89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

[martygry7162]

hey boaters, i'm new to boats and have no engine experiance good with hands but engines get tricky. but i'm going to give it a shot <br />as i said the engine won't start so i would like to go through the troubleshooting steps one at a time and if you could please fill-in or correct me where ever need be<br />ok first heres the picture i have a charged battery and a full tank of fuel. using the FAQ post (engine wont start) as i guide to doing this.<br />step 1 <br />starter engages and the flywheel rotates at a good speed.<br />step 2 was where i need further handholding <br />when i crank her over she does all but start i crank her for 10-12 seconds then it puffs out a small white cloud of smoke and dies.<br />needless to say i was disappointed with this and move on to check the fuel flow the manual says to disconnect the fuel line at the carb and see if fuel flows freely when the primer bulb is squeezed. can this test also be done by disconnecting the fuel line and pumping the primer or do i have to disconnect at the carb i tested the fuel line and fuel flows freely from the line.i did not do this test from the carb.<br />she ran well proir to it not running so i'm hoping theres just some small thing i've missed.......... sorry i gotta stop here the babys up and i gotta tend to his needs hahaha anything you can add would be great and i'll be back to add other steps i've taken as well as to see what advise you have

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Do you have good spark on all cylinders? Has the motor sat for a period of time? Just for starters...

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

i don't know how to check for sparks and no it hasn't been sitting for a long time well yes it has but i've had it running several times in the yard with a pair of muffs and i had it out on the water once as well

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Just a hunch,but take a fuel sample and make sure it is clear.You've got at least some spark because it does puff smoke.I suspect H2O in your fuel.<br />DHP

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Try a little shot off pre-mix in the carb. throat and see if it at least fires up. And like OBJ said, check that fuel and install a Fuel/Water separator while your at it... Make sure you are using fresh fuel, too. Might want to check the compression, also.

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

(what do you mean by taking a sample of the gas surely you don't mean drink it lol) looking at it the gas is goldish in color and clear i added a tad to much stabilizer when i filled the tank some 10 days ago but it looks good to me. the spare tank of gas i have looks more blueish then the clear golden color of the tank in the boat.but i didn't put any stabilizer fuel in the spare does the darker color mean there's water in it???<br />now as for the pre-mix i'm assumeing it should be the 50/1 ratio and mixed in a spray bottle????<br />what is a fuel/water seporator????????<br />and if you care to enlightin me on how to do a compression check i'd be much obliged

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

What DHP is trying to determine is if there is water contamination in your fuel, because you said when you tried to start it, it puffed out "White" smoke. That would be an indication of water in the fuel or cylinders. Are you sure it was white smoke and not blue and oily smelling? Anyway, you would take a sample of your fuel and put it in a clear glass and see if any water was present. It will separate from the oil and gas. The pre-mix is 50:1, mixed in a spray bottle and shot into the carb throats. Doesn't take much. Just a shot or two of the mix. Then try to start it and see what happens. If it starts, you most likely have clogged up carbs that will need to be cleaned out. A Water/Fuel separator is an inline filter that will remove water from the fuel mix by allowing the water going through it to "Drop down" into the filter cartridge, as water is heavier than gas. It protects your engine from ingesting water, even in small amounts, that could potentially ruin your motor. Pistons cannot compress water and the results are not good. Always good to have one on your boat just in case you ever get a load of gas that may have some water in it or even from condensation in the fuel tank. A compression test will reveal the overall condition of your motor on the insides. You would go to your nearest auto parts store, where for about $30.00, you can purchase a screw-in type compression tester. This tester will come with adapters, one of which will fit your spark plug holes. You would remove your spark plugs, thread the proper fitting in the spark plug hole and hook it up to the tester. You would then crank the engine over 4 or 5 times and take a reading on the gauge. Then do the next cylinder and record that reading. They should be at least 100PSI and read within 10% of each other in order for your engine to be deemed fit internally. It is a very simple test, but important. Might take you 10 minutes to do it. One last thing, how did it run the last time out?<br /><br /> Fuel/Water Separator<br /><br /> Compression Tester

