Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Forbin

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Oh one mor ething: When it is running bad and struggling and I am driving it back to the marina I will get the occasional backfire. Nothing crazy but just a pop sound like you are blowing a paper bag up and poping it.
 

Forbin

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

No I haven't. But I am going to. Where is it? What does it look like? And! When I find it how do I check to see if it is the problem? Thanks I am new to all this.
 

Forbin

Seaman
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May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Superbenk! Does it sound like the coil to you after I described my last outing. I will check it but does it sound like that might be the problem?
 

Forbin

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Ok Folks I am back and frustrated! I checked and got the fuel system checked out. Then I found out the electrical was an issue. One battery was dead and Alternator was garbage which also ruined the voltage regulator. I changedand fixed all that thinking I am out of the woods but here is whats hppening now:

Boat again starts great out of the gates. Cruizing for 20 minutes then stop and turn the motor off. When I turned the motor of I noticed a blackish fuel floating around the back of the boat. Sit in the water for about 30 min. When I start the boat is feel like crap and agian struggles to get up on plane. Smell a bit of gas. It just struggles and struggles. When I go to neutral it quits. When I want to start it I have to give it gas or it will just keep turning over and over. Then is struggles to get up on plane. Same old story. Is it my carb? My voltage in the boat is a good 14v. What does it start out great and then turn to garbage. I thought the coil but my electrical seems good. Is it the carb or something I don't know about. Help! I am at my wits end.
 

Forbin

Seaman
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May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Choke issue or Carb rebuild

Choke issue or Carb rebuild

Ok so my do I need to rebuild the carb if it may only be a choke issue. Because like I said 100 times it runs great out of the gate. Then when I stop for a bit and start up again it is sluggish and a black carbon mixture is coming from exhaust. Would that be un spent fuel? Does that me my choke may be stuck? Can I fix that with out rebuilding my carb. If it was a rebuild issues wouldn't it always run crappy?

So fix choke problem or rebuild carb?
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Re: Choke issue or Carb rebuild

Re: Choke issue or Carb rebuild

I just merged your two posts together. It's all the same problem so no need to start a new thread on the same subject.

Then I found out the electrical was an issue. One battery was dead and Alternator was garbage which also ruined the voltage regulator.

there is the answer to your choke problem. You do realize you automatic choke is heated with power from the alternator. If the altenator doesn't work, the choke doesn't work.
 

Forbin

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Choke issue or Carb rebuild

Re: Choke issue or Carb rebuild

Ok but I fixed the alternator, voltage reg and battery. Took it out and boom same pronlem. I know how to adjust the choke but what are those 2 adjustment screws on the bottom of the carb? What do they do and how do I know which one does what?
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Re: Choke issue or Carb rebuild

Re: Choke issue or Carb rebuild

They are idle mixture screws. They are used for adjusting the air fuel mixture for idle.
How are you adjusting the choke? When you are running the engine, does the choke fully open after a few minutes?
 

Forbin

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Well I am going to look at the choke before I go out. Should it be completely closed since the engine is cold or due to it being warm out would it be slightly open?

Then I am taking it out on the water with a guy who knows a little bit about carbs. We will adjust the choke through the choke adjuster ( black circle thing with 3 screws in it). Then noodle with the idle mixture screws but I want to be careful with these. Any sugestions
 

byrontony

Cadet
Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Messages
17
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Then noodle with the idle mixture screws but I want to be careful with these. Any sugestions

Get yourself a cheap vacuum gauge, connect it to manifold vacuum (a port beneath the carb) and adjust your mixture screws for the highest manifold vacuum reading. You may have to work back and forth between the screws a few times, but it's actually quite easy.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,587
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

The idle mixture is not his problem since the idle mixture is only coming into effect at IDLE!! His problem is way past idle.
 

byrontony

Cadet
Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Messages
17
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

The idle mixture is not his problem since the idle mixture is only coming into effect at IDLE!! His problem is way past idle.

I agree, I just didn't want him to be noodling with anything when there is an established (and easy) procedure for setting the idle mixture.

That said, perhaps next time you run the boat, then shut it off, take a peek down the throat of the carb and look for fuel dribbling into the intake, maybe the needle and seat aren't shutting off completely.
 

Forbin

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
70
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Ok folks I am still trying to figure out this boat so here is an update.
Electrical is all good. I am cruizing at 14v. Took the boat in and they cleane dthe carb and found lots of stuff in it. They didn't do a carb kit becuase they weren't sure how much I wante dto spend. Anyhow I took the boat out and it seems alot better. Drove it for an hour or so (fast, slow everything) Then drove for about 29min to a spot. Turned motor off and sat for 2hours just chillin. Then started it up and it went good for about 20minutes then it felt like it was bogged down and ther was some exhaust smoke coming out. It ran crapy all the way back to the marine and there was smoke. Not alot but enough. I though my engine was being flooded with fuel or that one of my cylinders were not fireing?? Do I need a complete carb kit?? I don't know! Anyone have an idea.
Thanks
 

superbenk

Commander
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
2,033
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

A complete carb kit is only $40-$50. Just cleaning the carb probably won't get all the gunk out so it really should be rebuilt properly. Not sure how much it costs to have it done, but if you're handy you can do it yourself. It's not that bad.
 

relocyo

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
Messages
446
Re: Help!! What is wrong with my boat?

Sounds like you may have some crud in the fuel tank, that gunk in the carb came from somewhere... Drain it clean it and check the fuel pickup screen for blockage... Or maybe you already did this and I missed it? Fuel lines can look OK from the outside but the inside breaks down and jams up carbs, replace and clean all the lines or you will end up rebuilding the carbs over and over.

If I were you id get a portable jerry can and use that bypassing your original fuel tank and see if it runs better after all that... Good luck!
 
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