1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start.

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

just because i read all the suggestions...... What type of oil did you put in that motor?? Just a thought !!

sae 40.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Use the type of gauge that screws into the plug hole, not the one you hold.. I have had a gauge have a bad valve core in it give bad readings.. Someone was jacking with it.. I wish you good luck

 

[Don S]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Starter has been benched tested twice.

The starter may have been bench tested ok, but that doesn't mean the engine is turning over at the proper speed. You are there, we aren't. So we can't tell if the engine is turning over properly or not.
IF not, you have to find out why. and replacing an engine because someone on a forum thinks it might be bad is not a good reason.
You have a strange problem. it's going to take some checking of a lot of things to find out the problem before you go throwing a new motor at it............... and possibly having the same problem with the new motor.

 

[Danny Mc]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Clean all the cables that go to ground connections, sounds like you may have a bad ground somewhere.

 

[Adirondack]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Thanks Don. I agree with you. I will do another compression test and use a different guage. The last weekend we were in the boat the entire weekend without any problems, ran perfect. The next weekend we changed the oil and let it run for at least 10 mins. Went to take it out this past weekend and it wouldn't start. When I say it turns over, it does but it doesn't seem to have enough fire to turn it all the way over. (kinda like the battery is weak that's why we bought a new battery 875 cranking amps) We have pulled the plugs turned the engine over and all the plugs had fire. Saw no water in the cylinders. Took boat to someone to test timing and it was find. He also tested the compression on the cylinders which he said he got the boat started with diesel but I have tried and still can't get it to start. He said it needs rod bearings and rods but I am not sure that's why I am asking. I don't want to replace the engine if I don't have to. I'll keep you posted on the new compression readings. Thanks so much for your help!!!

Can you expand on this a bit? How exactly did he get it to start "with diesel"?

 

[Aloysius]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Both Don and Danny are correct. Think about this logically..engines don't fail sitting in the driveway. If there was no compression, the engine would turn over freely. It cranks slowly with both new battery and good starter..if the engines not "tight", then it is a bad connection somewhere. What's the most common bad connection? A BAD GROUND! You have to have the engine cranking at normal cranking speed to perform a compression check.

Too many discrepancies here.

BTW, wherever the bad connection is will get HOT.

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Clean all the cables that go to ground connections, sounds like you may have a bad ground somewhere.

I sure hope you are right Danny. Going to start on it now. Post more later.Thanks!!!

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

The starter may have been bench tested ok, but that doesn't mean the engine is turning over at the proper speed. You are there, we aren't. So we can't tell if the engine is turning over properly or not.
IF not, you have to find out why. and replacing an engine because someone on a forum thinks it might be bad is not a good reason.
You have a strange problem. it's going to take some checking of a lot of things to find out the problem before you go throwing a new motor at it............... and possibly having the same problem with the new motor.

Thanks Don for helping me find out the "WHY." The engine sounds like it is turning over at the proper speed. When I go to start it fires like it is going to start then it needs another like spark to fire. It's crazy!!! But I am going to check all the grounds now and recheck the compressions. Yes I do have a strange problem that is driving me crazy and my husband is about to kill me for buying this thing. But I'll get it figured out hopefully. Thanks for the info.

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Here is a service bulletin on doing the compression test.
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Bullet/97/97_25.pdf

MAKE SURE the engine is turning over at the proper speed. Or your readings will be meaningless. If it's turning over slow, it may be because the starter is going bad, or loose corroded battery cables (wing nuts finger tight are not how it's done).
I'm sorry, call me crazy, but if you shut it off after running for 10 minutes and it sounded fine then. I find it very hard to understand how rods and rod bearings are going to break. Rod bearings will cause low oil pressure, but have nothing to do with compression. May want to avoid that mechanic that said that.

That's the same question I had for the mechanic. If I had bad bearings wouldn't it still start? Got rid of the mechanic so now it's just me.

 

[Hansolo99]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Does that boat have a kill switch? Could it be as simple as that?

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Back to basics. Air, fuel, spark. I sat at a ramp once trying to get my rig to start. Turns out it was the ground for the electric fuel pump.

Turn it over with one of the plugs removed but still hooked up to the plug wire. Lay it against someting metal. You should see spark. Look down the carburetor and have someone operate the throttle back and forth. You should see gas. Actually, since you've been turning it over so much I'd be surprised if it's not flooded.

Basics.

 

[Don S]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Does that boat have a kill switch? Could it be as simple as that?

The kill switch has nothing to do with the cranking of the engine.

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Back to basics. Air, fuel, spark. I sat at a ramp once trying to get my rig to start. Turns out it was the ground for the electric fuel pump.

Turn it over with one of the plugs removed but still hooked up to the plug wire. Lay it against someting metal. You should see spark. Look down the carburetor and have someone operate the throttle back and forth. You should see gas. Actually, since you've been turning it over so much I'd be surprised if it's not flooded.

Basics.

Done again. Saw white\ orange spark and fuel in carburetor. It's not flooded yet.

 

[Don S]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Saw white\ orange spark

That is very weak spark. Should be bright blue and should jump across a 1/2" gap with no problem.

 

[6meter]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Sounds like maybe the ignition timing is off. To far advanced and it will be hard to turn over and act like it wants to start but won't. Tell hubby to take a chill pill. Most of the people on here are guys, that wished there other half was as interested as you are. Hate seeing people get taken by mechanics all for a $. See if you can get somebody honest to do another compression test and check the timing. I'd do it for ya but I thinks its 'bout 1200 miles away. Good luck.

 

[honeys money]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Too far retarded maybe, if too far advanced it would kick back against starter.

 

[Hansolo99]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

The kill switch has nothing to do with the cranking of the engine.

I didn't say it had too I said could be as simple as that as to why it does not start? We were at the river last weekend and there was a family trying to start their boat for a few hours. We went over and same thing ran fine the day before and now it just cranks, but does not start. After looking it over someone pulled the cord and put it into the glove box. 5 seconds after clipping it back on the Mariah came to life................

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Sounds like maybe the ignition timing is off. To far advanced and it will be hard to turn over and act like it wants to start but won't. Tell hubby to take a chill pill. Most of the people on here are guys, that wished there other half was as interested as you are. Hate seeing people get taken by mechanics all for a $. See if you can get somebody honest to do another compression test and check the timing. I'd do it for ya but I thinks its 'bout 1200 miles away. Good luck.

Thanks YA! I am thankful for all your input but I need to spend the day with my daughter. I will do futher invertigating in the morning. (Just wanted you to know so you wouldn't think I didn't care)
I will be back at the boat in the morning. Another compression test, check grounding and everything else I am sure.

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Ok so we have cleaned all the grounds and tried to start her again with the same problem. Going to take the starter off and get it retested again. I just think she is not turning over at the proper speed so I didn't retest the compressions. If I am getting white\orange spark is this because the coil is bad? Maybe starter and coil is bad? When we pulled the starter the wheel (not sure what it is called) was at the top part of the rod. Is this correct? I was thinking it was suspose to retract and on the end of the wheel it looked rounded. Could this be my problem?

 

[Ursula]

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Re: 1st time boat owner for 6 weeks and it will NOT start. HELP!!!!

Starter was bad. Replaced sounds alot stronger but still won't start. Will do another compression test. Let ya know the results in a few.