1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

[JBIII]

All of the sudden my 84 Evinrude E35ELCRR is running about 1000 RPM or 10 MPH slower than it did. It starts fine and idles and runs smooth, it just runs slow. I have checked the throttle plate and it is fully open. Plugs are new but I pulled and replaced each plug wire one at a time and it slowed down but kept running, so I assume both cylinders are firing. In 25 years it has only fowled the plugs one time, and that was my fault. After cleaning the fuel pump (Which wasn't dirty when I opened it.) I pulled the fuel line off and removed the plug wires. Then I cranked the engine 30 seconds, it pumped 4.5Oz which I think is enough fuel???

I don't know what to do next.

Please help!!!!!
Thanks

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Sounds like you have fire but are you sure that you are getting enough fuel from the carbs to the cylinders. Might be worth taking them off and giving them a good cleaning. Might have a little crud in a high speed jet that is restricting the flow. Use a bread twist tie wire and run it through your high speed jet. It is located behind the drain plug. Make sure you spray everything out real well.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Thanks Fireman,

I will try that tomorrow but should I pull the carb (There is only one.) and dissasemble it, or should I just try cleaning out the jet first????

Also is there anything electrical that can cause this problem??

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

If it was electrical you usually will drop a whole cylinder but not always. I would give the carb a good cleaning and that does mean taking it off. the whole procedure shouldn't take more than a half hour to 45 minutes. You might take a buddy with you and run it with the cover off and have him watch and make sure the timer base is going through it's full travel. It could be sticking.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

QUOTE=fireman57;4318648]You might take a buddy with you and run it with the cover off and have him watch and make sure the timer base is going through it's full travel. It could be sticking.[/QUOTE]

Cleaned the carb today, soaked it in Seafoam a few hours in the sun, then I did the wire in the holes thing, then an air hose, saw no dirt but you never know. Maybe I can get it in the water tomorrow.

You mentioned the timing and it reminded me of something. The last time I used the boat last year the starter bracket broke. I was a machinist by trade so I did som fabricating and reinforced it and welded it back together back together. Now I have "The Bionic Starter Bracket".

In the process I had the timing cam stop off. I'm not sure it's at the same place it was but if it isn't it's probably advancing too far. Could that be the problem???? I had forgotton about that until you mention the timing.

Thanks again so far.

 

[classiccat]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

You might take a buddy with you and run it with the cover off and have him watch and make sure the timer base is going through it's full travel. It could be sticking.

Cleaned the carb today, soaked it in Seafoam a few hours in the sun, then I did the wire in the holes thing, then an air hose, saw no dirt but you never know. Maybe I can get it in the water tomorrow.

You mentioned the timing and it reminded me of something. The last time I used the boat last year the starter bracket broke. I was a machinist by trade so I did som fabricating and reinforced it and welded it back together back together. Now I have "The Bionic Starter Bracket".

In the process I had the timing cam stop off. I'm not sure it's at the same place it was but if it isn't it's probably advancing too far. Could that be the problem???? I had forgotton about that until you mention the timing.

Thanks again so far.

that could do it. Joe Reeves WOT timing procedure.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Sorry it took so long but I wasn't feeling well for a few days, then we had some bad weather. Shoud have it in the water this afternoon or tomorrow.

Quote from last post.
In the process I had the timing cam stop off. I'm not sure it's set at the same place it was, but if it isn't it's probably advancing too far. Could that be the problem???? I had forgotton about that until you mentiond the timing.

I don't have a timing light so I plan on doing the hit and miss by ear thing with the timing stop screw. I will move it, try it, move it, try it, keeping record of where I started and see if it gets better or worse. Could this cause a problem???

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Just put it back on and follow Joe's procedure. He is one of the best and his years of experience have helped all of us here.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Just put it back on and follow Joe's procedure. He is one of the best and his years of experience have helped all of us here.

Like I said I don't have a timing light.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

OK guys, I finally got it back in the water, problem is nothing I've done so far helped much. Cleaning the carb and adjusting the mixture again did make it idle smother but I'm still down 1000RPMs. and about 10MPH. When I had it on the river I did move the timing advance stop as much as 3 turns in both directions past where it was, that didn't seem to make a difference at all, one way or the other. I guess I'll try replacing the fuel pump next. I'd rebuild it but a few years back I broke the plastic barb off while replacing the fuel supply hose. It's not leaking but it's epoxyed on so I'll just replace the whole thing instead of messing with it.

