Hi all - my very first post - hope you can help so I can get some sleep...
Summary: (sorry it's so long)
Purchased new-to-me 89 Bayliner with a fresh 5.7 engine connected to cobra OD. It also had a recent new rebuilt carb. The boat ran fine for the test ride and the first ride out with my family although the secondaries on the carb would not open, it bogged a bit and wanted to stall when I tried to fully open it up so I just maintained a nice plane without going full throttle ever.
On the third time out, we had several more people in the boat and I topped off the fuel before unloading. The tank was about 1/2 full when I purchased it and had been sitting all winter (again no issue on the first two rides) so I never considered water could be in the fuel. So this third time out we get about half a mile out on a full plane at about 3500 rpm and then it suddenly loses all power, chugs, slows right down and stalls out completely. Oh crap - adults and kids on board in the Columbia river !!! It starts right up and then off we go again and at about the same speed it starts chugging and slows right down again but doesn't stall, then recovers then surges etc etc. It did get going again fine and we towed kids around (I know - I should have went in then) but then continued to die so we decided to pack it in while we could get back under power. Everyone unloads at the dock and I take engine cover off and run it - then notice the left riser to exhaust connector (rubber) has a small slit in it and is spraying water (not directly on the engine but towards the transom). My immediate through was this must be the culprit but after further thinking and worrying I'm not so sure.
I just replaced the exhaust hose but haven't tested it yet. I did notice that the choke was not hooked up and although it was open, the outer round housing was loose and I could rotate it by hand easily closed. I rotated it back so it was tightly open and tighened the screws.
I also took off the water seperator filter and checked - it looked ok.
So now I'm racking my brain trying to figure out how it ran so well the first two times and now it's giving me nightmares...could it be a combintation of issues I wonder...
My thoughts:
1. could water from the exhaust leak that was spraying toward the transom be contacting the rear engine wiring enough to cause ignition interuption issues or could it have been sucked into the carb ??
2. could the loose choke be bouncing closed when under load. maybe this could also account for the secondarys not opening up when I try to go full throttle ??
3. could I have water in the fuel tank that makes its way up to the carb when the boat is under load - why didn't it do this on the first two runs though ??
4. Am I missing something else obvious here ?
Now that the exhaust hose is changed my plan is to check the filter at carb, drain fuel and replace with fresh, put in can of carb cleaner in fuel, run engine at marina and then go out into open water and try again if it runs ok at dock.
Any advice that anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated. I'm real concerned about taking family out again until I'm satisfied this this is resolved and I really don't want to open up my wallet to a mechanic until I've exhausted all obvious options.
Update after searching forum...this site is great
_______________________________
What I forgot to mention is that the engine does die when shifted slowly into gear - I need to shift it passed the point of engagement quickly - after reading the forums I'm thinking I may have a problem with the ESA set-up. Somehow the ESA is engaging under load - not sure how it's possible though. Does anyone agree ? Does anyone have a detailed proceedure for checking and setting an ESA ?
Summary: (sorry it's so long)
Purchased new-to-me 89 Bayliner with a fresh 5.7 engine connected to cobra OD. It also had a recent new rebuilt carb. The boat ran fine for the test ride and the first ride out with my family although the secondaries on the carb would not open, it bogged a bit and wanted to stall when I tried to fully open it up so I just maintained a nice plane without going full throttle ever.
On the third time out, we had several more people in the boat and I topped off the fuel before unloading. The tank was about 1/2 full when I purchased it and had been sitting all winter (again no issue on the first two rides) so I never considered water could be in the fuel. So this third time out we get about half a mile out on a full plane at about 3500 rpm and then it suddenly loses all power, chugs, slows right down and stalls out completely. Oh crap - adults and kids on board in the Columbia river !!! It starts right up and then off we go again and at about the same speed it starts chugging and slows right down again but doesn't stall, then recovers then surges etc etc. It did get going again fine and we towed kids around (I know - I should have went in then) but then continued to die so we decided to pack it in while we could get back under power. Everyone unloads at the dock and I take engine cover off and run it - then notice the left riser to exhaust connector (rubber) has a small slit in it and is spraying water (not directly on the engine but towards the transom). My immediate through was this must be the culprit but after further thinking and worrying I'm not so sure.
I just replaced the exhaust hose but haven't tested it yet. I did notice that the choke was not hooked up and although it was open, the outer round housing was loose and I could rotate it by hand easily closed. I rotated it back so it was tightly open and tighened the screws.
I also took off the water seperator filter and checked - it looked ok.
So now I'm racking my brain trying to figure out how it ran so well the first two times and now it's giving me nightmares...could it be a combintation of issues I wonder...
My thoughts:
1. could water from the exhaust leak that was spraying toward the transom be contacting the rear engine wiring enough to cause ignition interuption issues or could it have been sucked into the carb ??
2. could the loose choke be bouncing closed when under load. maybe this could also account for the secondarys not opening up when I try to go full throttle ??
3. could I have water in the fuel tank that makes its way up to the carb when the boat is under load - why didn't it do this on the first two runs though ??
4. Am I missing something else obvious here ?
Now that the exhaust hose is changed my plan is to check the filter at carb, drain fuel and replace with fresh, put in can of carb cleaner in fuel, run engine at marina and then go out into open water and try again if it runs ok at dock.
Any advice that anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated. I'm real concerned about taking family out again until I'm satisfied this this is resolved and I really don't want to open up my wallet to a mechanic until I've exhausted all obvious options.
Update after searching forum...this site is great
_______________________________
What I forgot to mention is that the engine does die when shifted slowly into gear - I need to shift it passed the point of engagement quickly - after reading the forums I'm thinking I may have a problem with the ESA set-up. Somehow the ESA is engaging under load - not sure how it's possible though. Does anyone agree ? Does anyone have a detailed proceedure for checking and setting an ESA ?
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