82 mercruiser 228, strange problem

Josephmcg

Seaman
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
Hello all my name is joey i am another beginner here, i bought my frist boat last week.

i bought an 82 sea ray, with a mercruiser 228 engine, and mercruiser out drive. Everything was great, got the boat home, regd and insured and was ready for the water.

Here's the problem: boat took a lil to get started but once started everything was great, drove around the harbor for a while to make sure it was good. Got out of the harbor cruised for about 10 min then went to grab a mouring, once I pulled the throttle back to the neutral position the engine shut off and would not start. It cranks and cranks but no start. If I put it in neutral to rev it I can get it started, but it takes some revving, but once I click back to neutral it dies. This is the second time this has happened. If I let the boat sit, say an hour, then turn the key bam starts right up and I can continue on no problem, but once this happens I just bring it back in and dock her.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

-joe
 

alldodge

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Howdy Joey

Sounds like your carb is flooding the motor, and needs rebuilt. Get it started and have a look down the carb, or when it dies, look down the carb and see if its dripping fuel
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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welcome aboard.

your lower shift cable is most likely shot and the shift interupt switch is engaging. this is a common problem with older mercruisers and is part of normal preventative maintenance. replace lower shift cable, re-adjust the cable/shift interupt switch and go boating

while at it, make sure you do all the other preventative maintenance on your new to you boat

impeller, bellows, etc.

manuals can be found on-line http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html
 

Josephmcg

Seaman
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
Wow thanks guys for the incredibly fast responses. How hard or should I say time consuming is it to do the lower shift cable? I work on all of my own cars, trucks, bikes, quads, and what have you been never wrenched on a boat until now.

Also what are some upgrades I can do to the engine to make it more reliable? For instance, I know the distributor still has points in it. Is there a better or newer style distributor that's more reliable? Or maybe a more reliable carb? I know mine has a 2 barrel on it.

I am not looking to go faster, I just want it to be as reliable as possible. Something that always starts and doesn't make me nervous taking out as this is all new to me and i don't need anymore nervousness!

Thank you guys! And again any help would be greatly appreciated
 

Rick Stephens

Admiral
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Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,118
Welcome Joseph. Know you aren't alone. Pretty much every boat owner on any kind of a budget purchases an older boat and they ALL have maintenance needs. Your auto mechanicing experience will come in handy. You have a pretty steep learning curve at first. When you buy a new to you but older boat, it is inherent in the purchase that you do basic maintenance as if the boat never got any in the past. You are checking everything to not only make it run reliably, but to make sure it is safe on the water for you, your family and friends.

First making the motor run is only different from a car or pickup in that boats are around water and fuel contamination is a lot more common. Still, the basics are the same, clean fuel and spark. Start with the most likely issue, fuel system. A 35 year old boat needs the entire system checked out and cleaned up where necessary. Make sure the tank is squeaky clean and the fuel in it fresh and perfect. Next the anti syphon valve on the tank is working and not cruded up. The filters need checking, changing. Any fuel filter on a new to you boat should be pulled and contents dumped into a clear container to check for contaminants, then replaced. Sounds like you need a carburetor kit and probably a new screen on the inlet. If your fuel system does not have a canister type fuel filter, consider adding one. Spending time makig the fuel system perfect now, and keeping it that way will do more to keeping your boat running than any other action.

Learn how your shift interrupt works so you can check it and see if it is the issue with your boat dying. You can find a great writeup in the Adults Only section on how that works.

You need to pull your outdrive, drain the oil, split the upper from the lower and inspect the impeller. This is annual maintenance along with changing the lube, greasing the u-joints and inspecting the gimbal bearing.

There are alternatives to a points system. I would get your current system working before worrying about spending money on new ignition system.

Last, you need to check stringers and transom for rot. Older boats have a tendency to be rotted out and hence, unsafe. Check everything out while you work on it. There is no excuse to sink a boat or have to walk back because this step is skipped. You may have already had this checked, but if not, now's the time.

Then go boating!

Rick
 

Josephmcg

Seaman
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
Hey Rick! Thanks for the response, this boat was on toms river new jersey and was used regularly. The guy I bought it from said I wouldn't have any issues with this boat and a number of things have already been maintained on it: outdrive rebuilt, new gimbal bearing, new bellows, new points, exhaust manifolds are 2 years old, plugs and wires are 1 year old, fuel and oil filter just changed, and a brand new battery.

Seems to be just my luck the first ride I take I get stuck! Ugh!

The shift switch that you're speaking of, would it return to it's position after sitting a bit and that's why I'm able to start back up after a little while? Also where is this switch located? Haven't been able to research it yet, I'm an electrician at a chemical plant and I'm forever working due to being on call.

Thanks again guys for your fast responses. They are of great helps and anymore help you can send my way is greatly appreciated!
 

nola mike

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
5,023
, once I pulled the throttle back to the neutral position the engine shut off and would not start. It cranks and cranks but no start. If I put it in neutral to rev it I can get it started, but it takes some revving, but once I click back to neutral it dies.

