Engine not starting

[DeputyMike]

I have been rebuilding a boat for the last 2 years (the engine ran before i began the project). I replaced some gaskets in the engine during the project, had the carb rebuilt, replaced spark plugs and wires. I wired everything back up recently and tried to start the engine. I wasn't getting any fuel to the carburetor so I replaced the fuel pump. Now I have gas going to the carb but it is not firing. I also have gas going through the overflow(?) hose from the fuel pump to the carb. I don't think this is supposed to be going up there. Any ideas why it won't fire and why the fuel is going up the overflow hose? PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[blingin96]

Re: Engine not starting

Im not familiar with your boat because im a newbie but do you have spark at the plugs? or spark at the coil?

 

[bomar76]

Re: Engine not starting

Among what other problems you may have, you replaced the fuel pump with another bad unit. Fuel in the sight tube means the diaphram is ruptured.

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

I bought a brand new fuel pump though...

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not starting

I bought a brand new fuel pump though...

Believe it or not, new things can fail.

 

[Daddy5295]

Re: Engine not starting

New parts aren't always perfect i know from experience.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Engine not starting

What kind of enginne is it?......
But , yeah, fuel in the sight tube is a bad diaphragm....​

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

it is a chevy 350 small block v8

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

also, i told 3 different auto parts stores the name (carter) and the number ( c2208 i think) that were on the old fuel pump and none of them could find anything in their books with that name and number. kind of just picked a fuel pump for an older model chevy. how can i find the exact pump that i need????

 

[dgopetactical]

Re: Engine not starting

what year is your engine?

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

1991

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Engine not starting

Go to Napa, they carry marine parts.....
You cannot use an automotive fuel pump on a marine engine......
Or you can look it up online, that is a very common part......​

 

[bomar76]

Re: Engine not starting

also, i told 3 different auto parts stores the name (carter) and the number ( c2208 i think) that were on the old fuel pump and none of them could find anything in their books with that name and number. kind of just picked a fuel pump for an older model chevy. how can i find the exact pump that i need????

To begin, 90% of auto parts stores are totally clueless on marine parts. Some NAPA's will bother to look up the items in their Marine cataloge, but none of my local ones will bother.

Autozone and their ilk may try to sell you an automotive pump that will fit, but it will be niether SAFE > LEGAL > OR SUITED for marine useage.

You need to either go online and order the correct pump, or trot on down to your local marina and order it. All you need are the engine serial number to find the correct part. If you bothered to post it I am sure Don would respond, or you could go to mercurypartsexpress and look it up yourself.

 

[dgopetactical]

Re: Engine not starting

you need mercruiser part # 861678a1 fuel pump

http://www.mercurypartsexpress.com/PartsExpress/ProductSelection/Accessories/getProduct.asp?sku=861678A1&SPHomeqty=&store=ServiceParts&statusMsg=&CID=174163188072225062275

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

The fuel pump not withstanding, what can cause me to have no spark? The starter cranks, but there doesn't seem to be a spark. I pulled off a spark plug wire and stuck a screwdriver in it and then held the screwdriver next to the engine block (like i was taught by my dad and a friend as well, dunno if that is ok to do or not...) and did not see a spark. I had a buddy helping me with the engine and he had rigged a push button starter before the engine was wired up and we did see a spark that way. after me and a different buddy wired everything back up like it was originally was when i noticed the no spark. What do i need to check now?

Now, as far as the fuel pump, I noticed that one reply from Bomar76 said I needed to know the serial number to find the correct part, but the reply from degopetactical gave me a part number without knowing my serial number. do i need to tell someone the serial number or do i just get that part?

 

[thrasher]

Re: Engine not starting

The screwdriver in the spark plug cap sounds suspicious!! I would suggest plugging a spare spark plug in the cap and then holding the body of the spark plug to any part of the engine to get a ground contact. You can then see a spark at the spark gap. Your screwdriver might not make good contact inside the cap, and I am not sure where you expect to see the spark!! Sounds like a good technique to get a nice shock of the ignition system!!

So back to basics, do you have 12 volts at the coil? the ignition system works by having one side of the ignition coil tied to positive (via the ignition switch) and the other side of the coil tied to ground via a contact breaker or CDI system. First check that one of your coil connections is connected to 12Volts. There is no easy way to check the CDI, so to check the coil, try disconnecting the other side of the ignition coil that goes to the CDI. Now use a multimeter and check if you have continuity through the coil. If you do then take a wire connected to ground, touch the coil connection (the one that you disconnected from the CDI) and you should be able to create a spark on the wire coming out of the coil (just connect a spark plug to the end of the wire coming from the coil and touch the spark plug body to ground) whilst you touch the ground wire against the coil connection. If you don't get a spark then the coil or wire from the coil is defective. If you do get a spark then either your CDI is not operating (bad CDI, missing supply, etc) or the pickup in the distributeur is not firing the CDI. You will need someone more knowledgable than me to help you diagnose the CDI/pickup if they are faulty.

Gary

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

From what me and my buddy can tell, there is no voltage on either points of the coil when the key is just turned to on, but there is voltage on both points when we try to crank the engine.

 

[dgopetactical]

Re: Engine not starting

The fuel pump not withstanding, what can cause me to have no spark? The starter cranks, but there doesn't seem to be a spark. I pulled off a spark plug wire and stuck a screwdriver in it and then held the screwdriver next to the engine block (like i was taught by my dad and a friend as well, dunno if that is ok to do or not...) and did not see a spark. I had a buddy helping me with the engine and he had rigged a push button starter before the engine was wired up and we did see a spark that way. after me and a different buddy wired everything back up like it was originally was when i noticed the no spark. What do i need to check now?

Now, as far as the fuel pump, I noticed that one reply from Bomar76 said I needed to know the serial number to find the correct part, but the reply from degopetactical gave me a part number without knowing my serial number. do i need to tell someone the serial number or do i just get that part?

I looked up your engine plus the Year you gave and came up with that part number. You can go to mercurymarine.com and put your serial # in im sure it will come up the same. From what I see that pump was used in 5.7's from mid 80's to mid 90's. Im sure if you post your serial # somebosy can look it up also.

 

[DeputyMike]

Re: Engine not starting

OK, i am getting really pissed off now, i just replaced the fuel pump with the marine one. now it won't even TRY to crank. i just want to blow the damn thing up. what am i supposed to do now...

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Engine not starting

OK, i am getting really pissed off now, i just replaced the fuel pump with the marine one. now it won't even TRY to crank. i just want to blow the damn thing up. what am i supposed to do now...

Step back from the boat, take a deep breath and go back to the basics. Three things are needed to make your engine run. Compression. (taken for granted at this point), Fuel, (questionable at best guess) and spark (maybe yes but seems like no). First off I would check the ing. system and trace the wiring system to find the fault. Once I confirmed I had spark, I'd prime the carb with a little gas and see if I could get the engine to fire. If it does, I'd then I'd address the fuel pump issue. If It did not fire I'd check the compression.