That brings up another question. According to the parts list this pump will fit a lot of non VRO outboards, I wonder if they list all that it will fit?? Because someone told me that anything from 1976-1989 from 25-55Hp will fit. Anyone know if that true???

​

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

To test your fuel pump squeeze the primer bulb and if it picks up speed and rpm then replace it. If it stays the same it's not your fuel pump. You can get a timing light at harbor freight for about 20 bucks. Well worth it.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

To test your fuel pump squeeze the primer bulb and if it picks up speed and rpm then replace it. If it stays the same it's not your fuel pump. You can get a timing light at harbor freight for about 20 bucks. Well worth it.

Ok, but I should have thought of that. About the timing light, on a two cylinder 2 stroke engine will any light give me the correct degrees and RPM, or do I have to devide or multiply by two???

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Nope just follow Gentleman Joe's procedure. No math involved. Timing light will flash on what you need to see even in sunlight. Keep us posted.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

OK, I've read through this long thread, and nowhere did I see that you checked the compression. Did I miss something? Especially since you've been fooling with the timing. Too much advance can cause pre-ignition. That in turn destroys pistons. Melted pistons do not put out the horsepower (RPMs).

I do not think you have carburetor or fuel pump problems. I do think you have engine problems.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

OK, I've read through this long thread, and nowhere did I see that you checked the compression. Did I miss something? Especially since you've been fooling with the timing. Too much advance can cause pre-ignition. That in turn destroys pistons. Melted pistons do not put out the horsepower (RPMs).

I do not think you have carburetor or fuel pump problems. I do think you have engine problems.

Thank's again guys, and no I haven't checked the compression yet, I just thought about that yesterday. I'm on my way to Harbor Freight now to get a timing light and compression gage.

I read through Joe's process again and I want to make sure I understand everything.

He says, "Rig a spark tester and have the gap set to 7/16."

I assume a spark tester is a heavy wire or a screwdriver inserted into the #1 plug wire and put 7/16" from a good ground, is that correct?

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

I've checked the compression, #1 is 156 or 157, #2 is 154 or 155. The manual doesn't say what it should be, just that they should be within 5 lb of each other. So I guess 155 is good. I do wish I could find out what PSI they should have. Just for my own satisfaction.

I have not checked the timing advance yet. I have a big problem. I could not find a timing point, I saw the degrees on top of the flywheel but no pointer. So I called around and found out that it is the port side of the protrusion that sticks up above the flywheel on the starter bracket. Well, like I said further back in this thread, at one point I had a problem with the starter bracket and in the process of repairing it I cut that part off. (I had no idea what it was.) There is some of it left, enough that I fabricated a pointer and screwed it on top of where the other one was cut off. I was a machinist for 37 years so I know about degrees and tolerances and such and I am sure that it is within 1 or 2 deg. of the original. What I don't know is how much difference that 2 degrees can make. Any insight?????

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

One degree won't make a big difference but two could. Too much off will fry your engine. Get a factory manual from Kencook.com and you can see from the pics where the indicator would be. Or try to find a picture online. You can set it close and then get out on the water and fine tune it to where it should be, or close enough to see if this is really your problem. The compression numbers you got are really good. probably what is was factory. Don't know what they were from factory but those are really high.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

I did Joe's timing process today, my book calls for 30 deg. advance at full throttle. When I first checked it it was at about 6 deg. (Numbers on flywheel only go down to 8) So I adjusted it to 26. I'll try to get it on the water tomorrow. I can tell you this much so far. Before I changed it I would get about 1900 rpm with the fast idle lever, now it's about 2800.

I must tell you that I don't have a spark tester and do not understand what part it plays in this process. Can someone please explain??

 

[fireman57]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

A gap spark tester will show if you have none, weak, or good spark on a wire. If you set it at 7/16ths of an inch and crank the engine it should jump that with a bright blue spark and a loud snap when it goes. If it is orange or yellow the spark is not strong enough to get good combustion of course none is bad. Don't rev you engine on muffs over 1500 or you could get what they call thermal runaway and you can't shut it off even with the key.

 

[JBIII]

Re: 1984 35 Hp. Evinrude lost 1000 RPM

Well guys, I'm not a happy camper, and getting frustrated. I took it to the river yesterday, and nothing has made a difference. ( I find it very hard to believe the advance was off 20 + deg and it didn't change. :disturbed: ) I'm still down 1100rpm and right at 10mph. I guess I need to get a spark tester next and after that I don't have a clue what to do. I hope you all will stick with me....

Thanks much,
Jake