Please Help!!!!

[lillbush]

Well I finally did it lastnight. After 3 years of work I finally took the boat to the lake. Back her down the ramp and launched her out. Then it happened, the motor would not start. It was making a werid gargling sound like the boat was taking on water. Boat was dry then after trying to crank it for a few minutes I gave up and noticed a hissing coming from the carbs???? Almost like a vacuum leak. What is strange is that the night before I ran the motor for about 30 minutes in a bucket with the muffs on it and it ran fine. Then I put it into the lake and it wont fire. I am at a loss, any ideas of what it is? My thinking is that the lower unit is filling with water? I am going to try a pressure test on it in the morning but I wanted to know if anyone else had any ideas?? BTW it is a Force 120 L drive 1989

Thanks
Matt

 

[maxum247]

Re: Please Help!!!!

I'm wondering if the engine flooded and you were getting the hiss thru the carbs from the base pressure building up while cranking the engine!
You would have smelt the strong gas odor though I would think! max!

 

[azlakes]

Re: Please Help!!!!

... hiya lb, well sometimes it'll take more than a few minutes, specially after a long three year drought. Your battery fully charged? Is the fuel/mix fresh? Does your 120 have the primer bulb setup and did you prime it to firm and did it stay that way? Do you have a choking sequence, are the butterflys engaging and did you get the O/B to cough and sneeze at all? Hows the fuel filters and diaphram looking, getting gas to those carbs? Did you squirt some premix into the carbs to get them primed? Hows the plugs look, fouled? I prolly woulda checked all of this on the lake before throwing in the towel.

Hope it works out.

 

[lillbush]

Re: Please Help!!!!

... hiya lb, well sometimes it'll take more than a few minutes, specially after a long three year drought. Your battery fully charged? Is the fuel/mix fresh? Does your 120 have the primer bulb setup and did you prime it to firm and did it stay that way? Do you have a choking sequence, are the butterflys engaging and did you get the O/B to cough and sneeze at all? Hows the fuel filters and diaphram looking, getting gas to those carbs? Did you squirt some premix into the carbs to get them primed? Hows the plugs look, fouled? I prolly woulda checked all of this on the lake before throwing in the towel.

Hope it works out.

Well I have had the engine running. Like I said I took the boat out on thursday but on wednesday I had it running in my driveway for about 30 minutes. The fuel is new, the spark plugs are new, the battery is new,everything is new. and it runs fine in a bucket with muffs. Npw it did fire up and run for a few seconds but it didnt sound right at all poping and all. The only thing I find is that I cant get it to start withOUT the use of starting fluid. Is it possible that the carbs are just way out of adjustment causing it not to start in the water?

Thanks
Matt

 

[azlakes]

Re: Please Help!!!!

... yup chi could well be carbs outta whack. you gotta stop using that starting fluid. use only premix. here is a link that gives a good lead on how to adjust your carbs. also make sure all your fuel deilvery hoses and filters are clean from debri...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=242300&highlight=fuel+delivery

hope you can get her going

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Please Help!!!!

Pull your spark plugs and find the clean one. That is probably where your problem lies. Either no spark on that cylinder or poor compression.

 

[lillbush]

Re: Please Help!!!!

Pull your spark plugs and find the clean one. That is probably where your problem lies. Either no spark on that cylinder or poor compression.

The powerhead is new. I know everything is working I just know the carbs must either be dirty or out of wack. I have good compression and good spark on all 4 as I did a test already. I am going to pull my plugs out here in a few minutes and repost what I find.

Thanks
Matt

 

[lillbush]

Re: Please Help!!!!

Well I adjusted the carbs and the boat was running better. But still not perfect. I turned off the boat and pulled the plugs and the 2 lower ones were wet. Then I took off the exhaust hose and that was full of water. So the lower unit is leaking. I took that off and put pressure on it and sure enough the air is blowing right out of the seal behind the prop. So now I am on the hunt for seals. I hope this is it.

Matt

 

[steelespike]

Re: Please Help!!!!

I know nothing about L drives but wouldn't it be normal for the exhaust hose to have water in it,after all that how the exhaust system is cooled.
Not unusual for a motor that is too lean to run in a barrel or on muffs but not on the water as there is more back pressure on the water.