Shake down not good and advice?

[capthook]

Here is my problem hopefully someone will be able to help. Yesterday we went out to the river. The boat started great. It is a 1973 19’ Reinnel with a pre –alpha drive and I think but am not for sure 3.0L mercruiser (GM) maybe a 2.3L. We were running at 4500 RPM for at least 15 mile and all of a sudden we started loosing power. Finally when I went to put it in neutral it died. I took off the flame arrestor and made sure that we were getting fuel. That turned out to be true. So I tried starting it and could get it to start but would die if I did not give it full throttle. So I got it start and put it into gear really quick and took off, but would only get about 2000 RPM and the engine sounded like it was bogging tremendously. So we got a tow into the marina and loaded up. I went and bought a carb rebuild kit and did that yesterday. I put it on and got it to start right up. But now when I go to accelerate it backfires. But if I gently get past around 2000 RPM I can accelerate hard and have no problems. What could this be a warped head, head gasket, points, timing? Thanks in advance.

 

[tommays]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Do you have a water sepator filter (big thing like and oil filter before the fuel pump) as water would be my first guess<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

I just put a new one on before heading out.

 

[QC]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Your story made me think of water too. Just because you put the separator on does not mean that you do not have a water issue. If you have a big load of water it could take 100 new filters to clean the fuel already in that tank . . . Also, the time you ran seems like the time it might take for the filter to fill-up with water if in fact there is water in the tank. This does not mean that water is your problem, but you could eliminate it from the list by running her temporarily plumbed to a portable tank.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

I'm betting that you have Water in the little Filter in the Fuel Pump Housing,......<br /><br />And,......<br />You probably messed something Up doing the Rebuild,.........<br /><br />It Sounds like the Acc.Pump Used to Work,+ Doesn't Now...........<br /><br />Good Luck........

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

The accelerator pump that was in it was not like the one in the book. The pump that I have now looks like the one in the book. Also I dont have water seperator. I am getting this tonight. What could I have done to make the accelerator pump not work? Since I just rebuilt the carb last night can I take it apart without damaging the gaskets and make sure that it is assembled correctly?

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

I relized that I changed the fuel filter thinking that it was the water seperator

 

[calwldlif]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

My quess is the accel pump.<br />The time and duration of the "shot"<br />are adjustible. Seems like when the throttle<br />is advanced to around 2k the "pisser"<br />starting to "****".<br />You can check this easily by looking down the<br />carb as you apply throttle. A stream of gas<br />should start just off idle position and continue<br />to stream till 3/4 appox throttle. this is best done with the engine off.<br />What carb do you have?

 

[sriggle01]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

I had a simular problem with my 3.0. Turned out to be the fuel pump. is there gas in the clear line running from the pump to the carb??

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Well I put the old accel pump on and it is still doing the same thing. I also changed the spark plugs, distributor cap, fuel filter an I am putting on a water sep tonight. I did not relize I had to buy more fittings then what it came with. After this If I still dont have any luck I dont know what I will be doing. We just got done putting over 500$ in upholstry. I did not have any problems last year like this before I put her up for the winter. As for the fuel line it isnot transparent so I am not sure if I am getting fuel to the carb. When ever I take the top of the carb off there is fuel right there. I guess I can officially say that I am stumped.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Well,........<br /><br />A Carb. Rebuild is a 50/50 Shot,.... At Best....<br /><br />It Sounds like your Carb. IS the Issue,..... Maybe it's Done For,.. Or, possibly you might have Missed up some of the Settings......

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

It is a good possiblilty that the carb is shot. How much am I looking to spend on a new carb? Anyone have one for sale? I just talked to one of the local marinas and the said that if it was backfireing that I should check the timing. So I will be doing this tonight. How hard is it to do? Would I need an inductive timing light. Thanks again and again.

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Forgot to mention that this is a 2 barrel rochester with the heat intiated choke.

 

[calwldlif]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

And my 2nd guess is<br />The rpms your have trouble <br />with are in the "idle" circuit<br />could be still dirt in passages.<br />Could be float setting too high, and/or<br />leaky float needle seat. Not high enough<br />to stall out and excess fuel is burned<br />when power cicuit is opened. It does not<br />take much of a too high float to give the <br />trouble you have. Bondo is more right than<br />not and a good carb would hurt.

 

[calwldlif]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Would "not" hurt

 

[Bondo]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Backfiring is Usually from a Lean Condition,.......<br /><br />That's Why I'm saying that you Still have Carb.,.. or atleast Fuel Delivery Issues.......

 

[capthook]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

I am going to be timing it tonight and also putting a new coil on. At least I will have all new parts by the time I am through.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

What marinas did you call?

 

[bamadave]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Can you tell us how you rebuilt the carb? Did you tear it down and put the new parts in or did you boil it out first in carb cleaner?

 

[thunderroad]

Re: Shake down not good and advice?

Very similar thing happened to me a couple weeks ago. Also a Rochester 2bbl. Boat started ok (although I noticed I was having to open up the throttle a lot more to start it than normal) and ran great at WOT or just less but would NOT idle. Died immediately. Got a kit, had a very good mechanic in our shop look at it. I watched as he dissambled it. When he took the top off the carb he showed me all the TINY little particles floating in it. I couldn't understand it, the tank was brand new last year. There is (was) no filter other than the sediment bowl at the fuel pump. I had taken it off and cleaned a bunch of varnish out of it. At least I thought I cleaned it out. It appears that I just loosened some of it up. Anyway..he cleaned it thoroughly, removed and cleaned the jets, replaced the missing ball under the accel pump, put in a new accel pump, set the float level, set the idle screws to a good starting point and I reinstalled it. Some of the tiny bits in the bowl looked like rubber so he suggested replacing some hoses and adding an inline filter between the fuel pump and carburetor. I did these things, started it up, and the engine absolutely purred. Idled like a dream and had a better hole shot than it has had since I've owned it. It even sounded different...as weird as that may sound. Ran it a lot last weekend. It idled fine and started both hot and cold with no problems.<br />He mentioned that it was a really simple carburetor. Maybe you can find a refugee from the carburetor days to look at yours too.<br />Good Luck....