omc 2.3 running rough

[brett7721]

i have a 1990 four winns it was running great on the muffs and the all the sudden it started to run like **** and now its only running cylinder 2 and 3 and the spark looks when i pull the plug wires what can it be

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: omc 2.3 running rough

pull the plugs and see if any water comes out the holes

 

[brett7721]

Re: omc 2.3 running rough

pulled the plugs and and thay were black and the compression was 120 cold on cylinder 1 and 135 on cylinder 4.does any body no the fireing order on the block and the cap.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: omc 2.3 running rough

firing order should be 1,3,4,2

 

[brett7721]

Re: omc 2.3 running rough

ok checked them and there right i have a wire back by the starter solenoid that is gray with a black strip and dont no where it goes. it was a friends boat and got it cheap trying to get it going.how can i tell if i have a mallory or Prestolite Distributor.

 

[danond]

Re: omc 2.3 running rough

A factory (not Clymer, not SELOC) service manual will help here. You can get them on eBay. They have color wiring diagrams in them.

Sounds like you need to do a basic maintenance run-through before you go much further. Replace cap, rotor, points, set the dwell, gap, r&r plugs, check/replace plug wires, see if the carb needs a rebuild, clean the battery and starter connections, drain and refill the outdrive, inspect gimbal bearing, bellows, etc etc.

Taking on any used/old boat basically requires these things or you're going to be dead on the lake every other time out and dealing with issues like what you have here.

 

[brett7721]

Re: omc 2.3 running rough

I replaced the cap rotor points and set the dwel and plugs and wire that i got from a napa.but i was on a web sit that i found on a form and the distriabator that napa told me i have is a Prestolite but i found a pic of a mallory and mine looks like that so im wondering if its a matter of the wrong parts or a loose wire or a wire off or something stupid be for i did the points and condenser it ran great then it started to run on 2 cylinders