Hunky Dory
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2003
- Messages
- 102
I know what you are thinking; "poor Ed". That's not it, the fuel was treated.
This is an annual event and seems to be described by http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=71774&highlight=spring+hard+starting+smoke as a VRO pump or checkvalve problem. My engine is a 1998 90hp V4 so it fits.
So this year I decided to check it out on muffs. It was worse. I'm guessing that my problem was exacerbated by the altitude and temperature changes between last and first use. In this case the boat was towed over Trail Ridge ~12,000' and then spent the winter at ~5,500'. When I attempted to start it at 7,500 feet I couldn't raise a whimper, except on 'turkey baster carburation'.
I found my problem (and search terms) by removing the filter to discover the fuel side of the reservoir full of oil. Drained and re-primed, it fired right up on the old gas -- well OK, it lit one cylinder and then another and another in a series of fits and starts. You'll be relieved to hear that the fire department did not turn out and my neighbors' homes have slowly reemerged from the white shroud of TCW-3. And they have quit shouting whatever it was that I couldn't hear over the exhaust and repetitive alarm initialization beeps. Anyway, I shut it off as soon as I heard all four cylinders fire; there will be much more smoke at the lake, to be sure.
So it all sounds easy; except that it never has happened except in spring despite the pressure changes of crossing the ridge several times a year in the summer, so I'm not certain that a new very expensive pump is the magic bullet. If this year is the same as all others, it will start instantaneously from here on out.
Thus questions:
This is an annual event and seems to be described by http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=71774&highlight=spring+hard+starting+smoke as a VRO pump or checkvalve problem. My engine is a 1998 90hp V4 so it fits.
So this year I decided to check it out on muffs. It was worse. I'm guessing that my problem was exacerbated by the altitude and temperature changes between last and first use. In this case the boat was towed over Trail Ridge ~12,000' and then spent the winter at ~5,500'. When I attempted to start it at 7,500 feet I couldn't raise a whimper, except on 'turkey baster carburation'.
I found my problem (and search terms) by removing the filter to discover the fuel side of the reservoir full of oil. Drained and re-primed, it fired right up on the old gas -- well OK, it lit one cylinder and then another and another in a series of fits and starts. You'll be relieved to hear that the fire department did not turn out and my neighbors' homes have slowly reemerged from the white shroud of TCW-3. And they have quit shouting whatever it was that I couldn't hear over the exhaust and repetitive alarm initialization beeps. Anyway, I shut it off as soon as I heard all four cylinders fire; there will be much more smoke at the lake, to be sure.
So it all sounds easy; except that it never has happened except in spring despite the pressure changes of crossing the ridge several times a year in the summer, so I'm not certain that a new very expensive pump is the magic bullet. If this year is the same as all others, it will start instantaneously from here on out.
Thus questions:
- Do I need to modify my oil reservoir to vent itself or is that already accomplished by the black cap?
- Can you suggest anything else? -- additional winterizing steps?
- The pump I found was $379 -- what would you do?