Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

[ThePhantomPooper]

I recently joined this forum, ran a search of the threads on the aq170 engine/280 outdrive combo and found lots of interesting information.

I recently 'inherited' the ol' family boat. its a 77 bayliner jamaica with the above powerplant. Its been stored out of hte weather for about 2 years without use. Before being parked, the ol boat ran really well, no issues with starting, leaks, etc.

It was drained of water before storage, but fuel stabilizer wasn't used (3 dollars saved is gonna cost me).

I popped a fresh battery into it last saturday to see 'just for fun' what would happen. nothing happened but a few spins of the engine and no firing. it then started raining and the hockey playoffs were on. so i decided to stop.

I purchased some fresh spark plugs, and i'm going to do some troubleshooting with my seloc manual tonight. Going to do some electrical testing to see how sparky the ol sparker parts are.

However i think i am hosed on the on fuel system. I don't think the fuel pump is operating well.

I think the carbs are clogged (i prolly should say they are).

so, a few questions for the salty dogs on here.

1-fuel pump cleaning-any ideas on a procedure to clean out the varnish, gunk n gremlins?

2-same for the carbs. i was told a shop here in town has a 'hot tank' for cleaning carbs (no idea what a hot tank is, other than it holds something and is hot), would this revive my poor old carbs?

3-any other ideas ya'll might have on this process, i'm all ears. (i literally have huge ears)

I'll post some photos, and such for anyones interest and give regular status and dollar amount updates as well.

May the fourth be with you.

ps-i did install a new impeller in the water pump hosing that i had as a spare from storage.

 

[ThePhantomPooper]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

well, first round is down.

i got no sparkers, none. so i figure something is rotten in sweden and in need of replacement, and instead of monkeying around, i will just replace the whole thing. so i will be replacing the coil/rotor/cap with new parts and installing a electronic ignition.

I pulled some of hte oil out n looked it over, its only slightly 'browned' and has no milk/water/discoloration at all. so thats a plus.

i see no evidence of water leaks, but i didn't really get much ofa pull on the water system with no firing.

so questions.

1-does anyone have a recommendation between the hot-sparks.com product vs. the Pertronix kit?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

run a piece of fine sandpaper or emery cloth between the points. probably get it started.

 

[grahamh]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

As far as cleaning the carb, if you just take it apart and carefully spray carb cleaner through all the passages and jets, you should be good to go. If you feel like spending money it'd be a good time for a rebuild kit, but if you're just seeing if you can make the old boat run for the hell of it, I wouldn't bother.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

A temporary tank with new gas would be a good start. Set it up higher than the fuel pump to give it a chance to get a suction. The fuel pump does have an inlet screen so you might want to check that if a tank with a good suction head doesn't get gas to the carbs. If the pump has a rotted diaphram, you'll find out soon enough with the tank higher than the pump. It'll be leaking gas out of the little hole in the bottom. You're going to have a hard time finding a new fuel pump but I believe some of the rebuild kits are still available. The "pushrod" four bangers of that era use the same pump and you see them on ebay for 20 to 50 dollars. That's an area where you want to keep your fingers crossed.

For the ignition - check all of your wires and conections to make sure nothing has come loose or rusted through. You gotta have fire or the gas won't do you any good.

Neither the hot spark or pertronics are going to fix any problems. Think of them as a magnetic replacement for the mechanical switch (points). I have the hot spark and it seems to be working well. But I wouldn't invest in either one until the engine is making noises that you like!

Keep the battery charger hooked up - you'll probably need it several times

If all else fails, there's some great information in the "adults only" section above. Some say to start there but why spoil the fun

 

[ThePhantomPooper]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

A temporary tank with new gas would be a good start. Set it up higher than the fuel pump to give it a chance to get a suction. The fuel pump does have an inlet screen so you might want to check that if a tank with a good suction head doesn't get gas to the carbs. If the pump has a rotted diaphram, you'll find out soon enough with the tank higher than the pump. It'll be leaking gas out of the little hole in the bottom. You're going to have a hard time finding a new fuel pump but I believe some of the rebuild kits are still available. The "pushrod" four bangers of that era use the same pump and you see them on ebay for 20 to 50 dollars. That's an area where you want to keep your fingers crossed.

For the ignition - check all of your wires and conections to make sure nothing has come loose or rusted through. You gotta have fire or the gas won't do you any good.

Neither the hot spark or pertronics are going to fix any problems. Think of them as a magnetic replacement for the mechanical switch (points). I have the hot spark and it seems to be working well. But I wouldn't invest in either one until the engine is making noises that you like!

Keep the battery charger hooked up - you'll probably need it several times

If all else fails, there's some great information in the "adults only" section above. Some say to start there but why spoil the fun

I will be re-reading the adults only sections related to this.

I am working on restoring this to reliable working condition, and since i would be replacing hte points/etc to do that, i figured going with the electronic would save me future issues.

Great idea on the temp tank. i have one sitting here i can use! just need a couple hose clamps.

If no action on the pump, i'll disassemble n look it over.

I put a cabelas battery charger in the boat already, just leave it hooked up to the charger all the time. I LOATHE DEAD BATTERIES. got chargers/tenders on my motorcycle, lawnmower,etc.

thanks for the tips to all in this thread.

 

[ThePhantomPooper]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

and i think i have another problem.

the walkthrough window to the front, the 'lip' that rests on the frame opposite the hinge, doesn't touch/align correctly anymore.

its like the sides of the boat have spread open, stretching the opening.

do i have structural rot/bad framing? or is this sort of thing common on boats this old?

i have noted a slight amount of delamination/rot in the floor back near the gas tank.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Reviving a bit of my youth-volvo aq170 up n running

I would have thought that if the deck is soft, then the tops of the windows would be closer together.

To be sure, plywood delaminating isn't a good sign but bottom line is that you won't know for sure what's going on until you investigate thoroughly. The boat being as old as it is, rotting decks, stringers, and transom aren't uncommon but not guaranteed. Be best to post this issue over on the restoration section to get more experienced help.