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trouble starting engine
Hi there,
I need a bit of advice on an issue we're having starting our boat up. We purchased a 95 Sea Ray Sundancer a few months ago that came with a two year old 5.0 Mercruiser and recently replaced manifolds. All went reasonably well on the first couple of trips out but the last time we tried taking it out for the day I couldn't get the thing to start. I tested it out the previous day at our home and had the same issue, though I did manage to finally get it cranked up and running. On each occasion the same thing has happened. I give the engine a couple of pumps with the throttle, as instructed by the previous owner, leave the throttle slightly open, and turn the ignition. After a couple of tries it starts and all seems well, until I throttle it back to idle. The engine ticks over for maybe 10 - 20 seconds, then begins to sound progressively rougher until it cuts out altogether. After that I can't get it running at all. The first time, on the trailer at home (yes, I did have water running to it) I managed to coax it to life half an hour later, and kept it revving for a while before I set it back to idle. But when we went to launch the boat on the weekend, the damn thing cut out on me at idle and refused to start up again, even after we let it sit at the dock for half an hour, trying over and over. I virtually drained the batteries in my attempts. A neighbor, who's a pro fisherman, is of the opinion that it may be something as simple as a fuel filter being clogged. This might gel with our first couple of trips out, when the engine kept cutting out on us at higher speeds. Any views on the matter? And if it is the fuel filter, can someone tell me where to find it on the engine - yep, I'm about as mechanically inept as they come, but am willing to learn for the sake of the boat! Thanks in advance............Tim |
trouble starting engine
timW brought forth on stone tablets:
Hi there, I need a bit of advice on an issue we're having starting our boat up. We purchased a 95 Sea Ray Sundancer a few months ago that came with a two year old 5.0 Mercruiser and recently replaced manifolds. All went reasonably well on the first couple of trips out but the last time we tried taking it out for the day I couldn't get the thing to start. I tested it out the previous day at our home and had the same issue, though I did manage to finally get it cranked up and running. On each occasion the same thing has happened. I give the engine a couple of pumps with the throttle, as instructed by the previous owner, leave the throttle slightly open, and turn the ignition. After a couple of tries it starts and all seems well, until I throttle it back to idle. The engine ticks over for maybe 10 - 20 seconds, then begins to sound progressively rougher until it cuts out altogether. After that I can't get it running at all. The first time, on the trailer at home (yes, I did have water running to it) I managed to coax it to life half an hour later, and kept it revving for a while before I set it back to idle. But when we went to launch the boat on the weekend, the damn thing cut out on me at idle and refused to start up again, even after we let it sit at the dock for half an hour, trying over and over. I virtually drained the batteries in my attempts. A neighbor, who's a pro fisherman, is of the opinion that it may be something as simple as a fuel filter being clogged. This might gel with our first couple of trips out, when the engine kept cutting out on us at higher speeds. Any views on the matter? And if it is the fuel filter, can someone tell me where to find it on the engine - yep, I'm about as mechanically inept as they come, but am willing to learn for the sake of the boat! Thanks in advance............Tim Tim - I assume that this is a gas engine. If carbureted: o Over zealous choke - staying on too long and flooding the engine o Not likely to be an under-achieving choke. If it were, the engine would quit lean, and then your normal startup procedure would get you a restart (which would then fail, in the same way). This is not what you described. o Unlikely to be the fuel filter - if the fuel filter was so blocked that the engine wouldn't idle, you'd never get it to run above idle o Failed needle valve in the carb - allowing the float tank to overfill/overflow and flood the engine o Sunken float - the result is the same: the float tank over fills and floods o If the engine runs normally once it is warmed up, I don't suspect anything electrical If fuel injected: o Bad sensor o Bad connector (yup, there's a lot of 'em...) Have you made any changes to the engine? If so, these should be the FIRST thing you check Note Note *NOTE*: Be very careful. A gas leak in a boat is NOT the same as in a car. In a car, it just runs onto the road, and the entire engine compartment is very well ventilated by the open bottom, and the radiator fan. On a boat, the fuel runs into the bilge, where the vapors accumulate. You could BLOW UP THE BOAT. If you smell gas (fuel leak, carb overflowing, etc), stop what you are doing and walk away. DO NOT operate any switches (even turning off a switch makes a spark...). And of course, you have your ventilator fan running, right? bob s/v Eolian Seattle |
