Turns over but won’t start

[studders]

Hello to all
i have a 1989 Baja islander 190 mercruiser 3.0
i did a bunch of routine maintenance before the first trip out of the year. Oil change, spark plugs, cap and rotor button and wires. Sounded real smooth while at the house. Went to the lake and started up just fine. As soon as I got out of the no wake zone and started getting on it, it just shut down and would not start back up. I smelled gas as I was trying to turn it over. I took the spark arrestor off and some white smoke came roaring out. I may of had the wires not in the right order as I did it one at a time when I changed the cap. But while I was on the lake I looked it up and apparently I was one off the firing order. But that is good now lol. I’m just a little confused as how it seemed to sound so smooth at the house and when I first got to the lake but it was at low rpms. I guess the higher rpms had something to do with. I’m going to check and see if it’s gettimg spark when I get home this evening pending the weather. Is there anything else I can check also. Just for the record I am mechanically inclined and do majority of my own work. Doesn’t say much if I had my firing order off lol. Again just like the title of this thread it will turn over but will not start. I also sounded like something was still spinning in the engine when I would quit trying to start it for a second or so. So I’m thinking it either jumped time or broke or the distributor has gone bad. Anymore suggestions would be great and thank you in advance.

 

[alldodge]

Smelling gas, check to see if the carb is flooding

Re-check the firing order one more time, and also check the rotor button

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... With the key "On", is there Power at the purple wires on the coil's (+) terminal,..??

Pull a couple spark plugs, 'n look for wet gas,.....

 

[studders]

I pulled the spark plugs and they are a little bit moist. I couldn’t tell if there was power at the coil or not. I pulled the cap back off and the rotor button is seated properly but not facing #1 if that matters. I read that the rotor should be facing #1. But I also checked to see if I was getting spark at any of the plugs and I am not getting any spark when it is being turned over.

 

[Bondo]

I couldn’t tell if there was power at the coil or not.

Ayuh,.... Sounds like ya need some tools,..... like a Test Light,....

but not facing #1 if that matters. I read that the rotor should be facing #1.

Only when ya roll it up to Tdc, not where ever it stops when ya turn it off,....

 

[studders]

Ayuh,.... Sounds like ya need some tools,..... like a Test Light,....


Only when ya roll it up to Tdc, not where ever it stops when ya turn it off,....

Def need more tools lol. I’ll see what I can get a hold of. So if the coil is bad then replace that. If the coil is good would the distributor have gone bad?

 

[alldodge]

Def need more tools lol. I’ll see what I can get a hold of. So if the coil is bad then replace that. If the coil is good would the distributor have gone bad?

I doubt the coil or distributor has gone bad, they normally don't. Thinking you have the DDIS ignition there can be other issues

Need to find out what system you have. Being a 89 model this could be the DDIS ignition which had its issues. Does your distributor look like item 1 in link below?

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/subassembly/30912/963/100

 

[Bt Doctur]

I read that the rotor should be facing #1.
When a dist has been removed and the motor rotated you must have cylinder number 1 at TDC compression before you install the dist.When you install the dist the rotor tip must be facing the #1 position in the cap.
When you look at the position of a rotor tip in a running motor it can be anywhere because a motor will not stop in the exact same position every time you shut it off.

 

[Bt Doctur]

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/13/13B4R2.PDF

 

[studders]

I doubt the coil or distributor has gone bad, they normally don't. Thinking you have the DDIS ignition there can be other issues

Need to find out what system you have. Being a 89 model this could be the DDIS ignition which had its issues. Does your distributor look like item 1 in link below?

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/subassembly/30912/963/100

This is the only pic I took last night if this helps. Can get more tonight. It doesn’t look like the one in the link. Cap obviously goes on here the. Has the 4 wires along with the wire that goes to the coil.

 

[alldodge]

The one in the my link was the DDIS, you have points and condenser.
I would start by replacing the points and condenser. The link that Bt Doctur listed has the points installation method in it, starting on page 4B-5

Initial setting is .016

 

[studders]

Good deal. Thanks I’ll check it out when I get home this evening and give an update as soon as I can

 

[studders]

UPDATE ..... I ordered the condenser and it pretty much came as I set. I guess they all do. But it also came with a cap and rotor button. I replaced all of those and we are making some progress. I am now getting spark. I only checked 1 and 3 so I’m assuming I’m getting spark in all 4. But I could be wrong and that’s what I get for assuming lol. But it still won’t start. I may or may not have it gapped to .016 but it should be close. It only came with a little .020 feeler gauge. I will have to go get one tomorrow at the part store so I can get it gapped correctly. Could that still be the reason it’s nit starting. I would think it would still start just run like crap. I’m still smelling gas so it’s gettimg fuel and it’s back firing at times while I’m turning it over. I’m still baffled how it seemed like it ran so smooth even though I had my wires not in order which I have no clue how i did that because a) I know the firing order and b) I did them one at a time but was still one off. Meaning I had to move them all I believe to the left just one spot. Then when I hit the higher rpms that’s when it all went down hill and shut off and wouldn’t fire back up. So what to check next

 

[alldodge]

The points must open and close to get the coil to fire. I found the easiest way to set the points is to loosen the distributor clamp. The you can rotate the distributor back n forth to measure open and closed. Once the gap is set, start and re-time the motor

