90 HP Evinrude Timer Base Help

[StingRay_90V4]

So a few of you may remember a while back I had a few posts about my boat. Which is a 1992 14 foot StingRay with a V-plane hull. It has a 1992 Evinrude V4 on it. I had a few posts about the usual how to get more speed and so on. As well as a few posts about compression last summer as well. I ended up raising the engine one hole on the transom. Replaced the CDI unit it worked great just before we had to take it out of the water for the winter. However as we were getting ready to take it out of the water it started to develop a nice sized miss under WOT and wouldnt climb past 4500rpm or 30mph. We have owned the boat for nearly 5 years now. And its bottom end has always been... Ok. Not stealer... But ok. Has ALWAYS had a steady top speed of 39 to 41 mph. With 40mph definitely being the average. I will get to the timer base in a second. Just adding some background info. Lol... So over the winter our local boat shop helped us rebuild our carbs. Today I installed the rebuild carbs. I changed the bottom leg gear oil. Which looked like it was the first time it was ever changed. New plugs and a new gas tank. Fuel filter and fuel pump. At first the boat ran like carp. Then after a bit of adjustments. It ran about the same as last year. HOWEVER... While adjusting the linkages and what not. We noticed that the timer base wasnt really moving that much at all from idle to wot. So on the lake just after we floored it we moved the timer base forward to were it should be. The boat jumped out if the water like it was a 150HP on a rubber dingy compared to normal. And it smashed past 40mph and kept climbing all the way to 45 mph. And that's on a Garman GPS. The Lie-O-Meter says 47. That is a 5 to 7 mph gain by advancing the timer base to its proper spot. I would say that our 90 hp has had a sticky timer base and has needed an adjustment sense we first bought the boat 4 to 5 years ago. It has ALWAYS been more or less blah for a 90hp on a 14 ft boat. So... I guess what I am asking after all of that. Is how do I adjust the timer base properly. I much prefer to be able to hit 45 to 46 mph instead of 39 to 40 mph. As well before the boat would only hit 5000rpm at 39 to 40ish. Now.. At 45mph she is spinning the prop at 5900rpm. Any advice on how to fix and adjust the timer base properly ? Thank in advance. And thanks for reading my huge post.. Much appreciated.

 

[ondarvr]

You shouldn't need to adjust it, pull the flywheel off and clean up whatever's causing it to stick.

 

[interalian]

You shouldn't need to adjust it, pull the flywheel off and clean up whatever's causing it to stick.

Agreed. And be sure to torque the flywheel properly when you put it back.

 

[StingRay_90V4]

It doesn't feel like it is sticking per say. It seems to have a ton of free play slack in it and does not move or advance much at all from neutral to wot at all. Maybe a quarter of an inch. If even that. But when I push it forward at wot by hand. It moves another half an inch or so. And the boat just simply takes off and has what in would expect a 90 hp to have. To be honest . Our 60 hp Evinrude from 1987 has as much bottom end and top speed as our 90hp. And its newer , has better compression and on the same sized boat . There must be some adjustment in there for it. And I can only assume someone before us adjusted it improperly for what ever reason. But where is the adjustment to control how far forward it moves to advance the timing ? Also... What is the proper torque for the flywheel nut ?

 

[Chinewalker]

Make sure the spring is in place under the throttle arm on the side of the motor. When you advance the throttle the arm's two pieces should move together. At some point in its travel, the timing hits it's stop, and then the throttle advances further on the carbs. If you're getting full open on the carbs, you should also be getting full advance on the timing.

They're common enough motors - see if there's one at your local marina you can look at to see how the advance works on that one.

 

[StingRay_90V4]

The boat felt lazy before. And now feels like a rocket ship. Lol... Does that make sense that advancing the timing would add that much power ? The best way I can describe it is it use to feel like it was only a 70hp on the back of the boat. And now feels like its full 90 hp . Before it would NOT pull up a skier or even barely a tube. Now... I fell like at wot it would snap the rope. Can timing make that much of a difference ? Or is part of the new found power due to the carbs being rebuilt. Like maybe one or more of them were restricted before for a few yeras untill now ?

 

[ondarvr]

The power difference you're reporting would be normal if the timing wasn't advancing correctly. Nothing odd about it.

 

[interalian]

Don't be tempted to adjust the timing stop - they're factory set and need no adjustment unless the linkage has been diddled with. Just figure out what's keeping it from advancing to the stop when you open the throttle. Most likely a gummed up mounting ring (dried grease).

 

[StingRay_90V4]

I personally have not touched the timer base adjustments. The previous owner may have. Who knows. I am manually pushing it forward towards the front of the boat by hand while my father is driving at wot. The timer base does hit a stoping piont when i push it by hand. I have not touched that at all. When i dont push it by hand. It just doesnt seem to come anywheres close to the stop on its own. It doesnt move much at all when left alone. The lever i am pushing forward feels relatively free. For the most part. I could be wrong though. There doesnt appear to be any springs that i can see on it at all. I will double check though. Perhaps it is all gummed up under the flywheel and needs to be cleaned. I will also check that. I cant see there being enough free timing left after it is properly cleaned and ajusted that Evinrude would give an extra 20 deg of timing on the base. But if you touch it your engine will fry. Lol... Im inclined to think that this is the power level the boat is MEANT to put out. But there is something wrong with the base and or it is dirty and gummed up liked said above. The boat finally feels like on of those 45mph boats everyone keeps telling me it should be. Even at my local boat shop they have always told me 39mph is a bit slow for a small boat with a big motor. Or am i just crazy ? I welcome any advice and input. Im mechanically inclined. With cars espcially. Marine engines... Not as much. So any help is great. I will take the flywheel off and look at the timer under it. And try to clean and regrase it. Any ideas as to what greae to use ? And the flywheel bolts torque ? Thank you

 

[interalian]

Easy enough to disconnect the linkage from the timer base arm, then see if the timer base moves freely.

