I bought this boat about a month ago and got it running pretty good but it has a bottom end bog. I rebuilt the carbs with oem kits, replaced all hoses and fiters and that helped but the problem still existed. I didn't pull those pressed in "plugs" I just soaked the bodies in carb cleaner for about an hour then blew out with brake cleaner and compressed air.
That said, I have pulled the plug wires off and on probably 30 times for compression tests, etc. Btw - 120 psi compression. The wires are not brittle but are stiff. I have had the boat out around 8 times and ran as many 6 gal tanks thru it and there was no problem until yesterday. Right off the dock it started surging and stalling at idle. Then, at low (trolling) speed it was cutting out. I was freaking out, like, what the hell....! The boat had a bog but nothing like this. Then I noticed a ticking sound and thought something was grounding. Sure enough, I pulled the cover (it was dark at that point) and at least one plug wire was arcing to the head.
So, I read up here and on the web and I thought it may be a grounding issue so I removed and cleaned all grounding wires involved with the motor and battery. Went out today and the same problem!
It's the plug wires. Do these things just go bad at the drop of a hat one day?
Unfortunately for my motor they don't sell just the wires, you have to buy the whole coil! The only thing you can buy is the boot and the metal end that connects to the plug. I don't know whether I should waste my money on the ends or just replace all coils (expensive)???
If these coils are the originals, they are 33 years old.
What do you think I should do? Just ends or all new coils? Money IS an object. Also, Are there after market coils out there or do I have to buy OMC?
One more thing and I'm sorry to pile on but it is relavent to this post and the problem. Before the plug wire arcing problem the motor ran fine but had a bog or hesitation when I would stab the throttle from iddle. Do you think the coils could have something to do with this, before they started arcing? I did a spark test before the arcing thing started and they would go 7/16, don't know what color the spark was but I seem to remember blue/white...
Thanks to all on the forum for all there excellent input, I have learned a ton so far!
Please help.
That said, I have pulled the plug wires off and on probably 30 times for compression tests, etc. Btw - 120 psi compression. The wires are not brittle but are stiff. I have had the boat out around 8 times and ran as many 6 gal tanks thru it and there was no problem until yesterday. Right off the dock it started surging and stalling at idle. Then, at low (trolling) speed it was cutting out. I was freaking out, like, what the hell....! The boat had a bog but nothing like this. Then I noticed a ticking sound and thought something was grounding. Sure enough, I pulled the cover (it was dark at that point) and at least one plug wire was arcing to the head.
So, I read up here and on the web and I thought it may be a grounding issue so I removed and cleaned all grounding wires involved with the motor and battery. Went out today and the same problem!
It's the plug wires. Do these things just go bad at the drop of a hat one day?
Unfortunately for my motor they don't sell just the wires, you have to buy the whole coil! The only thing you can buy is the boot and the metal end that connects to the plug. I don't know whether I should waste my money on the ends or just replace all coils (expensive)???
If these coils are the originals, they are 33 years old.
What do you think I should do? Just ends or all new coils? Money IS an object. Also, Are there after market coils out there or do I have to buy OMC?
One more thing and I'm sorry to pile on but it is relavent to this post and the problem. Before the plug wire arcing problem the motor ran fine but had a bog or hesitation when I would stab the throttle from iddle. Do you think the coils could have something to do with this, before they started arcing? I did a spark test before the arcing thing started and they would go 7/16, don't know what color the spark was but I seem to remember blue/white...
Thanks to all on the forum for all there excellent input, I have learned a ton so far!
Please help.