"RG" wrote in message news:XG1Pa.46$Bp2.17@fed1read07...

Possible that the magnetic pickup in the new breakerless ignition kit is
defective out of the box? I say this because your symptoms are identical to
symptoms I had when the magnetic pickups in both my MerCruiser GM 5.7's
failed. Engines would run fine before they came up to full operating
temperature, but once the engines came up to full temp, the magnetic
ignition module in the distributor would start to fail. The engines would
stumble and stall at low RPM, and would cough and backfire at higher RPM.
Acted just like it was starving for fuel. Eventually they would be
impossible to restart. Once the engine cooled off, everything was just fine
again. Drove me crazy trying to figure it out. The diagnostic test is to
take a voltmeter to each of the two wires coming and going to the module.
You should see the same voltage coming out as going in. As my engines
warmed up I could watch the output voltage gradually drop from 12+V to
almost zero. Do the test while your engine is cold for a baseline
reference, then test again once the engine starts to run poorly and compare
the results. My modules failed within 10 operating hours of each other on
both engines. Couldn't believe it.

I realize that we are talking about two entirely different engines from two
different manufacturers, but the symptoms sure sound similar, and if we are
talking about the same part, I bet they are very similar in their function.
The part I am referring to is inside the distributor and is held to the base
of the distributor with two screws. Metal vanes from the rotor pass through
the gap in the sensor module, generating a pulse that essentially performs
the same function as ignition points. Turns out that the heat rising from
the engine would cause the modules to heat up and temporarily short out at
high temperatures. Fairly common problem on the MerCruisers, I later found
out.

RG,

Thanks for the tip!! I will call skidim.com tomorrow and see if they
can send me out another kit to test with.

I will be out on the water again tomorrow to make sure the boat is
ready to go for this weekend. I will measure the voltage coming from
the magentic pickup (yes, we are both talking about the same thing)
and make sure it stays constant and doesn't drop as it heats up.

Thanks again.