If it does, no need to yank the flywheel. If it doesn't, yank the flywheel, remove the stator and timer base, then clean the timer base, nylon ring and block parts. Lightly grease with waterproof grease like TripleGuard, or a light Lithium grease.

If the timer base moves freely but won't go forward with the throttle, look for lost motion in the throttle arm, or a broken spring clocked around the throttle arm's pivot point.

Just for grins, can you get the throttle fully open (carb butterflies horizontal) using the helm control? You could just be fighting a worn or misadjusted cable.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Post a video if possible

 

[StingRay_90V4]

Just a small update. So we eneded up takong the timer base off the engine. It was a bit dirty. Nothing outrageous. But a bit frayed up grease with some sort for sure. So we cleaned it all up. Applied new grease that a boat shop gave us for it. Apparently when you remove the timer base the engine needs to be re-timed. So we took it to a boat shop to have them properly time it up. As well as adjust the idle . cables and what not. I am DEFFINITLY hoping that when the boat is done it still has the power it did last weekend. 45 mph and all that extra bottom end was amazing. The compression they said at the shop was excellent for the motor. 135 on three cylinders and 128 to 130 on another. So great numbers the shop said. Now when we move the handle to wot the timer base moves totally forward all the way. So i assume that is fully advanced. As well as the card butterfly valves are totally horizontal. So it all seems to be finally working right. Just need the shop to re time the boat and I hope it will be good to go. When they adjust the timing on it. Do they move the factory timer stop ? Or do they adjust it somewhere else ? I guess I am just hoping to keep the new found performance. I hope when they're time it that it doesnt feel as lazy In the bottom end as it was in the past. Andthat it keeps the extra power and top speed. Thanks..

 

[Bosunsmate]

I could remove the timing base off that a hundred times and not need to adjust the timing once as its all done by a fixed lever that you dont adjust when removing the timer base.
But if you a comforable with them there and you dont think they will charge too much then i wouldnt run around to retrieve her just yet as you will have comeback if things arent great

 

[StingRay_90V4]

I'm not really sure what you mean ? Sorry...

Several people around our lake have recommended them and told us they do good work and are fair price wise. We took it there because it has never been to a shop in a long time. I guess we felt it could use some idle adjustments and what not. And cables adjust properly. I wasnt sure if it required re timong after removing the base. I just figured better safe then sorry. I'm sure they will time it properly. My only demand tlfrom them is that it still has all of the new power and top end . Meaning I hope they don't leave the timing pulled back a lot.

 

[interalian]

I could remove the timing base off that a hundred times and not need to adjust the timing once as its all done by a fixed lever that you dont adjust when removing the timer base.

Agreed. As long as the timing stop bolt isn't disturbed, the timing will not be affected one jot.

 

[StingRay_90V4]

We deffinitly didnt move the factory timing stopfor where it stops at wot. How ever there appears to be one for full retard as well. Or where its travel begins. That may be a bit oir of spec. I dont know for sure. Like i said. I was just tetinf to be safe. Tye engine seemed to be a bit kranky when first started. So we figured some fine tuning was in order. If the timing doesnt need to be adjusted. I wouod assume they will check it. But leave it if no adjustments are needed.

 

[Chinewalker]

A link and synch may be what's needed so that the carbs open/close at the same time.

 

[StingRay_90V4]

We deffinitly didnt move the factory timing stopfor where it stops at wot. How ever there appears to be one for full retard as well. Or where its travel begins. That may be a bit oir of spec. I dont know for sure. Like i said. I was just tetinf to be safe. Tye engine seemed to be a bit kranky when first started. So we figured some fine tuning was in order. If the timing doesnt need to be adjusted. I wouod assume they will check it. But leave it if no adjustments are needed. Stupid question... But does the timer base allow you to advance the timing too far WITHOUT moving the factory stop ? And cause the engine to piu out more then the factory 90 hp. Like turn it into say a 100 or more hp ?

 

[jbuote]

Hey StingRay...
​I'm new to outboards, but I think the answer to that question is NO.. Factory stop will only advance timing to that point and no further..
​Now if you did change it, and get more advance, it still won't put out more HP..
​In fact, there is a power curve on the engine. You're WOT rpm range is set.. You get peak HP at a certain RPM.. If you advance timing and get more RPMS out of it, then you'll start losing HP actually, and would most likely cause expensive damage to the engine.

​At least that's how I understand it to work.. I'm sure others will either confirm and elaborate, or correct me if I'm wrong..
(Still a newbie myself... lol)

 

[interalian]

If the timing is advanced farther than factory setting, you risk spark knock and major engine damage. Extra horsepower is made with port tuning, exhaust tuning, higher compression heads and bigger carbs.