TL
R - If an engine is having a fuel feeding issue how long after re-priming the line would you expect the roughing running to clear?
Full Story
The last 2 times I've used the boat I've lost power after running for around 40 minutes, twice each run (4 times in total, that is about how long I was running for so didn't run for another 40 minutes for it to happen again). Each day it happened once at around 3/4 throttle and the other time when doing about 6kts.
Both myself and the friend I had with me think it sounded like the engine was starved of fuel.
The first time it happened i turned off the engine to have a look around and noticed that the priming bulb on the fuel line felt very empty, I pumped it back up and re-started the engine, it fire back up and was fine. On the way home it did it again but happened as I was pulling up to the boat ramp, with the engine still running I pumped the bulb but there was no improvement to the rough running, since i was now at the ramp I turned it off and packed up the boat.
When i got home I inspected the fuel lines and found one from the underfloor tank that was a little kinked so i replaced the line while also adding a two way selector before the filter and a connection for a portable tank (to feed through the filter).
Today was the second day, we were doing about 6kts and it started running rough, once again the bulb felt empty (I don't actually no what it should feel like, I don't expect it to be hard but i couldn't feel fuel during the first few pumps) so i gave it a few pumps but it didn't fix the issue, I changed to fuel tap over to the portable tank I was carrying with fresh fuel and gave the primer on the tank connector a few squeezes but no change. I turned the motor off gave it a minutes and turned it back on and it fired up and run fine for another 40 mins. The second time it occurred I turned the motor off and without doing anything else tried to restart it, it restarted but sounded very sick still, I checked the bulb on the portable tank I'd been running off for the lat 40 minutes and it felt fine, I check the main bulb and it once again felt empty so I gave it a pump, the running smoothed out a little, I gave it some throttle and the motors accelerated smoothly and run fine all the way home.
My plan from here is to replace the rest of the fuel line I didn't do when I did the line from the internal tank, that is only 4ft of line from the water separating filter to the engine, I'll also replace the filter (it is the clear bowl type and there is no water in the bowl) and the priming bulb.
Does the sound like a reasonable plan?
is there anything else worth checking?
I'm concerned that the problem doesn't immediately go away when I re-prim the fuel line and it was a couple of minutes of running off the portable tank the first time today after re-priming with no improvement before I turned it off. The problem also hasn't actually been resolved without restarting the engine, along with it happening intermittently so doesn't seam like a persistent fuel feed problem but rather something is happening, in the back of my mind I'm worried that it could be something with the engine either causing it or not clearing when it happens without the restart.
Due to the nature of the problem it takes a wile to trouble shoot and I'm going to have to take the boat out and keep close to home to give it a run and see if it has been resolved so the more I can do at home before going out again the better.
Full Story
The last 2 times I've used the boat I've lost power after running for around 40 minutes, twice each run (4 times in total, that is about how long I was running for so didn't run for another 40 minutes for it to happen again). Each day it happened once at around 3/4 throttle and the other time when doing about 6kts.
Both myself and the friend I had with me think it sounded like the engine was starved of fuel.
The first time it happened i turned off the engine to have a look around and noticed that the priming bulb on the fuel line felt very empty, I pumped it back up and re-started the engine, it fire back up and was fine. On the way home it did it again but happened as I was pulling up to the boat ramp, with the engine still running I pumped the bulb but there was no improvement to the rough running, since i was now at the ramp I turned it off and packed up the boat.
When i got home I inspected the fuel lines and found one from the underfloor tank that was a little kinked so i replaced the line while also adding a two way selector before the filter and a connection for a portable tank (to feed through the filter).
Today was the second day, we were doing about 6kts and it started running rough, once again the bulb felt empty (I don't actually no what it should feel like, I don't expect it to be hard but i couldn't feel fuel during the first few pumps) so i gave it a few pumps but it didn't fix the issue, I changed to fuel tap over to the portable tank I was carrying with fresh fuel and gave the primer on the tank connector a few squeezes but no change. I turned the motor off gave it a minutes and turned it back on and it fired up and run fine for another 40 mins. The second time it occurred I turned the motor off and without doing anything else tried to restart it, it restarted but sounded very sick still, I checked the bulb on the portable tank I'd been running off for the lat 40 minutes and it felt fine, I check the main bulb and it once again felt empty so I gave it a pump, the running smoothed out a little, I gave it some throttle and the motors accelerated smoothly and run fine all the way home.
My plan from here is to replace the rest of the fuel line I didn't do when I did the line from the internal tank, that is only 4ft of line from the water separating filter to the engine, I'll also replace the filter (it is the clear bowl type and there is no water in the bowl) and the priming bulb.
Does the sound like a reasonable plan?
is there anything else worth checking?
I'm concerned that the problem doesn't immediately go away when I re-prim the fuel line and it was a couple of minutes of running off the portable tank the first time today after re-priming with no improvement before I turned it off. The problem also hasn't actually been resolved without restarting the engine, along with it happening intermittently so doesn't seam like a persistent fuel feed problem but rather something is happening, in the back of my mind I'm worried that it could be something with the engine either causing it or not clearing when it happens without the restart.
Due to the nature of the problem it takes a wile to trouble shoot and I'm going to have to take the boat out and keep close to home to give it a run and see if it has been resolved so the more I can do at home before going out again the better.