1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

[KingManatee]

Hopefully someone can help me out. I have a '63 Sea King 40hp that when you give it full throttle it barely gets above the water. Now I just got it back from the repair shop (where it's been for the last 2 months) getting the fuel pump replaced and the carburetor adjusted. When I took it back to the repair shop, the mechanic said there was nothing else he could think to do to it to run better. However, until I had the fuel pump replaced, it ran great. Is there something simple I can do to get the motor running right? It's a Gale model #GG18805A and serial # 36X873882.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

Hopefully someone can help me out. I have a '63 Sea King 40hp that when you give it full throttle it barely gets above the water. Now I just got it back from the repair shop (where it's been for the last 2 months) getting the fuel pump replaced and the carburetor adjusted. When I took it back to the repair shop, the mechanic said there was nothing else he could think to do to it to run better. However, until I had the fuel pump replaced, it ran great. Is there something simple I can do to get the motor running right? It's a Gale model #GG18805A and serial # 36X873882.

Need to know more. Is it revving up but not going, like a clutch slipping? That would be the propeller hub. Or is it just dogging along and not even really trying? 99% of the time that is caused by running on one cylinder. The shop should have caught that. Or is it simply too small a motor for the boat? The shop should have noted that too.

Give us more details, in the meantime check to see if it is running on one. Disconnect and ground one spark plug wire and see how it runs. Then do the same thing with the other one. Results should be about the same each time. If it makes no change when one is disconnected, but won't run at all when the other one is disconnected, that is the one that is working.

 

[KingManatee]

Re: 1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

Supreme Mariner

Thanks for the info...She moves good in the water, just a bit on top of the water and it doesn't seem like a clucth is slipping so I don't believe that it's the prop hub...however, I finally got around to checking to see if she was running on one cylinder and there was no change in operation when plugs were removed. So now I'm really stumped. Could you tell me what the proper gap for the pulgs should be? Also what the compression should be at each plug or does that matter. She's a 14' so I don't think that the motor is too small. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

Supreme Mariner

Thanks for the info...She moves good in the water, just a bit on top of the water and it doesn't seem like a clucth is slipping so I don't believe that it's the prop hub...however, I finally got around to checking to see if she was running on one cylinder and there was no change in operation when plugs were removed. So now I'm really stumped. Could you tell me what the proper gap for the pulgs should be? Also what the compression should be at each plug or does that matter. She's a 14' so I don't think that the motor is too small. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Plug gap .030". Compression numbers never were published, but a wild guess would be around 110 psi. Don't try going to the bank on that.

Neither do I know what the problem is. If it is hitting on both equally and just abnormally slow, I am guessing (again)---how about it---is your boat full of water below the floorboards? Don't laugh, I've seen it numerous times.

See, I don't know the situation, is there any chance it has been sitting in the water and has a build-up of marine growth on the bottom? You would be totally amazed at how much half a dozen barnacles will slow a boat down.

 

[KingManatee]

Re: 1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

F R

I come to you since you helped me tremendously with my last issue on my '63 Sea King...I was recently out at the lake and she stopped running on me. Today I was trying to figure out what was going on with the motor at home and what I learned is that she will only stay started when I held the choke in with the throttle down. Once started, I can back off the throttle and it will stay started. If I released the choke, she die out. I tried adjusting the low end idle but that didn't work. It would only work with the choke closed off (either pushing the button or manually). Now the fuel pump is new. I checked to see if was getting fuel and it is. So I'm at a loss. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated. I've got to get her running smooth so I can drag her up to NY at the end of the month. Thanks

 

[KingManatee]

Re: 1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

F R

I come to you since you helped me tremendously with my last issue on my '63 Sea King...I was recently out at the lake and she stopped running on me. Today I was trying to figure out what was going on with the motor at home and what I learned is that she will only stay started when I held the choke in with the throttle down. Once started, I can back off the throttle and it will stay started. If I released the choke, she die out. I tried adjusting the low end idle but that didn't work. It would only work with the choke closed off (either pushing the button or manually). Now the fuel pump is new. I checked to see if was getting fuel and it is. So I'm at a loss. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated. I've got to get her running smooth so I can drag her up to NY at the end of the month. Thanks

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1963 Sea King 40hp motor issue

If it runs with the choke on it is most likely the carb needs a rebuild with attention to cleaning all passages and jets.
Run the carb dry till motor stalls. Then unhook the gas line at the carb aim it into a can and crank the motor.Gas shouild come out in strung rythmic pulses.
If good then its the carb either needs cleaning or the float checked etc. Not much of a mechanic if he couldn't figure out what to check next. Pretty simple if the spark is good and timed right something is messing up fuel supply.
100lbs is good on the compression especially if hand cranked.Its import each cylinder is within 10% of the other.
Another ignition check; with the motor off in forward advance the throttle and observe the stator plate just under the flywheel it should advance fully.
You will also notice as it stator turns it activates the throttle on the carb.