trouble starting engine
On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:17:09 -0700, timW
wrote: Any views on the matter? And if it is the fuel filter, can someone tell me where to find it on the engine Ask the guy at the parts house where you buy the replacement filter. Casady |
trouble starting engine
On 2007-09-26 11:17:09 -0400, timW said:
On each occasion the same thing has happened. I give the engine a couple of pumps with the throttle, as instructed by the previous owner, leave the throttle slightly open, and turn the ignition. After a couple of tries it starts and all seems well, until I throttle it back to idle. The engine ticks over for maybe 10 - 20 seconds, then begins to sound progressively rougher until it cuts out altogether. After that I can't get it running at all. The first time, on the trailer at home (yes, I did have water running to it) I managed to coax it to life half an hour later, and kept it revving for a while before I set it back to idle. But when we went to launch the boat on the weekend, the damn thing cut out on me at idle and refused to start up again, even after we let it sit at the dock for half an hour, trying over and over. I virtually drained the batteries in my attempts. Bob's answers are reasonable, but... For some reason, perhaps the new manifolds, vacuum leak popped into my head as I read yours. On some old cars (and the marine i/o I tried to help last weekend), the choke is both vacuum and electrical (actually heat). From a cold start, the choke is closed, but it opens by itself even if you only leave the key on. Standard stuff: Are the plugs wet, are you getting spark, smelling "flooded"? Does ether (starting fluid) change anything? Are you simply cranking or getting an occasional "bump"? How's the compression (by number for each cylinder, not just "stick your thumb over the plug hole)? Is the advance correct at BOTH target RPMs? Odd item: Sometimes one of the springs on the centrifugal advance break or the plate is stuck and can't rotate back easily. At lower RPMs, the spark is too advanced for a while. Another odd item: Vapor lock from fuel running too close to a hot item (like the manifold). Frankly, I suspect the carb as I pretty much had to rebuild ours every year when I ran gas engines. That's why I have a diesel inboard and electric lawn mower & chain saw and.... If the "Car Guys" are still doing their weekend sticht, I might call them if I were in your shoes. -- Jere Lull Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/ Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/ |
trouble starting engine
On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:44:42 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:
If the "Car Guys" are still doing their weekend sticht, I might call them if I were in your shoes. Car Talk, with Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers, is the most popular show on public radio. So call. Casady |
trouble starting engine
Hi again,
Thanks for all the response to date. I should point out that I'm an Aussie who's only lived in the USA since 2000, so I haven't got a clue what you're talking about regarding that radio show. I know what PBS is and that's about it. Cheers.........Tim |
trouble starting engine
On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:08:11 -0700, timW
wrote: Hi again, Thanks for all the response to date. I should point out that I'm an Aussie who's only lived in the USA since 2000, so I haven't got a clue what you're talking about regarding that radio show. I know what PBS is and that's about it. It is a call in show where two guys answer questions about cars and car repairs. It comes on at 9 00 AM on Saturday. Our local station likes it enough to offer it at 3 00 PM the same day, as well. They will not stand on ceremony about it not being a car, I am sure. Casady |
trouble starting engine
On Sep 27, 5:28 pm, (Richard Casady)
wrote: On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:08:11 -0700, timW wrote: Hi again, Thanks for all the response to date. I should point out that I'm an Aussie who's only lived in the USA since 2000, so I haven't got a clue what you're talking about regarding that radio show. I know what PBS is and that's about it. It is a call in show where two guys answer questions about cars and car repairs. It comes on at 9 00 AM on Saturday. Our local station likes it enough to offer it at 3 00 PM the same day, as well. They will not stand on ceremony about it not being a car, I am sure. Casady I disagree - and you don't just call in, you call an 800 number, and leave your callback info and the nature of your problem. The shows are taped; they call the ones they think they might want to have on (as do nearly all the NPR shows), screen them, and then have them on during the taping. Judging from the "callers" I suspect the screen for those who will be personally entertaining as well. The show is popular because it illustrates things that might happen to their listeners. Your boat isn't one of them, unfortunately. That said, I agree with Jere about gas engines. StaBil in every fill, and run dry at the end of any period where non-use will be an extended period... L8R Skip |
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