1972-4 85 hp starflite dies

i bought a boat 2 years ago, and every time i take it out, it dies out in the lake. it will restat, and run on 2 or 3 cylinders after it sits a while with the cowl off. i do not know if that is becasue the cowl is off, or not. i just take it off to try different things to see if i can get it to run. i have replaced the ignition coil, (it was cracked open) with no luck. it starts very hard, but i have isolated that to the electric choke not closing all the way. that was a joy to fix! i am not certain if this is electrical, or fuel related. it did something strange last time i had it running in the yard in a 55 gallon drum. it started to die, and on my way back to check, i tripped and my hand fell right on the primer bulb. the engine picked up for a few seconds. i have tried repeating this several times, but it is a hit or miss proposition. my brother said that if the fuel tank vent was plugged, the fuel pump would suck the primer bulb down and collapse it. i thought i would rebuild the pump, but the dealer said there is no kit, i would have to buy a $125.00 pump. i am really not so sure i want to do that, unless i know it will fix the problem. i installed a tachometer, thinking that if it was electrical, the tach would die if the ignition failed. when the engine dies, the tach still works. so i dont know if that is a good indicator or not. i am disabled, so paddling a 16' fibreglass boat half way across a lake is not going to happen. and working on this, is no fun either. but i certainly can NOT afford dealer shop rates either. i have tools, ex motorcycle mechanic) and i bought a " service manual" but it is a joke. it is factory evinrude, but it is only about 20 pages. not much information in it. the dealer here, has no one in the shop that was even alive in 1974, so i dont think they are going to be a lot of help, even if they wanted to be (which they DO NOT!). ARE THEIR ANY OLD (LIKE ME) RETIRED BOAT MECHANICS OUT THERE THAT REMEMBER THESE OLD BEASTS!? ENGINE MODEL# IS 85293R. it has an "electronic ignition that uses points to trigger it. i have looked at the points, they are in great shape. the engine runs good for a while, so the points are not the problem. i am not so sure about the "ignition amplifier", and the fuel system.

Re: 1972-4 85 hp starflite dies

This post brings several questions to mind. Are the carbs clean, do you have good spark, do you have good even compression, is there exhaust leaking into the engine compartment, is the cap vent open on the tank....? I think you need to systematically verify the various basics since it's a shot in the dark right now with limited information.

Re: 1972-4 85 hp starflite dies

compression is good and mostly even (110 to 122 psi), carbs were clean last year (last time i ran it), spark, at home is good( n a regular 8mm gap tester). obviously, when it dies in 20-30 feet of water i can not test it.

Re: 1972-4 85 hp starflite dies

Your motor is a 1972. Don't confuse it with a 1974, a very different motor. You should stop assuming the points are ok, and get in there and look. They last a very long time electrically, but wear mechanically. Also service the reverse cut-off ring while you are in there. If not lubricated properly it wears out and the metal dust gets all over the inside of the distributor cap. Replace the breaker cam wick. Set the points to .009-.010". Check continuity on the plug wires. Examine the black & white wires between the timer base and amplifier. Flywheel torque is 100-105 ft/lbs (a MUST).

That ignition system was state of the art in 1972, but by todays standards, it isn't all that great. If you are still trying to run the surface gap plugs, deep-six them and install L77JC4, gapped .030-.040". Do .040" if it will run them that wide, otherwise close them down to .035" or .030". No narrower. The wider the gap, the higher the voltage arcing the gap. Trouble is the system may not be able to provide enough voltage for the wider gaps.

Make sure your wiring to the amplifier is 100%.

No promises, but I believe a 18-7820 fuel pump kit from here at iboats will work.

Re: 1972-4 85 hp starflite dies

F R, You're like manna from heaven!!!!