuel line from tank to pump, so I need to clean or replace fuel line from pump to carb?!