Merc 3.0 won't start - but looks like things are workin'

[achris]

Lift the distributor and turn the rotor/shaft CCW 90 degrees. Drop the dissy back in. Use a remote starter switch to bump the engine until the dissy drops into the oil pump keyway. Move all the leads one place CCW, then reset the engine timing. Easy peasy.

Chris...

I'd do it all with the engine at TDC on #1 firing (just because)

 

[southkogs]

Gotcha' :thumb:

Thanks

 

[nola mike]

Or don't bother. It will run fine now. Next time around rotate the engine so that you're at tdc on the compression stroke. The rotor is now also at tdc and should be pointing at the #1 plug wire.

Edit: reason to fix I guess being Chris's comment. I wouldn't go by the book position of the rotor, but it would minimize confusion

 

[achris]

Or don't bother. It will run fine now. Next time around rotate the engine so that you're at tdc on the compression stroke. The rotor is now also at tdc and should be pointing at the #1 plug wire.

Edit: reason to fix I guess being Chris's comment. I wouldn't go by the book position of the rotor, but it would minimize confusion

Yes, it'll run fine and without any problems, but....

I'm a bit of a stickler for setting things up and having them by the book... Saves a shed load of heartache for the next poor bastard who has to work on it... (And the aforementioned POOR BASTARD could be you or me!)

Chris....

 

[Rick Stephens]

I never thought location on a disty mattered a whit except the neatness of routing wires. If you like it, leave it. I get it that Chris likes it by the book, but there really shouldn't be a 'book' on where #1 is plugged in. All that matters is it is at TDC for #1. And the first thing you do when working on wires and plugs is look at #1 wire.... how hard is that?

 

[southkogs]

... how hard is that?

Well ... apparently for some of us ... :lol:

 

[vroom ZOOM]

So, someone in the past has installed the distributor with the shaft 90 degrees out. That's easy to fix.

Chris...

(And I would recommend you do fix it. It bit you in the *** this time, it could easily do it again in the future.)

Mine is the same - 90 deg out! Just like in diagram #2! A couple of friend's boats have it that way too.

 

[achris]

:facepalm:

There's nothing 'wrong' with having the rotor pointing anywhere. As long as it runs and the timing is correct, it's not going to cause any problems. Until someone changes the plugs and without taking the time to check, assumes the leads on the cap conform to spec, and plugs them up incorrectly. Then spends 3 days and flattens 2 batteries trying to get the engine running.

If any engine came to me like that, I'd change it. No question. For the 3 minutes it takes to do it, and the hours/days it could save, why wouldn't you?

Most mechanics in a professional setting expect an engine will be set up as per the book. And yes, rotor position IS in the book.

Chris....

 

[GA_Boater]

SK - Look at the bright side. You didn't find the rotor in the bilge. That has also happened a time or two.

 

[southkogs]

Well, to Chris's point I was going to look at the timing when I got this figured out. So, I think I'll stay on that track and look at fixing the position of the distributor.

I took it out on the lake for a bit this morning, and it's still starting hard. I was hoping that was going to clear itself up with new plugs and wires and ... whatever else. BUT, when we hit the throttle that little engine could!! We came outta' the hole hot and had all the zip we wanted. So, my FIL suggested the timing may be a little advanced - making it run nice, but start hard.

So, I'll be looking at the timing here in the next week or so. The coil did look at little grungy and has some gook on the point that I'm having trouble cleaning off before I hit it with dielectric grease, so I might decide to change that too. Not sure yet.

... and GA's right: really this little 3.0 is kind of a funny motor, but tough as nails as far as I'm concerned. Pretty efficient little box for pushing a 20' boat and has been pretty trouble free for the most part.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Nice part is, with a light, you can set your timing right at factory spec.

Continued hard starting and you look to kitting the carburetor. Get it where you look at the key and the motor is idling.

 

[achris]

.... So, my FIL suggested the timing may be a little advanced - making it run nice, but start hard.

So, I'll be looking at the timing here in the next week or so. ....

