I cleaned the VRO tank, new filter, new lines, new primer ball. I did bleed the air out and ran the motor at the dock @ idle (not in gear) for maybe 20 minutes. everything seemed exactly normal so I flushed it and put back on the lift. Week later, put it in the water check the oil level, check primer ball (usual startup proceedure).. Start's, it goes through the tree of lights on the beeps.. All the warning lights are off and seems normal, normal "smoke".. while I'm sitting there it all of a sudden slow's and stops, like no fuel, but i also seem to think I'm not seeing smoke.. I check, both fuel and oil primer are hard.. I hit the ignition and it starts, then almost immediately stalls. Again, no warning lights or alarms. I did compression check and getting between 135-140 across all cylinders.. Let it set for a while, (forgot to add the motor was not hot.. Could put my hand on and leave it on the motor, temp gauge reading just below 140). Got the premix hooked back up, starts and smokes (looks somewhat excessive in my opinion) but runs normal at idle. Under way, no wake zone (~2,000 RPM) for 15+ min, with the pre-mix running + VRO hooked up the no-oil alarm went off. Instinct kicked in and I shut it down.. Started it back up, goes through the tree sequence and no alarm, finish my trip to the boat ramp.. Took it home.
In the past I've always trusted the VRO, heard they will over-oil when they're on their way out. Truth or fiction, I don't know. When i first got this boat I did do a oil consumption test and it was fine, could do that again but I'm suspicious that something is going on.. I've been going back and forth on this.. I would rather run with the VRO but I don't want to make a mistake that costs me a motor.. So open to suggestions.
