I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

[styk]

I found this in the fuel line between the fuel pump and the carb. It is a 2000 bayliner capri with a 3.0 mercruiser. I have had a problem with the engine starving for fuel at WOT. i started with the fuel pick up and the strainer was clean. So i checked the fuel line and it looked black and I couldnt see the fuel moving through it.
I took it off and noticed some crumbled stuff in it. In the pictures that are attached you can see what I pinched out of just the first 2-3 inches. I am pretty sure it is safe to assume that this is why it was starving for fuel.
I am going to replace the fuel line, but where did this come from? what can I do to prevent it from happening again?
This is my second year with this boat and I only noticed this problem while out on the lake for long periods of time. It also develops a rattle at high rpms, I thought it was disintegrated exhaust shutters, but could the 2 of these thing be related?
thanks for the help, without these forums I couldnt afford my boat.

 

[90stingray]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

Looks like a rubber line has broke down. Did that come out of the feed line or the fuel pump vent line? Either way I would be changing fuel line and filters. Its prolly caused by ethanol fuel and the atmospher eating the fuel line... just my guess.

 

[Don S]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

Do you have rusty pulleys on your engine that keep eating up belts? And is your flame arrestor all plugged up?
That hose never sees gasoline, it just a safety hose that directs fuel from a failed fuel pump to the carb instead of in the bilge.
If the pump is full of that belt dust (that's what it looks like) it could be preventing full movement of the pump diaphragm. Or your plugged up flame arrestor could cause low rpm.

 

[styk]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

Don,
This is my 2nd summer with the boat. I havent had to change the belt yet, but it looks pretty worn. I took the fuel pump off and tried to remove the bowl by unscrewing the screws on the bowl but 2 of them wouldnt budge and i didnt want to strip them. Some of that soot did come out of the nipple that the plastic fuel line connects to.
How can i check the flame arrestor? I took it off and the inside didnt look bad. Im assuming the air is fed through the sides. Should i just use compressed air or spray it down with carb cleaner and then dry?
When I checked the carb, the bottom of the bowls looked like they had black soot in the bottom. I used some carb cleaner on that.
So I am thinking of just soaking the screws with PB blaster and then it should come apart. Any special instructions to cleaning the pump? ive never taken one apart before..

 

[Don S]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

The flame arrestor is like an air filter only made out of metal. If it's plugged up with black material, it needs blowed out and cleaned out.
If you had black in your carb, it may be the fuel lines. Unless you have a fiberglass tank, the ethanol fuel is not a problem with it. But, you could have dirt and who know what else in the tank.
Spraying carb cleaner out of a spray can is not how carbs are cleaned. The are dissassembled, soaked in carb cleaner and all passages are blown out with compressed air. Then a new kit is installed and parts are set to specs.
Without that, you may never fix your problem.

 

[styk]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

When I pulled the fuel line from the tank it didnt look too bad in there. I do use fuel treatment for the ethanol whenever I put gas in the boat. I am going to clean the arrestor and try and clean the fuel pump. If that doesnt fix it I will get the carb rebuilt.
thanks for the help.

 

[styk]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

edit: answered my own question

 

[Don S]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

edit: answered my own question

Please explain.

 

[styk]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

I asked how to check the fuel pump filter. I did a search and read through a few post that said to remove the wire and nut from the bottom of the bowl to get to the filter.
im thinking I should wait until I have a filter and gasket to replace the old one before I take it apart? Or is it ok to take it apart to take a look in there?

I also didnt mention that the last time I had the boat out, I was getting light smoke from the flame arrestor. I think it all points to a build up in the arrestor.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

You can clean the arrestor with carb spray. If you had light smoke at the flame arrestor it might have been gases from the valve cover vent tube. It's basically an PCV without the Positive.

 

[styk]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

Here is an update to my problem and what I have done to try and fix it.
I ordered a new ignition coil, I could hear the old one start to arc in the engine compartment once the boat ran for a while and got hot. When it would make the arcing noise the rpms would fall from 4500 down to 3000.
So I replaced the coil this week and figured I had everything all figured out. I took it to the lake and the boat was extremely hard to start, but when it did it would run decent and then lose power but without the noise.
I took the boat home and pulled the spark plugs. #'s 1, 3 and 4 were black and #2 the center electrode was completely burned out. I replaced the champions that were in there with NGKs. I also got a copy that someone posted of the firing order and wiring from the distributor to check against what I had. I attached my very artistic drawing i did in paint to show how my wires are run and that the boat will only run with them in that order which is different then what I saw on the diagrams.

so once i got the boat running after replacing the plugs it bogs down bad out of the hole and will only get to about 4000 rpms.
If the coil burnt out the spark plug, should I also replace the wires and the distributor cap?
How do I tell how the wires need to be placed on the distributor? Just because the boat will run the way it is, i dont think that it is right.

 

[grendelsniper]

Re: I think I found my problem now how do I fix it?

sounds to the rattling you are hearing is a fuel problem the motor is pinging or pre igniting, I would give it a complete tune up wire cap rotor, this is after the fuel problem is solved, the rattling pinging noise could be from the burn out spark plug as well. also double check the spark plug gap. hope this helps