This is EXACTLY the time to change that distributor shaft position. Do you have a remote starter switch? (basically it's just a momentary switch (push button or 'press') with a couple of wires hanging off it. You hook the wires to the starter solenoid, one to red, one to red/yellow (doesn't matter which is where), and when you need to 'bump', the engine, just touch the switch.) Picture #1

Removing the spark plugs (number the wires!) makes the 'bumping' easier and a bit more accurate. Remove the dissy cap, and bump the engine until the TDC marks line up, and the rotor is pointing at the (current) #1 terminal on the dissy cap. Mark the dissy body with relation to the engine block, and note where the sensor and reluctor wheel are (the reluctor wheel should be very close to the sensor tabs. Picture #2). Remove the clamp holding the distributor down, then lift the dissy straight up about an inch. That should disengage the gear from the camshaft. You will have noticed the rotor turn slightly as you lifted, that's correct. Turn the rotor 90° CCW from it's current position. Now lower the dissy back into the block and you should feel it engage on the camshaft, and now the rotor will turn as you keep lowering, and then the dissy will stop (before being fully home). While holding the distributor to stop it turning (it won't be a great force) and applying slight down pressure, bump the engine with the starter switch until the dissy drops in (it's engaging the oil pump tab). That should take about 1/2 a turn of the crankshaft. The dissy body should be quite close to the previous alignment marks, so put the clamp back on and bump the engine some more to get it back to the timing marks lining up on compression stroke of #1 (finger over the hole trick. That should have taken 1-1/2 turns)... The rotor should now be pointing to the 'right' distributor cap terminal as per the book. Put the leads back on in the right places (each moved one place CCW). Start the engine and check the timing is roughly right, adjust if necessary, and let the engine warm up. Then go though the timing procedure as per your engine number and spec. I think for your engine it should be 2° ATDC, with the distributor in 'base' mode. Do you have a copy of the correct timing procedure?

I know that looks a lot, but it's really not. As I said, about 3 minutes work.

Chris............

Remote starter switch

 

[southkogs]

^^^^ That's huge. Thank you.

I'll be grabbing a remote switch later today.

 

[southkogs]

Okay - today's adventure: Got things setup to check timing and rotate the distributor. As I was getting into figuring out what wrench would loosen the distributor, I noticed a notch. It's tough to see in this photo:

... that's a notch on the distributor itself, and it is aligned PERFECTLY with the notch on the seat. I can't find a similar notch 90 degrees in either direction. My assumption is that lining up those notches should put you at factory spec timing. Am I correct?

When I timed it, the engine was right at 12 degrees before TDC. Since the notch was there, I decided just to rotate a little and try retarding it. I took it to 8 degrees before TDC, and the engine starts a LOT easier. The idle seemed to go up a bit, so I decided to bring the idle down. It had been (before I did this) typically sat a little over 800 RPM, and I thought that sounded a little high. So, I was shooting for between 700 and 800. I over-twisted and wound up at 600 out on the water. BUT, I liked the way it ran and shifted. Everything seemed smoother to me, so I opted to leave it at 600 for now.

Otherwise, I've got a nice hole shot right now. I don't have to drop the hammer to come up on plane, it'll ease up really nicely. At 3200 RPM the GPS said I was doing 25MPH, which is up a little from before. When I turned it loose: I was getting just under 5500 RPM and a little over 42MPH. Plenty fast for anything I'd ever need to get away from.

 

[achris]

Ummm. You don't time those engines like that. You need to follow the procedure as outlined in the Merc service manual (I'll post a copy in a few minutes)...

Chris...

 

[Bondo]

At 3200 RPM the GPS said I was doing 25MPH, which is up a little from before. When I turned it loose: I was getting just under 5500 RPM and a little over 42MPH.

Ayuh,...... You could stand a couple more inches of prop,......

Wot for that motor is 4800 rpms,....

'n 8* sounds hot for that motor,..... somebody will have the spec, which I think is lower,....
Idle at 650/ 750, in the water,.....


Btw,........ Do ya really miss the ole stringer drive,..??..??

 

[achris]

@southkogs

Here's the full procedure for your engine. The spec will be 2° ATDC, as your engine being 2003, should be the last group (0L341000 and above).

 

[southkogs]

Btw,........ Do ya really miss the ole stringer drive,..??..??

Funny you should mention it: I was working on it a little bit with the guy I gave it to. He hasn't run it much this past year (health issues). But I really did like the engine on that boat. The two of us got along well

This one isn't bad. I didn't need to do much to it at all for the first couple years I had it. Even now, I'm dealing with simple stuff. Just gotta' learn a newer groove.

Thanks achris , I'll dig back into it. - - BUT, am I correct about that notch? If I'm incorrect and that distributor is supposed to be 90 degrees, then I'll look at doing everything together. If the notch is indeed the factory setting, then I'll just do the timing set.

 

[achris]

The notch shows the relationship between the block and the distribute body, not the distributor shaft. It's the shaft that's incorrectly installed not the body...

 

[southkogs]

Ooooooohhhhhhh ... Gotcha. :thumb: