MerCruiser 350 problem
 

I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad, and will not even get
to 2000 rpm under load. There is a very sight gas leak around the
fuel filter, but it is as tight as it can get, and the seal looks
good. The leak is less than a drop per minute... barely enough to wet
my finger after running a minute.

I'm baffled, and the 2 shops I called had no ideas either. Anyone
have any ideas before I take it to a different shop for another craps
shoot?

Sounds to me like you need a carb rebuild. And please fix the fuel leak no
matter what it takes. Any fuel in the bilge area is an explosion waiting to
happen.
Check all the plug wires and make sure they are on tight and the connections
to the new coil are tight.

Who winterized it? Did they put fuel stabilizer in it and run it thru the
engine?

--
Tony
my boats and cars at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com

-
"Zrider" wrote in message
...
I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad, and will not even get
to 2000 rpm under load. There is a very sight gas leak around the
fuel filter, but it is as tight as it can get, and the seal looks
good. The leak is less than a drop per minute... barely enough to wet
my finger after running a minute.

I'm baffled, and the 2 shops I called had no ideas either. Anyone
have any ideas before I take it to a different shop for another craps
shoot?

If the fuel filter is on the suction side of the fuel pump, you are probably
sucking air.
JIMinFL

"Zrider" wrote in message
...
I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad, and will not even get
to 2000 rpm under load. There is a very sight gas leak around the
fuel filter, but it is as tight as it can get, and the seal looks
good. The leak is less than a drop per minute... barely enough to wet
my finger after running a minute.

I'm baffled, and the 2 shops I called had no ideas either. Anyone
have any ideas before I take it to a different shop for another craps
shoot?

Based on your assertion it ran fine last year; carb secondary jets
clogged, accelerator pump weak. The carb circuits are clogged with crap.
Pull it and rebuild.
JR

Zrider wrote:

I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad, and will not even get
to 2000 rpm under load. There is a very sight gas leak around the
fuel filter, but it is as tight as it can get, and the seal looks
good. The leak is less than a drop per minute... barely enough to wet
my finger after running a minute.

I'm baffled, and the 2 shops I called had no ideas either. Anyone
have any ideas before I take it to a different shop for another craps
shoot?


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Could be crap that's plugging or partially obscuring the fuel pickup in the
tank. You would not believe the junk that is in the bottom of most fuel
tanks! Chunks of silicon sealer, rust, crud & dirt, water, etc. are all
things that make their way into fuel along it's route from the refinery to
your boat.

I had to remove my tank and get it cleaned out last summer because of this.
The motor was running fine, but either only to a certain RPM, or it would
exhibit 'out of gas' tendencies at full throttle.

When I removed the tank, I was astounded at the amount of crapola that was
residing in there.

grant

"Zrider" wrote in message
...
I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad, and will not even get
to 2000 rpm under load. There is a very sight gas leak around the
fuel filter, but it is as tight as it can get, and the seal looks
good. The leak is less than a drop per minute... barely enough to wet
my finger after running a minute.

I'm baffled, and the 2 shops I called had no ideas either. Anyone
have any ideas before I take it to a different shop for another craps
shoot?

On Tue, 31 May 2005 23:35:20 GMT, Zrider
wrote:

I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350.

I had one of these when I was a child. Nice boat.

Me and the wife
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/harkra...bum?.dir=/1323

MerCruiser 350 problem
 

"Zrider" wrote in message
...
I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad,

Sounds like bad gas/carb jets obstructed. Sure sign is that at some speeds
engine runs fine and as you advance throttle you have regions that missfire
(run rough). remove carb disassemble and dump in bucket with carb cleaner.
There are many chemicals claiming to be carb cleaner. NAPA makes one that
is very good. The carb should soak for more than 4 hours. Then flush the
jets with a can of spray carb cleaner.

That will fix your problems until next year if you don't add stabilizer
and/or run your carb empty before storage. I use the new 2 cycle oil with
stabilizer and mix 100:1 in the gas tank. Then run engine for 20 min with
flush ears attached to engine, last thing I do is to turn off fuel and let
run dry.

and will not even get to 2000 rpm under load. If your engine were running
smooth in neutral but under load exibited the symptoms you describe when hot
I'd suspect plugs/wire/coil. And possibly bad gas. Bad gas for me means
hard start cold but engine runs fine until hot then it becomes impossible to
restart the engine untill it cools below operating temp.

The fuel filter will stop crud from getting to your carb jets but the gas
left in the carb from last year has evaporated/changed to crud and is
sitting in the carb and over when you start it next year it will eventually
be drawn into the jets and clog them.

MerCruiser 350 problem
 

On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 06:13:38 -0500, "Jeff Rigby"
wrote:


"Zrider" wrote in message
.. .
I am in need of opinions here before I spend any more $$$ on my
motor...

I have a 1999 Rinker with a carburated 250 HP MerCruiser 350. The
engine ran fine all last year, up to and including the day I had it
winterized. When I got it out this spring, it wouldn't start. It
wouldn't fire at all. I took it to a local mechanic, who replaced the
fuel pump, fuel filter, coil, and plugs. In a tank and in neutral, it
started and ran just fine.

Well, over the holiday weekend, I took it to the lake and dropped it
in the water. It started fine, and idled through the no wake zone
fine. However, it barely got on plane with just myself in it, and
maxed out at about 4000 rpm.

I had about 1/4 tank of old gas from last fall in the tank, so I
filled it the rest of the way with new fuel, and added a bottle of
octane boost. That didn't help - the engine actually started getting
worse. I thought maybe I had already clogged the new fuel filter, or
maybe had water in it (the boat was outside all winter) so I pulled
the filter and dumped out the gas, but it was clean and no water.

Finally, I tried carb cleaner, which was no help either. Now the
engine barely starts, and when it finally does, it maxes out at about
3800 rpm in neutral before cutting out real bad,

Sounds like bad gas/carb jets obstructed. Sure sign is that at some speeds
engine runs fine and as you advance throttle you have regions that missfire
(run rough). remove carb disassemble and dump in bucket with carb cleaner.
There are many chemicals claiming to be carb cleaner. NAPA makes one that
is very good. The carb should soak for more than 4 hours. Then flush the
jets with a can of spray carb cleaner.

That will fix your problems until next year if you don't add stabilizer
and/or run your carb empty before storage. I use the new 2 cycle oil with
stabilizer and mix 100:1 in the gas tank. Then run engine for 20 min with
flush ears attached to engine, last thing I do is to turn off fuel and let
run dry.

and will not even get to 2000 rpm under load. If your engine were running
smooth in neutral but under load exibited the symptoms you describe when hot
I'd suspect plugs/wire/coil. And possibly bad gas. Bad gas for me means
hard start cold but engine runs fine until hot then it becomes impossible to
restart the engine untill it cools below operating temp.

The fuel filter will stop crud from getting to your carb jets but the gas
left in the carb from last year has evaporated/changed to crud and is
sitting in the carb and over when you start it next year it will eventually
be drawn into the jets and clog them.



These symptoms also sound similar to those I had when my coil went bad. I'd
be checking that too.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."