Got the boat out of storage

[indybleck]

Tried to get the boat running this weekend after winter storage, fired right up then died. I took the flame arrestor off to see if I was getting any gas, thought I should have smelled it after pumping the throttle a bunch of times no gas. Pulled the number one plug dry as a bone. Checked the fuel line and found some dry rot, so I bought a new piece but didn't have time to put it on. I can't get to the boat till later this week it's an hour away. So here is my plan:

1. Replace the gas hose from the tank to the fuel pump with new hose that is ethanol resistant.
2. Replace the filters, water and line on the carb.
3. Check to see if the fuel pump is working, I think I can do this but cranking the engine with the line off the carb.
4. If all this checks out the only thing I have left is to have the carb rebuilt, although I'm gooing to take some Sea Form
to spray into the carb.

The engine is a 1988 OMC 260 hp 4 bbl with a cobra drive. It would idle fine and I never put it in gear so I'm thinking it's fuel delivery problem. Any other ideas will be helpful and I will post when I find out what I find out. Thanks for any help.

 

[Kainon]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

just spraying Sea Foam into the carb will do nothing for the carb, no passages will be cleaned by doing that except your intake manifold.

pulling the line off to the carb is a good idea, make sure it squirts into a bottle, empty water or soda bottle works great.

when you remove the fuel line from the fuel tank you may want to also remove, check and clean the fitting it's a anti-siphon fitting and has a check ball and spring and they have been know to stick shut. It looks like a regular fitting but silver color usually and a little longer.

You may want to replace your fuel water separator if you havent done that recently too..

 

[indybleck]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

Thanks for the reply I was just looking at my book and read about the anti-siphon valve. The pick up on the top of the tank is welded to the tank and I called a dealer that has sold 4 winns for the past thirty years and they told me the valve is in the tank. I'm going tomorrow to work on it. I'm going to change all filters, then I want to put the hose in a five gallon gas can and see if I get fuel through it, if it runs I know that everything is good. If all that works I'll put the hose back on the pick up and see what happens. If I'm starved for fuel I'll know it's the anti siphon.

 

[indybleck]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

Worked on the boat today as much as I could before the rain came. Changed the hose from the pickup to the filter, while I had the hose off of the pick up on the tank I found the anti siphon took it out and one of the previous owners all ready knocked out the ball and spring so that won't be a problem. Took the old hose off didn't look bad on the inside changed it any way. Changed the filter before the pump didn't look bad on the inside, took the filter out of the carb the little paper one, it had build up in it looked like wax, changed it out. I had a little time so I tried to start it up it spit and sputtered but wouldn't run. I ran out of time so now the next time I go I have to fill the big filter with gas, something I didn't do and I want to back flush through the pick to get any junk off the screen I'm assuming is on the tube. I'm thinking I'll probably have to drain the tank and get the junk out of it is the other issue. Going back to work on it early next week will let you know what I find or if I get it running.

 

[indybleck]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

Put some Star Tron in the tank its supposed to break up the ethanol water chunks in the tank, I need to burn this old fuel up so I can get the tank cleaned and fresh gas in her. I'll never fill the tank again before storage.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

Did you check the fuel pump?

 

[indybleck]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

The one thing I didn't do was prime the water separator filter so I have to do that next time I go up. If I'm still not getting fuel to the carb after back flushing the pick up tube and priming the gas filter I'll crank the engine with the lone off at the carb to see if I'm getting gas there. The thing is when I first started it up it ran for about a minute then stalled out and then it would start and sputter and die then it wouldn't start at all. It ran fine last fall too. After looking at the paper filter in the carb inlet with all the wax like build up I'm thinking it's in the tank, but I haven't ruled out the pump either. Thanks for all the help and I'll let you know the results. I have to be patient because the boat is an hour away and I can't get there on a consistent basis.

 

[indybleck]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

Ok just got back from the boat, it's running but the fuel isn't all that great, I ended up getting a different carb filter a Quicksilver # 35-5336Q it's getting plenty of gas now. Now I have to put it in the water and burn that old fuel off. Thanks for all the help. When I got there this morning I back flushed the pick up tube and took the water separator filter off and it had gas in it so I figured the pump was working, then I tried to start it and it wouldn't go, sprayed some starter fluid and it would run, checked the carb filter and it was plugged so I went to West Marine and picked up a quicksilver one that is basically a screen and it ran.

 

[indybleck]

Re: Got the boat out of storage

Went back to the boat yesterday, re set the points with a dwell meter, re set timing, cleaned the filter in the carburetor and I added a in line filter this is easier to change than the one in the carburetor plus its clear housing lets me see what the fuel looks like. She runs like a top now had it running 40 mph on the GPS at around 4300 rpm. It kind of stumbled at first but then it's like all the junk got blown out and away it went. At first it would not take off on a hole shot, but it all straighten out finally. Ready for the summer at last.