Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

[melll]

Have just taken my suzuki dt30 out for a fish in NZ's Kaipara Harbour and got almost back into the boat ramp when my motor stopped behaving itself. I had run it at full revs for an hour out there, started it fine to come home and drove 45 mins back when it suddenly lost power at full revs, I dropped to an idle and white smoke or steam came out. Water still pumping cold. I thought it had run out of fuel so topped up and restarted fine. Accellerated fine for 5 more minutes then did it again!. Idled fine all the way back to boat ramp. Anyone got any ideas??

 

[99yam40]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

Have you tested the alarm lately to make sure it functions properly?
when did you change the water pump and thermostat last?

 

[melll]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

I don't think it has an alarm on it, its an old model. The water is still circulating well and was cold so didn't think it was the water pump or thermostat, could they still be causing this even if they apear to be working?

 

[99yam40]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

Pull and test the temp switch and then the thermostat. Easy to do in a pot of water to see if they are operating correctly as you heat the water monitor the temperature with a thermometer.
If you have not changed the water pump in a few years it would be a good idea to change it also

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

Thermostat .....

 

[Hoffmann]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

pull plugs and look inside cylinders to see if one of the pistons and combustion chambers are extra clean looking! Possible head gasket? Not too bad to fix though!

 

[1kruzer1]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

Had the EXACT same thing happen to my '85 DT25. Turned out to be a broken tine on the water pump impeller. At low rpm it pumped plenty of water, but as the RPM's raised it pumped less and less.
Drop the lower unit and pull the pump housing off to inspect / replace the impeller. Very easy to do on that engine. Good luck!

 

[melll]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

Thanks for all your ideas, turned out to be water in the fuel. I hadn't been out for a couple of months so was probably condensation in the tank sitting on top of the fuel and sucked it in once it got low on the way back in. Cleaned out motor and tank, new fuel in and ben out twice with no problems.

 

[99yam40]

Re: Suzuki DT30 1983 Losing power/white smoke or steam

Just to let you know, fuel floats on top of water not water on top of fuel