-joe
Not quite sure what you're saying here. You put it in neutral, it dies. While in neutral, you give it throttle, and then it starts? If that's the case, doesn't sound like your shift interrupt. If it's sticking, usually only sticks for a second. If it was longer than that, it probably wouldn't go back without shifting it into and out of gear. Anyway, easy enough to check.the shift cables (not the throttle cable at the carb) are mounted to a plate, which rotates slightly. On one side of the plate is a notch. In the notch is a roller. Normally the roller sits in the notch. If it's on either side of the notch the switch is activated and the engine won't start. Tough to link a pic from the phone...
 

Josephmcg

Seaman
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
What's happening is I start the boat for the first time of that day. I cruise around the harbor putting it in and out of gear numerous times to make sure everything is good, I get out of the harbor and cruise maybe half throttle for like 10 min, I pull the throttle back to put it in the position between forward and reverse and it dies and won't start back up, it cranks and cranks but doesn't start, if I push in the button on the throttle to put it in rev mode, I can get the engine started but I have to rev it and it'll only stay running with it revved a bit, say 1k rpm - 1200rpm. Once I pull the throttle back to the middle position between forward and reverse it dies. So i hang out for a while, then try starting again and it fires right up, idles great, and I drive it back to the harbor and dock her with no problems... I don't know where to go from here
 

LX Kid

Ensign
Joined
Sep 5, 2008
Messages
993
I have the same year 228 as yours with pre-alpha outdrive. "If" carb and interrupt switch is not the problem try checking the neutral safety switch in the throttle handle at the helm.

I also had carb problems, years ago, because of the outdated "quadrajet" carb. I purchase a marine Edlebrock carb and all my problems were no more.
 
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Josephmcg

Seaman
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Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
Do you know the model # of the edelbrock carb? My 228 has a 2 barrel carb on it was yours that way too?
 

LX Kid

Ensign
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Messages
993
Do you know the model # of the edelbrock carb? My 228 has a 2 barrel carb on it was yours that way too?

Mine had a four barrel carb and I had to use an adapter plate because the Edelbrock carb is a "spread bore" and not a direct bolt on. As a coincidence I just bought a used Edelbrock 2101 spread bore manifold today and will be changing the manifold out soon. But right now I have the motor out and am replacing the transom.

Edelbrock doe's make 2 bbl marine carbs so go check out their web site. "Not cheap though but worth every penny to me!" I think I bought my 4 bbl for around $400.
 
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Josephmcg

Seaman
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Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
How do you like the engine? What kind of distributor are you running? I've read that they've come out with an electronic shift interrupt or some kind of newer designed one, have you heard of this?
 

LX Kid

Ensign
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Sep 5, 2008
Messages
993
How do you like the engine? What kind of distributor are you running? I've read that they've come out with an electronic shift interrupt or some kind of newer designed one, have you heard of this?

I guess the 305 engine has been very good but a bigger motor would be better. My Grady White is very heavy. All my "under the hood" parts are original. Nothing updated except carburator. I will have to change the oil pan cause it has rusted thru. Before I owned the boat it sat in someone's back yard full of water for years. Had to change the starter and trim pump. The boat "now" runs well though.
 

LX Kid

Ensign
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Messages
993
file:///Users/christineholloway/Downloads/20170815_123302_resized.jpg

Can someone tell me how to upload a pic from my MAC downloaded pictures into the posting. I used to have Photobucket and they stole my pics unless I pay the "new" annual fee of $400 for 3rd party postings.
 
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LX Kid

Ensign
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Sep 5, 2008
Messages
993
When it dies did you look down the carb throat to see if fuel is leaking, as already mentioned? If you seeing dripping fuel the float needs adjustment. To start, when flooded, you need to push throttle full forward to get max air flow to clear raw gas that has dripped. Soon as it starts you pull the throttle back. That still probably not going to cure your dying when pulled back to neutral. You probably have an electrical safety malfunction that kills the engine.
 

Josephmcg

Seaman
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
70
Well that's good to know, my boat weights 2700lbs seems to take a little to get on plane but I haven't tried giving it more then prob half throttle because out on long island sound lately it's been really rough.

My buddy was telling me, a 305, is basically a 350 with restrictive heads, so there's plenty of room for power upgrades, although I'm not trying to go fast, I just want reliability and enjoyability

Not sure about the picture uploads as I use android
 

LX Kid

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Sep 5, 2008
Messages
993
Removed the oil pan and it's clean as a "whistle" on the interior. I bought a new oil pan cause the old one rusted thru when I tried to remove the oil drain plug.

"NOW THE BIG QUESTION FOR THE EXPERIENCED!" I have removed four bolts on the exhaust "Y" pipe and the "Y" pipe won't come away from the outer gimbal housing. There is an allen head bolt underneath the "Y" pipe. Does that also screw into the out gimbal housing? The allen bolt won't budge and will have to cut the head off. Inquiring minds "have to know!"
 

alldodge

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I see 5 bolts for old style, but do note this is old style 3 piece exahust
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