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

it ran great buzzed all over the place. when we came in i shut it off and just sat by the ramp. when i tried to fire it up it wouldn't. when i got it home i put a set of muffs on it and it started right up and i mean right up first crank but it hasn't started sense

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

First thing you need to do right now is determine if it's getting fuel. Try the spray bottle trick and let us know how that goes. If it fires, you've got spark, but you have a fuel problem that we will need to address.

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

ok i'll do that in the morning

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

tried the mix it did nothing now what? this damn thing ran great only a week ago so somebody please give me some kind of answer please

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Next thing is to check for spark. 2 ways to do this simply. Remove the spark plug wire and insert the proper size phillips screwdriver into the boot. Hold it by the handle about 1/2" away from the block where there is no paint. Have someone crank the engine over and see if the spark jumps to the block. Just don't touch the metal part of the screwdriver. Another way is to go to the auto parts store and get a spark tester for a few bucks. It will have instructions on how to use it. Very simple! Let us know what happens... Another thing to do is separate the large red connector in the engine compartment and jump out the starter. That will isolate the ignition switch and kill switch. If it fires, you will need to choke it to stop it. Turning the key will do no good.

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

thanks rick, <br />but i'm not comfortable trying the screwdriver method so i'll opt for what's behind curtain number 2. this spark tester? is it something that i would get at an autoparts store?<br />and is SPARK TESTER what it's called.<br />i'm pretty sure i got spark so what would the next move be<br />ty<br />marty

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Separate the red connector and try the procedure that I outlined in my last post. You can buy a Spark Tester and a remote starter switch at your local auto parts store. All you do is hook one terminal of the starter switch to the battery side(Big Cable) at the starter, then hook the other terminal from the start switch to the other side that goes to the starter(Big Cable). You then push the button on the starter switch and the motor will turn over. In essence, you are bypassing the starter selonoid and cranking the motor directly from the battery. With the red connector disconnected, we can determine many things that could be wrong if it starts. These parts are Cheap stuff and are called a "spark gap checker" and "Remote starter switch". Troubleshooting is a system that rules out all the simple things first, before going too far. I would also spring for the compresion tester, as this will tell if you have any internal problems in your motor. This is all simple stuff that you can do. Nothing will bite you or harm you following these procedures. The best way to learn about your motor, is to get in there and do it. I would not give you advice that would harm you or your motor. Just trying to get you going again..

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

thanks rick. i'm sure your advice is not only sound but safe and i thank you for it. if i'm showing frustration it's only because i've owner this boat sence late last year and was unable to put her in last year and now after test running it last week (wow what a rush) it was my first time driving a boat and all looked well until all went wrong.............so thanks for your advice and i'll try it hopefully tomorrow and let you know what happened....................i'm just a man looking to use his boat

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

I understand that very well...

 

[OBJ]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Gee Rick, you do pretty pictures

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Thanks, I think, OBJ! I think it sometimes help others understand what the hell I'm talkin' about. I took about 20 pics of my motor from all different angles, so I would have a reference for myself. But it seems to come in handy here, too. What do you think his problem is??

 

[OBJ]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

Well, right off hand, it sounds like he lost spark to me. Bout' the only thing I know of that can kill an engine that quick.....as in "running fine when I put it away and now nothing"...type quick. Be interesting to see what he finds with the spark.

 

[martygry7162]

Re: 89 rude 40hp o/b wont (electric START)????

ok it's raining here so i don't think i'll be getting to the testing todaybut just to let you know i went and go myself an (INLINE IGNITION TESTER) AKA spark tester...........and a 300PSI compression tester.... the heck with the rain i went out and did the in line ignition test and it failed on both plugs the tester was to light up if good and it didn't light up at all