Mercruiser 188 fueling issues.

[Dtaylor88]

So i bought this boat as a project 18ft 76 beachcraft mercruiser 188 (302). 888 outdrive. Ive gotten it running, sounds great when running, but just sucks the filter dry then dies, now i have already replaced the fuel pump, just so that info is in the post. I by passed the filter to see if it would at least pull fuel, and it does but still ends up starving for fuel after a minute or then dying. Im curious to see if im on the right path. I m thinking I should replace all the fuel line back to the tank because im wondering if its sucking air and losing prime.

 

[Fuss188]

Two things come to mind.. 1) Is the check valve on the suction line working properly? It should be relatively easy to take the check valve off and inspect it for proper operation. Also, some check valves are prone to catch debris that is sucked out of the tank. This was the case for me. It was all jammed up with cottonwood fuzzies!
2) Is the float adjusted properly on the carburetor? Or is it moving freely to allow fresh fuel into the bowl fast enough? If the carb has not been rebuilt, it's a good Idea to do that. Rebuild kits are fairly inexpensive and worth every cent.
Replacing the fuel lines is probably a good Idea as well on a boat that old..

 

[Dtaylor88]

Ok sounds about right to me.

 

[Dtaylor88]

What if there is no check valve... i know ill need one in thst case but does that cause priming issues?

 

[Fuss188]

Yeah, if there's no check valve, it may have issues starting after sitting for a bit because the fuel runs back to the tank. Sometimes it's hard to identify the check as it just looks like a regular fitting on the suction line. Best bet is to just take all the fittings off and look to see if one is a check valve. They are required by the Coast Guard I believe.. Mine just looks like a brass female threaded coupler, but some are elbows.

 

[Dtaylor88]

Yep i know what to look for there as the last boat i had it was missing lol i had to buy a new one. Ok well ill pull the fuel line and the fitting when i get home from work and go from there gotta have runnin for this weekend yaknow

 

[Fuss188]

Yessir! Good luck!

 

[Dtaylor88]

Figured it out, just cracked fuel line put new line in purrs like a kitten

 

[Fuss188]

Awesome! Congrats! Happy 4th.. be safe out there!

 

[Dtaylor88]

Will do man you have a safe one too