89 3.7 merc bow rider / barley idles

karayj

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 4, 2002
Messages
468
Looking for some guidance diesel one of the repairs that just aggravate me because it could be so many different things. So Saturday I took the boat out it was OK in the beginning I noticed a little bit of skipping but it seem to clear itself out and everything went well.
Today I took the boat out and it was skipping but I said I will probably go away well it didn’t and it got worse and worse shut the boat off waited about an hour. I started it up again and every time I try to give it gas it would not except it as if I was giving a flooding scenario.
. The way I got back to the dock was by starting it up and then kind of putting it in gear gassing it as much as I could so we could run for about three seconds and then die and drift.
When I got home and I start the boat up in the driveway it barely idols, the fuel filter seems clear the filter screen and the carburetor look clear.Now I remember this happening to me last year at the beginning of the season I replace the carb and it seem to of fixed it. But again the key thing to remember is it would drive at idle speed but the second you go to give it gas it would kick fart skip and then die
 

karayj

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 4, 2002
Messages
468
I am thinking carb rebuild/ The same scenario happened to me 2 years back. I change the carb to fix it and it ran well after .
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
50,484
Service the points

Service the fuel system
 

karayj

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 4, 2002
Messages
468
WOW SCOTT !!!! BINGO your are correct. ( SMART MAN) I did the plugs they were beat up .
The points were off gap wise, I would say 12 or 15 . I gapped them to 22 and now she runs great!! < I could have fixed it on the water and enjoyed a full day on the water. Now I know why it got worse and worse on each trip.
I will get a nice screw driver set and gapping tool for the glove box.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
50,484
Use a dwell meter. Gaping only gets you close, dwell meter gets you precise
 
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