Little help, I'm stuck on the water.

[findinghomer]

Engine is a 1997 Mercruiser 5.7 2bbl. First outing of the year, I'm sitting on the water now, everything was running fine, and then when running at cruising speed , It randomly felt like I lost a little acceleration. when I slowed down the boat died. Go to start it back up, it started but died immediately. If I put it in high neutral and rev it high , i can get it to run, but as soon as throttle down it dies. If I quickly shift into gear while it's idling high it will move, but if idle speed drops below 1500 it dies everytime. Pulled the flame arrestor off to look into the carburetor, please see attached you tube video. My question is my carb seems to be dumping alot of fuel and spraYing erratically. Am I experiencing flooding issues here? Or is that spray that you see normal, or do I have another problem? Any help would be appreciated thanks.

https://youtu.be/LDFbqbC1zxo

 

[Fun Times]

Are you able to tell if the carb continues to leak fuel while the engine is off? It does seem to be a bit to much fuel.

The float might be stuck..You could try lightly tapping all around the top of the carb to see if it may stop or unstick a needle and seat valve which kind of helps control the float level being in the same area. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/s...31865/2344/100

Do you see excessive fuel in the water from the exhaust or smell fuel in the air?

 

[SeaDooSam]

Might it just be some water or something in the gas? A similar happened to me once. It wanted to stall if I wasn't going full throttle all of a sudden. I continued at WOT and ran fine after that.

Your problem now is you can't get it started again?

 

[findinghomer]

Are you able to tell if the carb continues to leak fuel while the engine is off? It does seem to be a bit to much fuel.

The float might be stuck..You could try lightly tapping all around the top of the carb to see if it may stop or unstick a needle and seat valve which kind of helps control the float level being in the same area. http://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/s...31865/2344/100

Do you see excessive fuel in the water from the exhaust or smell fuel in the air?

I don't think it is dripping fuel when the engine is shut off. It does smell pretty gassy. I don't think that it was coincidence, that the engine bogged down a little bit and seemed to have lost acceleration , then suddenly I had this problem. It's hard to explain, but it was like I was driving at cruising speed and then pulled back slightly on the throttle. But I didn't touch it. Now suddenly I'm having this problem. And it happens every time

 

[SeaDooSam]

If it happens consistently then it definitely wasn't a problem with the gas. I would go with the advice above

 

[findinghomer]

If it happens consistently then it definitely wasn't a problem with the gas. I would go with the advice above

Banging on the carb?

 

[findinghomer]

Does that fuel that is spraying , seem to be excessive to you guys? I thought it was supposed to be more of a mist spray.

 

[Fun Times]

Banging on the carb?

If it may help get you home yes just lightly though....It's helped me a few time in the past. Next will be opening up the carb once your home safe and sound.

Does that fuel that is spraying , seem to be excessive to you guys? I thought it was supposed to be more of a mist spray.

It has the appearance the fuel is nearly pooling in there indicating a possible needle and seat, float, or excessive fuel pump pressure.

 

[GA_Boater]

It has the appearance the fuel is nearly pooling in there indicating a possible needle and seat, float, or excessive fuel pump pressure.

The only time you see a stream is when the accelerator pump squirts. Never drips when running and always a mist.

Tap on the carb with a screwdriver handle. Around where the fuel line is attached to the carb. Might unstick the float/needle enough to get you to the dock.

I hope you aren't still stuck on the water, FH.

 

[findinghomer]

The only time you see a stream is when the accelerator pump squirts. Never drips when running and always a mist.

Tap on the carb with a screwdriver handle. Around where the fuel line is attached to the carb. Might unstick the float/needle enough to get you to the dock.

I hope you aren't still stuck on the water, FH.

I just rebuilt the carb last year, so they are all new components. What would cause it to stick? I'm on shore lol

 

[GA_Boater]

Crud stopping the the needle from closing or a bad float. Time to open the carb again.

