Where do I Start engine or outdrive

[Fish Regulator]

Took my boat out today and it was running funny, I have a 1989 25 foot Chris Craft with a 1999 5.7 litter engine and the original Alpha 1 outdrive. The engine ideals great and runs great when I have it out of gear and rev it up. The problem I have is when it is in gear when I get it up to 3000 rpm's it starts making a strage noise that sounds almost like an exhaust leak but I am fairly sure it is not. There is also a kind of clicking noise aswell. Also at full throtle it is only reving up to 3200 rpm's while in gear and running at about 15 knts. Since it runs good while ideling does this mean I have an outdrive problem or is it the motor? Any help would be greatly apreciated.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

Fish, Sounds like a classic case of water in the fuel. Pull the water seperating fuel filter and dump it into a glass jar and any water will settle on the bottom of the jar. Lots of water can be a real headache as it means lots in the tank.You may want to clean up or change the plugs as well, they may have a white crust that develops on the electrode because of the water, This is the least expensive thing to check before going on to ignition and carb or EFI

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

I have been having a problem with water in my gas tank, I just changed the water seperator but did not think about changing my spark plugs. I will give it a try and let you know. Thanks

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

Fish, Did you check the filter for water when you changed it? Did it have a lot of water in it? You can check it without changing it.<br />Keep in mind that most fuel tanks have the fuel pick up near the bottom and aft, when you accelerate the water in the tank will run to the rear of the tank and be closest to the pickup tube.You may want to check the o-ring on the fuel fill cap and the tank vent/overflow (thru hull) some poorly designed vents can take in water while underway and rain can certainly enter if the o-ring is worn or missing.If your tank ia accessable it would be prudent to find out just how much water is in it. Another $0.02

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

I checked the tank before going out today just by draing some gas out the fuel line and the gas appeared to have no water in it. Also I riged up a pressure gauge and hose and presurized the gas tank through the fuel vent and the system seems to hold pressure leading me to beleive there is no leak in the gas tank. I have to keep the boat covered in order to keep water out of the fuel it seems every time it rains there is alot of water that gets in the fuel. I have yet to figure out how this keeps on happing.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

OK, Before you take the boat out again,empty the contents of the water seperator into a glass jar and do it again when you return. Have someone look to see if water is spraying at the thru hull vent under several different speeds and conditions.

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

I will give it a shot

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

BTW, Forgot to mention that the water that accumulates in the carb bowl is a lot harder to get rid of.It may take quite som time to run it out

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

Should I take the carb off and drain the bowl.

 

[CTD]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

when running at 3200rpm do you usually go faster than 15kts?<br />The noise your hearing, did it start at the time you started haveing preformance problems<br />I assume your boat is kept in the water, could you have something wrapped around the prop?

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

before I had problems the boat ran at about 26 knts at 3200 rpm, As for the noise it did start when I started having performance problems. the boat is kept out of the water and I have not noticed anything wrappped around the prop

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

Fish, I wouldn't pull the carb just yet, but you might try using a little dry gas in the water seperator when you reattach it after testing. Maybe about 1/4 the volume of the filter.Here is a link to tune up specs click on it and look up your motor specs pay special attention to the WOT since you want the motor to be able to run at or near that spec;<br /> http://www.marinemechanic.com/specs/specsheet-toc.htm

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

I checked the spark plugs and they looked ok they just had a little carbon build up on them but i think I will replace them anyway. I am going to check the fuel seperator after I go and get some new plugs I will let you know what I find in the seperator once I have looked. Thanks

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

One more quick question the spark plug I got out of the motor was an ac delco R43TS but the one suggested on the link you gave me is ac-mr43t so which one should I go with.

 

[CTD]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

3200 rpm gives 26mph before and 3200 rpm now gives 15mph. sounds like the prop hub is slipping. However if that was the case the rpm should be higher. If it wasn't for the noise I'd be inclined to keep after the fuel system. Does it sound like it is comming from the carb.

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

I do not beleive the sound is coming frome the carb

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

Just took off the fuel seperator and there was no water to be found in it however the gasoline was very orange in color though.

 

[CTD]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

I don't know why the fuel is orange but seems like if it was a bad fuel problem it wouldn't idle or run good out of gear. Could the orange be from rust, if so have you changed the fuel filter-s. Some have a filter in the inlet of the carb also. By the way, what carb does that have. The noise you describe sounds like a lifter,bent push rod or flat cam (from here). Don't know if you got the plugs in yet but is would be a good idea to check compression while you have them out.

 

[Fish Regulator]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

Sorry it took so long for me to reply back but I have been busy for the past couple of days. But what I want to ask is would it not still make the sounds while it was idleling if there was some major problem like that.

 

[CTD]

Re: Where do I Start engine or outdrive

A bad lifter would continue to make noise at idle (most of the time) a bad cam or bent pushrod may or may not make noise at idle. Since your problem started one day and not gradually the you can pretty well eliminate the cam. The reason i mentioned these things is that you have a noise and loss of proformance that started at the same time, chances are if you find the cause of one you will find the cause of the other. I get the impression that the noise only ocurs under load. Are you sure the prop is ok? Could the engine coupler be slipping. If you had a flat cam, weak or broken valve spring or bent pushrod on an exhaust valve it would make a fast popping through the carb under load, if it was a intake it would just make a ticking or no noise at all unless the valve floated and hit the piston. I have been an auto mechanic and have seen a lot of cams go on the 5.7s but never in less than 39000 miles. Another paoblem I saw a lot of was on the HEI electronic ignition it would burn a hole in the rotor so under load the engine would misfire but it would run good at idle. I had a bad prop once that would work ok as long as I didn't give it full throttle but If I opened it up from a cruise speed the engine would pick up 4 or 5 hundred rpm but the boat would slow down and it made a vibration and a low pitch rumble noise.