Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

[Drew9753]

I just purchased a 1999 Four Winns 190 with a Volvo Penta 5.0 GL (PWTR) and we have had it out on the lake four times so far to ski, tube, etc. Unfortunately, I know very little about engines and troubleshooting engine problems but I have a couple issues that I need some advice on.

First, when we first put the boat in at the ramp and start it up (with a little throttle it starts right up) I will let it run for a minute or two but when I try to put it in gear it will stall. This has happened each time we have gone out. Once it has run for awhile I can shut it off and it will start back up and go in gear without any trouble. There have been two times that I had to give it some throttle to start again, otherwise it starts with one turn of the key once it is warm. Any thoughts on what I can do so that it does not stall at the ramp?

Second, there have been at least two times that there was some hesitation when I went to put the boat on plane. By hesitation, I mean that I would put the boat in gear, begin to increase throttle and within those first few seconds there would be a slight pause, maybe only a second, before the engine would give the power it should based on the amount of throttle I was giving. Again, any thoughts?

My two initial thoughts (again, very little knowledge about engines) were old/bad gas and that it needs a tune up. The boat evidently sat for three years and it had a little gas in when I did a lake test (not sure if it was added by the marina or whether it was gas from three years ago). I have since put it a fresh, full tank of gas and the issues are still going on. Does anyone recommend adding one of the fuel cleaners/additives? Any other ideas?

As for the tune-up, I figured I could at least change the spark plugs myself - does anyone think this would help? I need to know what kind of spark plugs to put in. I checked the sticker on the engine and it says "see owners manual". I checked the owners manual and it says see "authorized Volvo Penta or OMC stern drive dealer". Does anyone know what spark plugs I need?

Any other tips/tricks I would greatly appreciate. Thanks.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

The carburetor may have some issues from sitting that long. The hesitation you describe can be a symptom of the accelerator pump shot not up to par, and wants you to have the carb rebuilt. (Boats are needy).

The accelerator pump is inside the carb and has some rubber components, it squirts fuel into the carb bore as the throttle is opened. If the pump shot is weak then the engine will hesitate and stumble until the engine's demand draws the fuel thru the carb's main jets just by airflow.

If you are not used to carbureted engines and your experience is with modern automobile fuel injected engines then that is all "news" to you, as the fuel injection computer enriches the fuel mix electronically thru the injectors.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

Meant to add this, an electrical tuneup is always a good thing. Cap, Rotor, Spark plugs. The spark plug wires are probably ok, check for aging visually. Yours has electronic ignition so that is about all it will need, dwell+timing+advance is all set.

 

[dizzy1]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

I had similiar problems at the beginning of this year. Bought a new to me 2007 Reinell with a 5.0GL. Was bank repo that sat for almost a year in the AZ desert. Bad gas caused some issues, ran 2 tanks of 91 octane and Sea Foam thru it and all hesitation went away. Only issue still have is the stalling like you have on a cold engine coming off trailer. I've messed around with the choke and settings and came away that this is the norm on a carbed engine and knowing how to properly start and warm up. What you need to do is see if it will even idle in neutral off the trailer cold. Adjust the idle screw to keep it from stalling. Once you know that is good here is what I do now and no more stalling issues. Push the neutral button and push throttle to full and hold for about 10 seconds then bring throttle back to about 1/4 throttle still in neutral. When starting on trailer in water should fire right up and adjust throttle to keep RPMs about 1200. Let boat warm up for about 30-45 seconds. When trailer backs deeper in water so boat starts to float off trailer, put throttle(still in no gear) back to neutral and go into reverse. You have to learn how much reverse is needed to move the boat, keep RPM's high enough so it won't stall. Once backed from dock, you should be able to go to neutral and not stall if your idle screw is adjusted correctly. After a few minutes your engine should be warm enough so when you just barely go into forward gear, it won't stall. If it does, turn idle screw in about 1/16th more. Boat RPM's might drop then surge but that seems to be the norm with the carb on this engine. Just get used to doing this and you'll realize its not a big issue. I was nervous at first and regretting buying carb'd but now no concerns at all.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

On my 5.0GL I have to let it warm up on the trailer enough so that the temp gauge starts moving. If I go into neutral too early it will lope and possibly stall like yours. I start it up and let it run at 1500rpm for 3-4 minutes until the temp needle starts to move, and it doesn't stall after that. You'll just have to find how much time you need to get to that point, every engine/carb is different.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

Good stuff Dizzy You have a good attitude about it all.

I am 60 years old so living with carbs was just a way of life.

As for cars now, TGFFI Thank Goodness For Fuel Injection...and Computers!

 

[Maclin]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

Yo Skydive, how are you, I know you went thru a lot of the same "startup" curve on this stuff, hope all is well with your boating!

 

[Drew9753]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

Great information everyone. I will start by trying the Sea Foam. Unfortunately, I put in at fairly busy ramp with just a single dock. There is often a line of boats waiting to use the ramp so sitting for a few minutes while the engine warms up may frustrate those waiting. I have actually just pushed off and drifted while warming the engine. I will try some of the throttle suggestions dizzy had next time out.

Any idea what it would cost to have the carb "rebuilt"? I may need to just put that on the list of future work with a fairly limited budget. I will also check the idle screw. Does anyone know where I can find the exact spark plugs for this engine? How about the Cap and rotor? Are those easy to replace?

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Volvo 5.0 GL Stalling and Hesitation

Yo Skydive, how are you, I know you went thru a lot of the same "startup" curve on this stuff, hope all is well with your boating!

Hey Maclin, the season is off to a great start so far. I finally realized my startup mistakes late last season, fixed everything I broke while investigating what was going wrong, and now she starts, idles, accelerates and holds WOT great. I couldn't be happier with how it runs. And in the process, I learned the in's and out's of carburetors as well as my engine/drive combo. Been doing my own maintenance and winterization now too. It was a steep curve no doubt.

Drew, if it's a busy ramp pushing off and floating while warming up is a great idea as long as the cove isn't too crowded or too windy. I imagine once you're out there you only need another minute or two before you can shift, then you can get her to warm up pretty quick. If you do adjust the idle screw while running, make sure the engine is fully warmed up and at operating temperature before doing so. It will run differently while cold, and believe me, you'll chase your tail by adjusting anything while the engine is not at operating temp. I'll check on spark plugs for you. In the mean time, if you find a Volvo/Champion part number, don't get those. The Champion plugs are awful.