Glad you're high and dry. :smile:

 

[findinghomer]

The only time you see a stream is when the accelerator pump squirts. Never drips when running and always a mist.

Tapping on the carburetor did not help. Did you by any chance see the video? That fuel spray is when I am in high neutral. Is that not normal? I figured it would be more of a misty spray , but it seems to be randomly spraying and dropping fuel

 

[alldodge]

The vid is showing me that your flooding, and is caused by curd in the needle seat or the float sank, my guess is crud. The best method to fix temporary, is remove the top of the carb, should be 7 screws. Then remove float and needle, clean out then reinstall.



Another possible option is pump the accelerator pump until no more gas is sprays. Wait a while with throttle plate full open to let it dry out, then try to start. Doing this gas must flow past the needle seat and may wash out the crud before the bowl refills. IMO the first option would be my first choice but this may also work

 

[alldodge]

BTW, is the clear line coming from the fuel pump to the carb have any fuel in it?

 

[GA_Boater]

Tapping on the carburetor did not help. Did you by any chance see the video? That fuel spray is when I am in high neutral. Is that not normal? I figured it would be more of a misty spray , but it seems to be randomly spraying and dropping fuel

Yes, I did. Carbs atomize fuel or create a mist. The vid showed the Oroville dam spillway in action.

I like AllDodge's non-teardown trick to clear the needle, a quick and dirty temporary measure to get a boat back to the ramp - Hopefully.

From the rebuild last year, is the float one of the foam jobs? Sometimes they get saturated with fuel, which makes it too heavy to.....er....float.

 

[findinghomer]

The vid is showing me that your flooding, and is caused by curd in the needle seat or the float sank, my guess is crud. The best method to fix temporary, is remove the top of the carb, should be 7 screws. Then remove float and needle, clean out then reinstall.



Another possible option is pump the accelerator pump until no more gas is sprays. Wait a while with throttle plate full open to let it dry out, then try to start. Doing this gas must flow past the needle seat and may wash out the crud before the bowl refills. IMO the first option would be my first choice but this may also work

So after tapping the carburetor, it did not seem to help. But then when I did the cram into gear while in high neutral to get it moving, I got further out in the lake and I had to Throttle Down to grab some trash that fell in the water . It did not stall, and now seems to operate properly. I will take the lid off and clean out the needle and seat, check gloat, but how do you pump the accelerator pump, put it in neutral and just push the throttle forward and back until no more gas sprays?

 

[Bondo]

but how do you pump the accelerator pump, put it in neutral and just push the throttle forward and back until no more gas sprays?

Ayuh,... I disconnect the cable from the carb, 'n pump it from there,...

Have ya inspected the Contents of the fuel filter, 'n replaced the filter with a new one,..??

 

[findinghomer]

Ayuh,... I disconnect the cable from the carb, 'n pump it from there,...

Have ya inspected the Contents of the fuel filter, 'n replaced the filter with a new one,..??

Thanks for the advice on how to pump the accelerator. I'm kind of scared to answer your question about the fuel filter at the risk of looking stupid lol. I replaced the water separating fuel filter, and then I also replaced the fuel filter that is inside the carburetor body , is there another one? Or are you talking about the one inside of the carb body?

 

[GA_Boater]

Bondo is talking about the water separator/filter. You need to cut the old filter open to see if junk is coming from the tank and causing poor running. Chances are the WS/filter is protecting the filter in the carb.

 

[findinghomer]

Bondo is talking about the water separator/filter. You need to cut the old filter open to see if junk is coming from the tank and causing poor running. Chances are the WS/filter is protecting the filter in the carb.

Oh ok. I replaced that one last fall, I didn't cut the old one open to look at it though. When I rebuilt my carb, I did not adjust the new float, I just put it on. I've been reading about float adjustments, do they typically need adjusted when new? And what do you do , just been the arm? Could this be my problem