2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

[WestBoundFishSociety]

My FICHT has been good, almost too good to say the least. It has gotten me there and back including 90+nm round trips. I keep regular logs and keep to my maintenance schedule. The engine has 690hrs on it, 50% below 1000 rpm's and 18% >5000rpm (cruising). I normally get 3.0nm/gallon of mid-grade or better, per trip no matter how I use the throttle. I am also using Evinrude HD-50 oil only, every time, and I flush it out with fresh water for 5-10 minutes after every trip (saltwater only).

The last two trips have resulted in less than 1.5 nm/gal with no signs (or very little) of trouble. I did notice that my top end speed was down, from 38nm/hr to 32nm/hr. I de-carbed, changed all fuel filters, ran diag software which yielded NO error codes, etc. Here's what I have found: !) fouled plugs - starboard side only, changed. 2) Fuel Pump Pressure = 35psi for 10 secs and then down to 10psi 10secs later - any thoughts? 3) When firing the fuel injectors using the software, injectors 1,2,3,4,6 are distinctly loud whereas #5 is muffled. 4) Loading of all cylinders yields the expected result as does removing spark plug leads.

I have flushed the fuel system w/ "Seafoam" which has allowed fuel injector #5 to sound off a bit more but not equal to the others as of yet. And yes, the s.plugs are indexed. And there is still an amount of carbon flowing from the exhaust while still on the trailer. I know I need to run it WOT on the water to shake the rest of it free.

Any ideas to as why a good running/sounding engine would lose half it's fuel efficiency? What does the fuel pressure and the F.I. tell you? If it's the fuel injector, how do you test it to make sure before sending it off?

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

Since you have the software, what was the engine temp? A bad or stuck open T-stat will cause plug fouling on a entire bank of cylinders. A clogged injector will also cause fouling but odds of 3 injectors on same bank are way up there.

 

[WestBoundFishSociety]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

Thanks for the reply. The water temp is 100F w/ emm temp @ 88F and that's with water supply valve 1/2 open. Is there a procedure to rule out the fuel injectors being bad or clogged?

 

[seahorse5]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

the cylinder temp on the heads should be closer to 140?F at idle. Use an infrared temp gun while the motor is in the water, not on a flusher

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

That awful cool as the fichts are usually are 115-135*. Double check the temp in the service reports(menu 1) that it was not the air temp reading. A cylinder drop test or the static injector test is not going to tell you much, I would pull the T-stat cover on that head(fouling) and check to see if stat is hung open with debris,a salt build up or stuck open first. If you can hear a difference in #5 injector I would have it checked by DFI in Alabama before it leaned out .

 

[WestBoundFishSociety]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

I will double check the temperature at idle, both water temp from pc, and head temp. I do remember that the head temp was warm to the touch but not hot, (warm meaning >120). I will also pull the thermostat to check for debris. So you're saying there is no way to test the fuel injector before making a determination to whether it needs repair/replacement before sending it to Alabama?

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

Not for flow, the static test just fires injector and you should hear it click each time it fires. If it sounds weaker than rest it could be weak/failing coil or binding pintle in injector.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

If the thermostats are new or test OK in a pan of water with a thermometer, then the pressure relief valve may be leaking water past the internal valve.

A good fix for the 200hp and above FICHT engines is to use the E-TEC big block thermostats and a late model E-TEC pressure relief valve. Those items will warm the motor up better at low speed for smoother running, better economy, and less plug fouling and wear.

 

[WestBoundFishSociety]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 200hp FICHT

The starboard thermostat test fine, opening at ~135 deg F and it was not clogged and the internal ports were only very lightly scaled. But not to the demise of the plastic thermostat cover w/ a torque of 170ft lbs. That was to be expected. It was good to check to make sure anyway.

Are you saying that if the relief valve is only slightly opened, maybe due to debris, that this is enough to keep the engine too cool at idle?