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engine shut down

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 3:53 pm
by mlklusman
Not sure were to post this, so general.
Engine with only 20hrs. and all new electrical. Run great but coming back up river started cutting out and finally died. At first thought it might be electrical but when back at slip it did fire for 15 sec. Now doesn't want to turn over hardly at all. Pulled starter and it spins and is getting 13.78 from batt.. Starter wouldn't make her shut down while under power. Fuel pump pumped gas when I could get it to turn . I am left with water in fuel ; did pull some plugs and were tan and not wet. Is there a way to check for water in tank with out removing the fuel and or any ideas that I can chase?
Mark

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:08 pm
by marinetteman
moved to engines section.
Hi.
Recommend that you check oil. 20 hours? Call the shop if the engine was replaced recently as the next step.

joe

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:14 pm
by bcassedy
One of the few ways I can think of is still a pain...

If your gas tank's like mine ('88 SB twin 318's), the fill ports are offset to the actual tank opening. This keeps us from just dipping a tube down into the tank, corking it and quickly retrieving it (which would trap any water sitting at the bottom). But you can do something similar. It's just going to require a bit of ingenuity....

1. Remove the gas tank's guage.
2. Get a 3/8" copper tube of the correct tank height plus 4 inches. Straighten it out (if it was from a coil) so the length equals the tank depth, and then fit an "90deg" angle with the remaining 4".
3. Fit one end with some kind of suction device (manual pump I guess might be the first thing to use - maybe one that is a cheap accordian style.). Short piece of soft tubing shud do it.
--> The "90 deg" angle will let you have some working room with the suction device + will give you a bit of "fall back" in keeping the tube from falling into the tank if it slips. :roll:
4. You should be able to thread this at an angle into the tank and then get it standing straight up and down.
--> if it's too unwieldy, just leave off the suction section and add that to the 90 deg bend after you've inserted the copper tube into the tank.
5. Draw off something like a couple of cups of fluid into a clear container and let stand.
6. Since you're pulling from the bottom of the tank you'll get a good representation of what's on the bottom (crud, water, ???).

"Rube Goldberg" Bill

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:21 pm
by marinetteman
Check gas first at the filter. New engines should have new filters put on. Joe. BigM I have the RACALs on my crusaders.

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 7:29 pm
by bill
You could just empty the fuel water separator into a quart mason jar :roll: and have a look see after it settles, :idea: any water will be at the bottom. Depending on the year Marinette you either have the old stone graco filters or the spin on canisters. :idea:
BigM Bill

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:35 am
by mlklusman
Thanks to all who replied and will keep on chasing this problem ; at least for another few days. Will see what I can do with the hand vac. pump as to getting fuel from the bottom of tank. Oil and everything is new and clean. Getting too old to be climbing around these engine's now...... Oh , sorry Joe for posting in the wrong topic, I should have known.

Mark

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:33 am
by Fastjeff
My Port engine drove me nuts most of last year, and this year as well. The problem (similar to yours) was ethanol derived crud plugging the in-lone filter at the carb--not a drop of gas would come through it, even with the electric pump running! The stinking ethanol tends to loosen up crud that was happy just sitting on the bottom of the tanks for decades.

I've long believed those original Perko separators are okay, but I'm now having second thoughts. May install Rayco type spin ons instead--and I will if the problem returns.

Jeff

Re: engine shut down

Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 10:14 am
by yooper
I emptied all the bad gas out of my tanks when I started my 32' project. I siphoned it all through the gauge plate and out the hole in the bottom of the bilge. This goes very fast.

Before launch, I borrowed an electric fuel pump with an attached canister filter ( should have been a see through) from a marine mechanic. I attached the input in place of the rubber fuel hose that runs to the mechanical fuel pump on a the boat. I poured 6 gallons of fresh gas into each tank and jostled the boat. I hooked it to a 12v dc power supply and emptied the tank into a 6 gal gas can. The Perko separators caught a lot of rusty watery crud. The gas in the can was clear. I poured the gas back in the boat tank and repeated the "polishing" process until the Perko separators were clear (2-3 times). Then I used all 12 gallons on the other tank. With full tanks of fresh gas I would just recycle about 6 gallons until the lines ran clear. That should pull the water off the bottom of the tanks.

I also added one of those tin can filters between the fuel pump and the carb. This mean my boat has Original Perko separators + tin cans + new spring loaded mesh carb filters.

This year one engine wouldn't even pull gas through the Perkos until we pulled the top off the Perko and primed the line with a turkey baster. Its probably crud in the gas tank back flow valve. I guess you can plug up your fuel line anywhere along the line.