Motor Attempts To Stall

[DayCruiser]

1990 Mercruiser I/O 130hp 4 cylinder<br />New Plugs and wires put in last year. New Battery this year. Charging instrument doesn't show a short. New choke put on Carburator before winterized--shop did work.<br />Riding along the boat will jolt you like it is going to cut off then instantly it will keep going like normal. It will sometimes go long periods of running without doing this before it becomes more frequent<br />I have emptied out the water seperator 5 times. I could not see water in the clear bottle I poured it into. Did see some black specs. But each time I emptied it the boat ran better than when I first started running it--except on the last outing where it stalled out under a bridge and then flooded. I had to put the throttle a little forward and keep on trying to start before it finally started after around 30 minutes. ON the way back home it cut out the worst.<br />Any ideas to what might be the problem?<br />When I got back home I bought a new seperator and then poured 16 oz of seafoam in gas tank and plan to test it out again today.<br />thanks in advance--good to see yall again this year!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

I Think you're headed in the Right direction,......<br /><br />It Might also be time to think about Installing a Carb. Kit..............

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Thanks! Bondo<br /><br />Ya, last year had the problem of being really hard to start after the engine warmed up. Put it in the shop to be winterized and had them look at that too and they had the same problem and said they fixed the choke. I think they fixed it too good haha You couldn't make it flood last year. After it cut off under that bridge, I tried to restart it in neutral because I knew the carb was fixed and no go...Anyway might have been some dirt or water or the carb needs a kit like you said.

 

[ron7000]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

sounds a lot like water in the gas. if you can, pump the bottom of your gas tank with a hand pump and see if you get any water or sediment. Make sure the boat sits still for a day before doing this so the water will settle to the bottom of the tank. You can thank your gov't from the ethanol they mandate be put in gasoline.<br /><br />might also be the ignition coil cutting out by getting too hot, just a guess. next time out, try running with the engine cover off as much as you can. If it doesn't cut out, it may be the coil needs replacing. Does the boat have a points ignition? Could also be the points or condensor.

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Thanks Ron!<br /><br />I will check out the points and condenser and see if I can pump any water out if the sea foam doesn't help and the new seperator fails to do the job today.<br />I will open up the engine cover if it starts to cut out and see if that stops it.<br />Ya that ethanol is going to play havoc

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Well we went for a ride. Around 15 minutes into the ride it did the same thing--it jolted like it was going to cut off and then in a split second back to normal. The engine was running cool at the time and the boat started up real easy and was idleing fine. All except for that cut out. Then later it did it more times and with a little back fire. <br />When we got back close to home I started going alot faster and it really cut out and then backfired a little and then shut off dead in the water. Couldn't get it started again after 20 minutes of trying. Towed in about 500 yards. Gas is getting to the Carb.<br />Anybody got the point and condenser pics? I see a white plastic covering where the plug wires are connected to.

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Did you check to see if you had spark when you couldn't get it running?

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

I see a white plastic covering where the plug wires are connected to.

????????? Please explain, or post a picture. That doesn't make any sense to me at all. Sorry.

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

How do I check for a spark?<br />I just wanted to make sure I am not looking at a electronic ignition

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Do you mean pull out the inside of the spark plug wire and touch it to metal?

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Don,<br /><br /><br />I will go down and check for the spark and be back in a few<br /><br />thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Pull the center wire out of the distributor cap, hold the wire close to ground and crank the engine. Should jump nice blue spark about a 1/2"

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Thanks Don!<br />I just got back before you replied. I went down there and put a screw driver inside the sparkplug wire and had somebody crank on it and didn't see a spark.<br />I only have 4 connectors(spark plug wire ends) equally apart(in a square) on the distributor cap. No center piece. Thats why I was wondering if it might be electronic

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Ok went back and checked the 4 prongs on the cap? and 2 of the look like they need sand papered really bad after i took the end of the wire off. That could have been the problem. I hope running it like that didn't blow the entire ignition<br />It doesn't have a center cap and the end look almost like the spark plug caps

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Anything here look familiar?<br /><br />

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Sorry about that Don. The wife said the grill was calling me and she had enough of the boat this and the boat that for one day(well she didn't put it that nicely). But now she is asleep.<br />Yes, that is the 4 prong ignition. I sandpapered them and still nothing

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Item 10 in the picture above is NOT the distributor, it's the coil. Item 1 is the distributor.<br />You have what is know as the DDIS system with is a distributorless ignition system, although it has a distributor (more or less).<br />In all the years I have worked on boats, I have never even seen one of these in person. So won't be able to give any first hand information.<br />But, here is a link to the Merc manual to the section covering the DDIS ignition.<br /><br /> http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/13/13B4R2.PDF <br /><br />And for other info on your engine, here is the link to the rest of the manual.<br /><br /> http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/13/13covr2.pdf

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

Thanks Don!<br /><br />I will empty the new water seperator I bought yesterday and see about any water.<br />I will also check out those links.

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

I am beginning to think maybe its the fuel pump and/or the Carb(or at least explore this possibility too)<br />Observations this morning:<br /><br />flap in the carb swings freely and doesn't close when trying to start(Is this suppose to happen?).<br />Strong jets of fuel do not shoot into carb when lever is push forward--more like a mist. I couldn't flood it. NO strong smell of gas.<br />Just didn't look like it was getting enough fuel.<br />Choke was fixed over the winter as I said but it has been cutting out since I got it back.<br />I see the fuel pump bowl. Can then be taken off and checked for trash/blockage? And how?<br />I took the separator off and still haven't observed and water.<br />I took all the plugs out and all but one looked dry. One had a little oil on it.<br />Maybe the fuel pump just completely went out. Is there a way I can check and see if it is working?<br /><br />Thanks!<br />I appreciate all the help.

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor Attempts To Stall

That "Flap" aka choke plate shouldn't just swing freely, sounds like the spring may be broken on the electric choke housing. Pull it off and have a look. When the float bowl of the carb is full of fuel, you should get 2 solid streams of fuel squirting out of the accelerator pump holes, not just a mist.<br /><br />Earlier you mentioned you had to sand the corrosion off a couple of pins on the cap (coil) if those are corroded, so is the wires. Clean up the terminals on the coil and install some new wires. Also check all the connections on items 10, 15, and 1 in the picture above.