2006 4.3 gxi-e whining and idle issue

Joined
May 3, 2015
Messages
8
Hi, my 2006 Rinker has a VP 4.3 GXI-E and when I put it in the water all the sudden a LOUD whining comes from the belts area. (when I ran it at home, it did not make this noise). I also have issues with it losing power, meaning it doesn't hold its speed every time. So it'll essentially slow down by itself. Also when I decided to return to the dock, I had it at a low RPM (limping back) and the engine idle would go away and then come back- it did that all the way back for 10 minutes. Also, when I did get it up to 20mph or so, when I was adjusting the throttle back to stop, then engine would die and then take a couple tries to restart.

I have all new gas, spark plugs, wires, rotor, fuel filter, dist. cap, oil, oil filter. I had this problem last week and was told it was because of last year's gas. So I got it all out, put in all new gas, and the problem actually seemed worse now. I've searched other forum posts but haven't seen this exact problem.

Thanks in advance!!! Happy Memorial Day!!!

James
 

Boaterguy05

Cadet
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
19
Are you sure the loud whining is not coming from your fuel pump? I know that certain VP fuel injected engines had issues with paint flaking off the filter mounting base, working its way into the screen and causing cavitation. This affected my 2005 Chapp with 5.0 GXI-E. The high pitched whine coming from the pump was loud enough that other people on the dock look over at me like "Dude, what's wrong with your boat?"
 
Joined
May 3, 2015
Messages
8
Boaterguy05, thanks! I have seen similar posts about fuel pump whining, but didn't want to rule out other possibilities since I have very limited mechanical knowledge about boat mechanics. I would assume that if the fuel pump is bad, it would cause the revving issues that I had and possibly the dying out too.
 

Boaterguy05

Cadet
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
19
Well, I learned the hard way, after cleaning my pump screen, the whine came back. Purchased a very expensive new pump and after about 4 hours, it came back. As it turned out, my dealer sold me an aftermarket water pump impeller because they did not have the VP one in stock. I got the usual "it's fine, Johnson pump makes them for Volvo." It ended up being about a 16th of an inch smaller and was not allowing water flow to the pump, thus over heating it. Now I always use OEM parts. Post back when you check the pump. If it is, you'll know it and it will be very hot.
 
Joined
May 3, 2015
Messages
8
Boaterguy, I forgot to mention that I just installed a new VP impeller when I did the rest of the maintenance. In fact all the parts I use are VP. I will check to see if the housing is getting hot. Would the impeller make the engine rev up and down and die out too?
 

Boaterguy05

Cadet
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
19
No, but the pump cavitating would. If the fuel pump is the same as mine on my '05 5.0 GXI-E, remove it and you can un-thread the high pressure side. On the top is an inlet with a screen. Look for black flakes on the screen. This was an issue with VP pumps for a while. Give me a minute and I can send you some pics.
 

Boaterguy05

Cadet
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
19
No Title

I chose to remove the the high pressure side which is on the right. But if you have good eyes, you can remove the lines, use a flashlight to look in and inspect the screen for debris. But, if you have the ability to run it in your driveway with ear muffs, the whine will be very noticeable, and the pump will be very hot, very soon if the pump is the area of trouble.
 

Attachments

  • photo221582.jpg
    photo221582.jpg
    141.6 KB · Views: 0
Top