ThePerchik
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2008
- Messages
- 36
Hi All,
Wanted to say you are all the best, i have learned so much by lurking on this forum.
We purchased a 1985 17' Thundercraft Bowrider with a 1995 Evinrude 90HP outboard this past sept. The boat is in good shape other than the seats.
All was well until the last few times we went out last season in late October. The no oil alarm went off occasionaly and pumping the oil line primer would solve the problem. This would happen randomly, maybe once or twice a 2 hour trip, sometimes in a no-wake zone and sometimes when flying around at 25 knots on a plane. We took a look at found that the clamps on that were on the oil line around the bulb were loose. We swapped them out and on our last outing it happened once (which we attributed to a bubble in the oil line since it happned in the start) and that was it. We went out a few times this season and nothing at all. I was very stress free, it started on the first crank after we took it out of storage.
Now the drama.....we took it out this past weekend and on our return trip we were already inside the markers to enter our channel and head to the marina. We were maybe a 100 yards from the no wake zone and we bounced a bit hard over some wake of a boat coming out (much larger than ours). I couldnt really slow down because that boat was way too close and squeezing us and one was behind us. Outside the channel it gets really shallow FAST. At the point the boat lost a TON of power. Just went to slightly above planing speed but I did not touch the throttle. I throttled back, then to neutral and then back into gear and tried to speed up and nothing... still almost no power. My cousin pumped theprimer bulb on the fuel line. He said the bulb was soft. It gave it some gas and it went. We replaced teh clamps on the fuel line when we did the oil line just in case as well. By now we were in the no wake zone and went slowly. Then the all too familiar oil alarm went off. Short beebs every 2-3 seconds and a sticker on the hull says that means no oil. Cousin touched the oil bulb, as usual it was rock hard. After a few seconds it stopped.
When we came to shore i checked the oil line and it looked fine, no leaks anywhere, all clamps tight. No fuel smell anywhere and couldnt see any leaks. The tank is in the bow so i couldnt trace it all the way there....
Is this a sign that the pump is starting to poop out? Any ideas would be really appreciated. We have a BIG vacation planned on Lake George and i would want the boat to be in shape for the trip.
Thank you all.
-Paul
Wanted to say you are all the best, i have learned so much by lurking on this forum.
We purchased a 1985 17' Thundercraft Bowrider with a 1995 Evinrude 90HP outboard this past sept. The boat is in good shape other than the seats.
All was well until the last few times we went out last season in late October. The no oil alarm went off occasionaly and pumping the oil line primer would solve the problem. This would happen randomly, maybe once or twice a 2 hour trip, sometimes in a no-wake zone and sometimes when flying around at 25 knots on a plane. We took a look at found that the clamps on that were on the oil line around the bulb were loose. We swapped them out and on our last outing it happened once (which we attributed to a bubble in the oil line since it happned in the start) and that was it. We went out a few times this season and nothing at all. I was very stress free, it started on the first crank after we took it out of storage.
Now the drama.....we took it out this past weekend and on our return trip we were already inside the markers to enter our channel and head to the marina. We were maybe a 100 yards from the no wake zone and we bounced a bit hard over some wake of a boat coming out (much larger than ours). I couldnt really slow down because that boat was way too close and squeezing us and one was behind us. Outside the channel it gets really shallow FAST. At the point the boat lost a TON of power. Just went to slightly above planing speed but I did not touch the throttle. I throttled back, then to neutral and then back into gear and tried to speed up and nothing... still almost no power. My cousin pumped theprimer bulb on the fuel line. He said the bulb was soft. It gave it some gas and it went. We replaced teh clamps on the fuel line when we did the oil line just in case as well. By now we were in the no wake zone and went slowly. Then the all too familiar oil alarm went off. Short beebs every 2-3 seconds and a sticker on the hull says that means no oil. Cousin touched the oil bulb, as usual it was rock hard. After a few seconds it stopped.
When we came to shore i checked the oil line and it looked fine, no leaks anywhere, all clamps tight. No fuel smell anywhere and couldnt see any leaks. The tank is in the bow so i couldnt trace it all the way there....
Is this a sign that the pump is starting to poop out? Any ideas would be really appreciated. We have a BIG vacation planned on Lake George and i would want the boat to be in shape for the trip.
Thank you all.
-Paul