Cruising along at 2900 RPMs on plane today and the engine cut out dead. Fired it back up after about 30 seconds, ran for a couple hundred feet at a fast idle, started to push up on plane, and it died again. Got worse and worse until it only ran at idle for ten seconds or so before conking out.
Under the engine hatch, noticed the primary wire (i think that's its name) from the coil to the side of the distributor was shot. Replaced it with some 14 AWG THW stranded copper. Didn't fix the problem.
Pulled the spark arrestor and pumped the throttle and noticed the accelerator pump was spraying (with the engine off) and that the gas seemed to steam up around the butterflies. Other times fuel didn't appear to spray from the accelerator pump, though. So I was thinking clogged fuel line, bad fuel pump diaphragm, outta gas, etc.
Its got an 80 gallon alum tank, and by the gauge it was half full. Because I don't believe the gas gauge, I put two gallons in the tank from a fuel can we keep on the swim step for the dingy. No change. (I filled up after we got back and it only took 32 gal.) I pulled the filter/water separator and put on a new one I keep on board (quicksilver canister style). Ran for about 100 yards at idle, then back to nothing. By the early evening we were still 6 miles out and totally unable to start the engine.
After a tow back to the boat ramp, a trailer ride, and 32 gallons of gas, I put the plunger on the outdrive, ran the garden hose and, on the off chance I could pump a little water, I turned the key. Fired right up and ran great in the driveway. So, maybe fuel pickup or vapor lock? Maybe I really don't have an 80 gallon tank, just the sender from one... Any suggestions on troubleshooting or which thing to tear apart first?
Under the engine hatch, noticed the primary wire (i think that's its name) from the coil to the side of the distributor was shot. Replaced it with some 14 AWG THW stranded copper. Didn't fix the problem.
Pulled the spark arrestor and pumped the throttle and noticed the accelerator pump was spraying (with the engine off) and that the gas seemed to steam up around the butterflies. Other times fuel didn't appear to spray from the accelerator pump, though. So I was thinking clogged fuel line, bad fuel pump diaphragm, outta gas, etc.
Its got an 80 gallon alum tank, and by the gauge it was half full. Because I don't believe the gas gauge, I put two gallons in the tank from a fuel can we keep on the swim step for the dingy. No change. (I filled up after we got back and it only took 32 gal.) I pulled the filter/water separator and put on a new one I keep on board (quicksilver canister style). Ran for about 100 yards at idle, then back to nothing. By the early evening we were still 6 miles out and totally unable to start the engine.
After a tow back to the boat ramp, a trailer ride, and 32 gallons of gas, I put the plunger on the outdrive, ran the garden hose and, on the off chance I could pump a little water, I turned the key. Fired right up and ran great in the driveway. So, maybe fuel pickup or vapor lock? Maybe I really don't have an 80 gallon tank, just the sender from one... Any suggestions on troubleshooting or which thing to tear apart first?