 

[TurtleTamer]

Apologize for the long post:

FWIW I had the same thing happen and it had nothing to do with ignition. First time out for the season, ran it around WOT, part-throttled, idled around for a long time, part-throttle, then idle again, and when I went to giver her gas, she died and wouldn't start. Even turned over slow. I went hunting for spark, fuel, everything I could think of. I had a badly clogged up carb so I rebuilt it and she ran great on muffs but had water in the oil. Turns out my riser was shot as was the gasket. The leak would dribble down into the manifold at idle but not at higher rpm, so the more I idled the higher the water level got until it went into my cylinders through the exhaust valves. Of course it wouldn't run that way and eventually the water would drip down past the rings into the crank case. Long story short I ended up pulling riser, manifold and head and you could see the rust line in the manifold where the raw water had filled it up as well as rust on top of the valves. Moral of the story is, I thought I had a spark problem as well, DID have a fuel problem and DID have a water intrusion problem. I'd start checking elsewhere as I don't believe you ever mentioned a complete lack of spark. Check out your oil at the crankcase vent on the valve cover as it'll show up there trying to steam out before the dipstick starts to look milky, or drain some out of the bottom of the pan. And crack open your carb to have a look too. My jets were totally clogged with salt-like deposits as well as my power jet. It's a wonder it ran at all.

As far as the wires being out of order, I know I have been guilty of temporary dyslexia. I'm sure you've triple-checked by now but your motor will not run smoothly on two of four cylinders. For the sake of sanity, I'd put them back how I found them just to reproduce the original condition.

 

[studders]

Apologize for the long post:

FWIW I had the same thing happen and it had nothing to do with ignition. First time out for the season, ran it around WOT, part-throttled, idled around for a long time, part-throttle, then idle again, and when I went to giver her gas, she died and wouldn't start. Even turned over slow. I went hunting for spark, fuel, everything I could think of. I had a badly clogged up carb so I rebuilt it and she ran great on muffs but had water in the oil. Turns out my riser was shot as was the gasket. The leak would dribble down into the manifold at idle but not at higher rpm, so the more I idled the higher the water level got until it went into my cylinders through the exhaust valves. Of course it wouldn't run that way and eventually the water would drip down past the rings into the crank case. Long story short I ended up pulling riser, manifold and head and you could see the rust line in the manifold where the raw water had filled it up as well as rust on top of the valves. Moral of the story is, I thought I had a spark problem as well, DID have a fuel problem and DID have a water intrusion problem. I'd start checking elsewhere as I don't believe you ever mentioned a complete lack of spark. Check out your oil at the crankcase vent on the valve cover as it'll show up there trying to steam out before the dipstick starts to look milky, or drain some out of the bottom of the pan. And crack open your carb to have a look too. My jets were totally clogged with salt-like deposits as well as my power jet. It's a wonder it ran at all.

As far as the wires being out of order, I know I have been guilty of temporary dyslexia. I'm sure you've triple-checked by now but your motor will not run smoothly on two of four cylinders. For the sake of sanity, I'd put them back how I found them just to reproduce the original condition.

Well heck I wish I would of gotten on here before I went out today messing with it and read this lol. But anywho I’ll look into these things next time I go out there to mess with it. It’s supposed to rain here for the next several days so it might not be til this weekend. I did however do a compression check today if it helps any.
Cylinder 1. 2. 3. 4
dry-115. 105. 135. 90
wet-120. 115. 150. 90

Not to sure about #4 as it was the lowest and didn’t change when I did a wet test.

 

[Bondo]

Cylinder 1. 2. 3. 4
dry-115. 105. 135. 90
wet-120. 115. 150. 90

Ayuh,..... Do a leak-down test on it,..... if yer Lucky, the problem is the valves, 'n not the rings,....

 

[alldodge]

Cylinder 1. 2. 3. 4
dry-115. 105. 135. 90
wet-120. 115. 150. 90

.

Number 4 is low but the motor would run with it being that low

 

[studders]

I still haven’t got to check everything but Im going to try this weekend. I did want to try something though. Just wanted to see if it was maybe a fuel issue. I did smell fuel at first but now I don’t smell anything. I sprayed some starting fluid in the carb and still nothing. So now onto checking the things that were suggested. I did pull the hose off the gas tank that goes to the engine and tried starting it. Wouldn’t fuel come squirting out. If it’s supposed to when the engine is turning over it’s not. I pulled the piece out Of the tank and that is not clogged. There is fuel in I believe it’s separator, please correct me if I’m wrong. It’s at the bottom of the engine that the fuel hose is attached to that comes from the tank. Even if it was a carb or fuel issue wouldn’t it still start for a brief moment with starting fluid. Thanks

 

[TurtleTamer]

You'd want to pull the fuel line from the carb. What you pulled sounds like the inlet to the fuel pump. A fuel/water separator would be an aftermarket-added item and not mounted to the engine. Either way, a carb-equipped engine won't have fuel delivery from the tank, it'd be by the fuel pump mounted on the engine, operated by the cam. To truly test if the system is delivering fuel to the carb you'd need to detach the fuel line from the the inlet to the carb (the hard line coming from the fuel pump over the top of the engine to the carb) and crank the engine for a revolution or three.

I'd worry a BIT at not starting from starting fluid. It's not a sure thing.