4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

JollyMan

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Hi, I have a 1995 Mercruiser 4.3L. It is making a knocking sound and has little power. The oil pressure is good, the temperature is good, starts up very fast just a bit of knocking and power loss. Anyone have any ideas?
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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71,415
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

Anyone have any ideas?

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,...
Have you Checked anything besides the Oil,+ Temp gauges,..??..??
 

JollyMan

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

how do i get a vacuum like that to do the readings? Anyone have just a guess at what it might be? Thanks!
 

chiefalen

Captain
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May 18, 2008
Messages
3,598
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

Wheres the wizard with his crystal ball. My crystal ball is in the shop being fixed.

Did it just start doing this or gradually over a few days, weeks.

You just fill it with fuel and it started doing it?

Just a GUESS hmmmmm, timing off, water in the fuel.

You have a fuel water separator? If yes dump it in a clear jar, what do you see?
 

Bondo

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Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

Anyone have just a guess at what it might be?

Ayuh,.... We'd really rather not do Guesses here at iboats forums.......
We prefer to supply Solid Honest Answers....

Diagnostics is How answers are found.....

With the scant bit of infomation you've provided,.....

I Guess you need a New Motor......
 

JollyMan

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

does it do permanent damage if water gets in fuel. I will check it out..thanks
 

Uraijit

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Feb 5, 2008
Messages
884
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

No, generally water in fuel does not do permanent damage.

If your engine is knocking, and has no power, start by checking the timing.
 

JollyMan

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Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

Okay, I dumped it into a jar and it has a brown oil-like substance in it. Please let me know what ya think! thanks
 

MikDee

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Jun 6, 2007
Messages
4,745
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

It could be a piston knocking, because it's not firing on that cylinder, if it's got no power? It looks like rust in the gas?
 

JollyMan

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

so if it's a piston not firing what would it be? Plug? Wire or something more serious? thanks!
 

Windykid

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Apr 17, 2007
Messages
1,177
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

You need to start with a compression test.:cool:
 

Fishermark

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Oct 19, 2003
Messages
5,627
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

Okay, I dumped it into a jar and it has a brown oil-like substance in it. Please let me know what ya think! thanks

That's rusty water in your gas. Where did you dump the gas from? That's a lot of water! :eek:
 

JollyMan

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

That is out of the water fuel separator filter. . I'm not sure maybe it is rusty water, but anyways how do i go about doing a compression test...thanks!Is there a possibility it is my crankshaft or something? thanks!
 
Last edited:

bolo78910

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 25, 2006
Messages
503
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

from your post i remember when it was me asking these ???

compression test, is not hard to do if you get a service manual for your engine , you will know how to do a lot of things on your boat soon.

1 get a compression guage you can rent one from autozone

2 take all the spark plugs out

3 unplug the coil wire and grount it on the engine block .

4 screw in the fiting on the compression guage in the spark plug hole, the end has threads just like the apark plug it self.

5 crank the engine over antil the needle on the guage goes no more .

6 write down the result on all the cilinder.

if all cilinders has over 125 psi the engine might still have life.

if you have a real low reading on any cilinder, spray some oil in that cilinder and test it again,

i am not a great tiping guy like some on this forum, i am just trying, but with the manual it will tells u everything.

post your result here when you r finish , guys here will tell u what the trouble is.
 

Kev144

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
159
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

Engine knock can also be caused by either bad fuel or low octane. On the boats we run blowers/super chargers on, if you use too low quality (octane) fuel, they will knock and retard timing. Could be water in fuel etc. Something to consider.
 

JustJason

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Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
5,372
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

you say you have a 95 but that fuel sample look an awfull lot like it came out of a steel tank.
what kind of boat do ya got? any idea what the tank is made out of?
do you have access to the tank, can you pull the fuel sender out and pull some fuel from the tank itself?
 

JollyMan

Cadet
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
9
Re: 4.3L Mercruiser Knocking?

That fuel came out of the fuel water separator filter, the tank is plastic and yes I can get right to it and the fuel looks perfect in the tank. I filled it with premium fuel the last time. Im fricken stumped!
 
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