I have a 2001 40 hp electric start that has been working flawlessly for the 5 years I've owned it. Last week my family and I were waiting to pass through at the #12 Mississippi R. Lock at Bellevue, IA after having run the 26 miles downriver from Dubuque. I mention that because the motor was running fine for a good while before we idled around for a half hour or so waiting to lock through.
Just as the lock's doors were opening for us to enter I noticed that I could not get enough power to the prop to go above about 5 mph. I radioed the lock master that we were having mechanical issues and didn't enter the lock and instead limped to shore where I looked over the motor. I could find no reason for this lack of power. In neutral it seems to rev up fine and even with the motor raised so the prop is out of the water it seemed to making power. It is only under load that it won't make enough power to get more than 5 mph. It is as though we were dragging anchor.
We limped it up to a harbor and dock where we got a ride back to the car and got the boat home. During that 2+ miles of limping it upstream I was thinking it wasn't getting enough fuel to make enough power under load - like float carb float was only opening partially.
I did remove and clean the carb and got it reinstalled. The motor starts and runs seemingly fine on the trailer with a water supply. It moves in to gear just fine. But a water test on the river gave the same results with no power in gear with the boat in water.
It worked fine then didn't after waiting to lock through. Any ideas? This one is baffling. Oh, I did remove the prop and there is nothing wrapped around the prop shaft.
Pete
Just as the lock's doors were opening for us to enter I noticed that I could not get enough power to the prop to go above about 5 mph. I radioed the lock master that we were having mechanical issues and didn't enter the lock and instead limped to shore where I looked over the motor. I could find no reason for this lack of power. In neutral it seems to rev up fine and even with the motor raised so the prop is out of the water it seemed to making power. It is only under load that it won't make enough power to get more than 5 mph. It is as though we were dragging anchor.
We limped it up to a harbor and dock where we got a ride back to the car and got the boat home. During that 2+ miles of limping it upstream I was thinking it wasn't getting enough fuel to make enough power under load - like float carb float was only opening partially.
I did remove and clean the carb and got it reinstalled. The motor starts and runs seemingly fine on the trailer with a water supply. It moves in to gear just fine. But a water test on the river gave the same results with no power in gear with the boat in water.
It worked fine then didn't after waiting to lock through. Any ideas? This one is baffling. Oh, I did remove the prop and there is nothing wrapped around the prop shaft.
Pete