87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

Boat will not idle.
Can get it to run with throttles open but lots of white smoke.
Pumping primer bulb has fuel coming from behind the throttle plates.
So I removed all 4 carbs and pumped the bulb still has fuel coming from behind the throttle plates.

Only thing I can think is there is an internal leak inside the pump between the pulse chamber and the gas chamber. Thus allowing gas to go back through the pulse house and into the engine.

Anyone think of another reason fuel can get behind the throttle plates?

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

Sounds like your carbs are a problem. Fuel should stop once the float rises and the needle closes off at the seats, that's why the primer bulb gets hard, cause you can't pump anymore fuel into the carbs.

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

That was my first thought I pulled the carbs off and had them hanging down so they were not connected to the block. Since there was no way for them to transfer fuel to the intake I kept looking. That's were I got the pump idea. A failed diaphragm is fairly common on older mechanical pumps to I thought maybe.

Well I disconnected the pulse hose at the pump and fuel came out the hose not the pump.

And I could still here the fuel going in the intake.

Ready for the answer? The manual start primer lever (the little red one) was open.:redface:

In my defense I bought this boat yesterday for a great price because it had "idle problems".

Starts and idles fine now.

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

A failed diaphram and the pump wouldn't pump. I know the red one you are talking about, I think it's to fill the carb's after service, kinda like prime on a bike, no wonder it was running like crap! glad you solved it. BTW, can a 140 even be started manually???? That would be insanely difficult, no?

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

It's for manual starting, who in their right mind would try to manually start a 140, that's what starters and tow ropes are for, screw that

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

There are notches on the flywheel. But I'm guessing I'd have to yank so hard i'd end up sprawled on the console with a welt on my head from the end of the rope.

Hopefully my day wasn't a total waste. Maybe someone will read this and know about the little red lever from hell.

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

It's been talked about before on the forums, I remember it on my 90 and wondered what it was for, now I know so not a waste for either of us, like i'll ever use it

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

if you are stuck, and you need to pull start your motor, you WILL do it! not quite as hard as you would imagine, as long as everything is right, as in, primer hard, manual choke on, key on, you will get it started, amazing what you can do if you have to!

Re: 87 140 VRO V4 Bad Fuel Pump?

Being stranded with a dead battery will usually give you the strength and ambition to pull start it. It is no picnic though.
Looks like you got yourself a great deal. Now don't go and ruin it by not changing the impeller and giving it a water pump service.