Tao of Funk
Seaman
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2007
- Messages
- 58
Background
I purchased 1969 55hp Evinrude that hadn't been run for "years". It fired up right away. I decided to rebuild carbs right off (that was a good idea). Replaced fuel lines and installed filter. Rectifier shorted out within first hour of operation (replaced). Cleaned points, re-gapped correctly for used points, re-timed, and checked and cleaned most connections on the engine including plug wires. Replaced battery cables. Guy I bought the boat from says he accidentally hooked the battery terminals up backwards but didn't try to start the motor. I realize this is a big no no. I do not know the interworkings of the amplifier (or power pack if you will) so I can't say whether it is "fried".
Symptoms
The engine still runs "finicky". It fires right up, idles nice in neutral but barely idles in gear (I need to run the idle a bit high and then put it into gear causing a bit of cringe when it bangs into gear). I have adjusted the low speed needles and believe to have achieved the proper idle mixture adjustment. When advancing to full throttle it seems to have an intermittent miss. Once up at full throttle it runs great... at first. Here it really gets tricky. Passing about 10 minutes of run time (other times longer) it suddenly starts to miss and runs but only on two cylinders and then intermittently fires on the third cylinder (WAAA uhhh WAAA uhhh). I have had the timing light on the wires during one of these periods and the miss seems to be confined to the #2 cylinder. I have examined the connections and plug wire for the #2 cylinder completely and have not found anything out of the ordinary, even so I have ordered a new set of spark plug wires (call me crazy). Compression is #1 129psi, #2 130psi, #3 125psi.
Once I throttle back to idle and try to get going again it starts to miss and won't get back to full throttle. If I let it cool down completely and then run it again it'll work fine again until it's warmed up. One test run the engine ran great the entire hour and a half at idle, full throttle, and everywhere in between.
I just noticed yesterday it has Champion L76V's on it. "The Book" recommends QL's of that type or QL77JC4's. I couldn't get Champions of Q type yesterday so I got NGK BZHS's and gapped them at .030 for now but may try .040 to achieve better idle (yes I haven't tried them yet).
Finally questions proper:
Why resistor type plugs? I have a battery breaker point (distributor) ignition system not CDI ignition. I have read that without resistor type plugs a CDI ignition won't receive proper "talkback" to the ignition. Could running the non-resistor plugs cause a foul up in the ignition system?
The NGK's I got are conventional gap where the Champion's previously installed are surface gap. I heard the "will last longer at idle with surface gap type" rhetoric but also heard "gap 'em wider for better idle performace" talk. Can't re-gap a surface plug so..?
Was the power pack damaged when the seller hooked the battery cables up backwards or does the ignition (key switch) need to be in the run position for the power pack to receive energy? I suppose the power pack can be "half fried" wherein it works but not properly, this could be my problem as well. "The Book" has a section on ignition component testing (emphasis on Amplifier Intermittent Miss Test) but it speaks of the Merc-O-Tronic tester. I have a multi-tester. Unfortunately they don't say "hook positive lead of multi-tester here, negative there, set scale to XXX volts, crank engine and look for XXX voltage. Instead they say, "Merc-O-buythistoo should point to green range." I was hoping to avoid the $250 parts until I am sure they are the problem.
I'm sure I am forgetting something but I probably have given plenty to the God's of Outboard so far. If anyone can chew up a bit of this pie and digest it into a possible solution I am all ears. I will be running to Clear Lake for a test today and will add the info if it's pertinent. Could the resistor type plugs be the answer??? Thanks in advance!
I purchased 1969 55hp Evinrude that hadn't been run for "years". It fired up right away. I decided to rebuild carbs right off (that was a good idea). Replaced fuel lines and installed filter. Rectifier shorted out within first hour of operation (replaced). Cleaned points, re-gapped correctly for used points, re-timed, and checked and cleaned most connections on the engine including plug wires. Replaced battery cables. Guy I bought the boat from says he accidentally hooked the battery terminals up backwards but didn't try to start the motor. I realize this is a big no no. I do not know the interworkings of the amplifier (or power pack if you will) so I can't say whether it is "fried".
Symptoms
The engine still runs "finicky". It fires right up, idles nice in neutral but barely idles in gear (I need to run the idle a bit high and then put it into gear causing a bit of cringe when it bangs into gear). I have adjusted the low speed needles and believe to have achieved the proper idle mixture adjustment. When advancing to full throttle it seems to have an intermittent miss. Once up at full throttle it runs great... at first. Here it really gets tricky. Passing about 10 minutes of run time (other times longer) it suddenly starts to miss and runs but only on two cylinders and then intermittently fires on the third cylinder (WAAA uhhh WAAA uhhh). I have had the timing light on the wires during one of these periods and the miss seems to be confined to the #2 cylinder. I have examined the connections and plug wire for the #2 cylinder completely and have not found anything out of the ordinary, even so I have ordered a new set of spark plug wires (call me crazy). Compression is #1 129psi, #2 130psi, #3 125psi.
Once I throttle back to idle and try to get going again it starts to miss and won't get back to full throttle. If I let it cool down completely and then run it again it'll work fine again until it's warmed up. One test run the engine ran great the entire hour and a half at idle, full throttle, and everywhere in between.
I just noticed yesterday it has Champion L76V's on it. "The Book" recommends QL's of that type or QL77JC4's. I couldn't get Champions of Q type yesterday so I got NGK BZHS's and gapped them at .030 for now but may try .040 to achieve better idle (yes I haven't tried them yet).
Finally questions proper:
Why resistor type plugs? I have a battery breaker point (distributor) ignition system not CDI ignition. I have read that without resistor type plugs a CDI ignition won't receive proper "talkback" to the ignition. Could running the non-resistor plugs cause a foul up in the ignition system?
The NGK's I got are conventional gap where the Champion's previously installed are surface gap. I heard the "will last longer at idle with surface gap type" rhetoric but also heard "gap 'em wider for better idle performace" talk. Can't re-gap a surface plug so..?
Was the power pack damaged when the seller hooked the battery cables up backwards or does the ignition (key switch) need to be in the run position for the power pack to receive energy? I suppose the power pack can be "half fried" wherein it works but not properly, this could be my problem as well. "The Book" has a section on ignition component testing (emphasis on Amplifier Intermittent Miss Test) but it speaks of the Merc-O-Tronic tester. I have a multi-tester. Unfortunately they don't say "hook positive lead of multi-tester here, negative there, set scale to XXX volts, crank engine and look for XXX voltage. Instead they say, "Merc-O-buythistoo should point to green range." I was hoping to avoid the $250 parts until I am sure they are the problem.
I'm sure I am forgetting something but I probably have given plenty to the God's of Outboard so far. If anyone can chew up a bit of this pie and digest it into a possible solution I am all ears. I will be running to Clear Lake for a test today and will add the info if it's pertinent. Could the resistor type plugs be the answer??? Thanks in advance!
