Starting Problems, 5.7 liter

wvit100

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 6, 2002
Messages
416
1995, 5.7 liter, 235 horsepower, holley carb, Thunderbolt IV ignition, Stingray. <br /><br />I am trying to start up a boat I'm thinking about buying from my cousin. He took it out once last summer in July then put it away with less than 1/8 tank of gas in it. He winterized it in the fall but didn't fill up the gas tank or put any stabilizer in it.<br /><br />When I took out the old plugs they all looked good. I installed new plugs, new cap and rotor, and put in a half a tank of fresh gas and cranked it up. It ran good for about 30 seconds then died. I took off the water seperator and it was almost full of water, put a new one in and started it again. Again it ran for 15 - 20 seconds and died. I pulled all the plugs and they all were black and wet so I'm pretty sure the air mixture is wrong but it won't run long enough to try and adjust it.<br /><br />When it runs it sounds good then it quickley starts to shudder and stalls. I'm going to look at it more tonight but it seems like a carburator problem. What do you think?
 

Capt Ken

Commander
Joined
Jul 30, 2002
Messages
2,270
Re: Starting Problems, 5.7 liter

Water, ya think? DUH!!! If you are able to pour water out of one of those spin on Mercruiser style filters, then its bypassed water on to the carb. The filter works by absorbing the water in its specal paper element. If water is able to be poured out, then the element has absorbed all it can and can't soak up any more. Go ahead and pull the carb and clean it out.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
71,095
Re: Starting Problems, 5.7 liter

Check the "New" filter... I bet it's Also full of water..... <br />Like Ken says, You May want to dump the water out of the Carb. too.... And don't forget, Some carb.s have a strainer in the inlet....
 

denniz

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 21, 2002
Messages
743
Re: Starting Problems, 5.7 liter

lol Ken......WHO PUT WATER IN THAT FILTER? Musta been the cousin or his girlfreind...'WHATEVER HAPPENEND TO THAT BOTTLE OF OZARKA SHE WAS CARRYING?" :D
 

bernieb

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
209
Re: Starting Problems, 5.7 liter

From a 3.7 owner and a novice on the subject I might say,you may consider this.......if you can get inside your gas tank by removing the fuel sender guage with leads off the battery off course and clean with liquid soap and a garden hose inside the tank and be sure to double check for trash behind baffle or partition in tank.Like the man said it may be from a jealous girl friend.Use the suck and spit method to get the water out.Next ,check brass fitting coming out of tank,it's a check valve(one way flow)and it gets clogged,not sure but I believe it may be a marine requirement to have the fitting.Then have the carb gone over.Good luck
 
Top