Hello all,
Maybe this is already here but I couldn't find it. Just thought I would share this in case it helps someone out.
Boat is a 1988 Wellcraft 210 Classic
Engine is 5.7 / 350 chevy.
Long story short. Bought a boat and it turned out the guy didn't do any maintenance 4th time out the oil filter rusted through on the bottom and dropped all the oil and burned the engine up. Tried to replace crank and get block fixed but they found 3 cracks and I didn't want to run with that welded. So I bought a re-manufactured long block marine engine from Auto-Zone for $1600. So after getting it all back together my brother and I could not get it to start out of the boat. It wasn't getting any spark. After testing distributor and coil we found this on how to test the thunderbolt ignition. We did the test below and found the ignition sensor bad. Cost $72 at marine store and it is a newer version.
Troubleshooting: Thunderbolt Ignition Systems
Tests for TB ignition: W/ignition key on AND BILGE WELL VENTILATED OF GAS FUMES!!!
1. Connect your voltmeter neg. lead to the engine ground and pos. lead to the white/red wire terminal at the dist. It should read 12 volts.
2. If 12 volts is present, remove the coil spark wire from the distributor and connect it to a spark gap tester to ground. Remove the white/green lead from the dist. terminal. Turn the ign. key to on and strike the white/green lead to ground. If there is spark, replace the ignition sensor in the dist.
3. If there is no spark, substitute a new coil and repeat test #2. Now if you get spark, install a new coil. NO SPARK, replace ign. amp.
4. In #2, if there is No voltage present, disconnect the white/red wire and check it again for 12 volts. If 12 volts is present, replace the ignition sensor inside the dist. cap. If no 12 volts present w/it disconnected--ignition amplifier is shot and must be replaced.
Maybe this will help someone else that can't get a spark to the plugs.
Jim
Maybe this is already here but I couldn't find it. Just thought I would share this in case it helps someone out.
Boat is a 1988 Wellcraft 210 Classic
Engine is 5.7 / 350 chevy.
Long story short. Bought a boat and it turned out the guy didn't do any maintenance 4th time out the oil filter rusted through on the bottom and dropped all the oil and burned the engine up. Tried to replace crank and get block fixed but they found 3 cracks and I didn't want to run with that welded. So I bought a re-manufactured long block marine engine from Auto-Zone for $1600. So after getting it all back together my brother and I could not get it to start out of the boat. It wasn't getting any spark. After testing distributor and coil we found this on how to test the thunderbolt ignition. We did the test below and found the ignition sensor bad. Cost $72 at marine store and it is a newer version.
Troubleshooting: Thunderbolt Ignition Systems
Tests for TB ignition: W/ignition key on AND BILGE WELL VENTILATED OF GAS FUMES!!!
1. Connect your voltmeter neg. lead to the engine ground and pos. lead to the white/red wire terminal at the dist. It should read 12 volts.
2. If 12 volts is present, remove the coil spark wire from the distributor and connect it to a spark gap tester to ground. Remove the white/green lead from the dist. terminal. Turn the ign. key to on and strike the white/green lead to ground. If there is spark, replace the ignition sensor in the dist.
3. If there is no spark, substitute a new coil and repeat test #2. Now if you get spark, install a new coil. NO SPARK, replace ign. amp.
4. In #2, if there is No voltage present, disconnect the white/red wire and check it again for 12 volts. If 12 volts is present, replace the ignition sensor inside the dist. cap. If no 12 volts present w/it disconnected--ignition amplifier is shot and must be replaced.
Maybe this will help someone else that can't get a spark to the plugs.
Jim
