What is the model number of that 88hp engine?
As above, start with the basic trouble-shooting procedure... Pick up a compression gauge and a "Air Gap" type spark tester, available at any automotive parts store... or build the following spark tester.
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(Spark Tester - Home Made)
(J. Reeves)
You can use a medium size philips screwdriver (#2 I believe) inserted into the spark plug boot spring connector, then hold the screwdriver shank approximately 7/16" away from the block to check the spark or build the following:
A spark tester can be made with a piece of 1x4 or 1x6, drive a few finishing nails through it, then bend the pointed ends at a right angle. You can then adjust the gap by simply twisting the nail(s). Solder a spark plug wire to one which you can connect to the spark plug boots, and a ground wire of some kind to the other to connect to the powerhead somewhere. Use small alligator clips on the other end of the wires to connect to ground and to the spark plug connector that exists inside of the rubber plug boot.
Using the above, one could easily build a spark tester whereas they could connect 2, 4, 6, or 8 cylinders all at one time. The ground nail being straight up, the others being bent, aimed at the ground nail. A typical 4 cylinder tester follows:
..........X1..........X2
.................X..(grd)
..........X3..........X4
This can obviously be modified to a 6 or 8 cylinder setup tester.
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Remove "all" the spark plugs for the above tests in order to achieve the fastest cranking speed.
The spark should jump a 7/16" gap with a strong blue lightning like flame... a real SNAP! Does it?
The compression should be somewhere around 100 psi and closely even on all cylinders. What are the psi reading of all individual cylinders?
On a flushette, the idle rpm can be set to the following rpms for the various shaft length engines:
20" Shaft - 1000 rpm
25" shaft - 1200 rpm.... That idle rpm will drop to normal when the rig in set in the water.
Post #1 - poor choice of words... "Submerged"... Hopefully you do not encounter this situation. (Couldn't resist)
