Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

[kameika]

Everyone,

After much searching, I figured I'd post a message. ..Get feedback, then post the results.

Don't you hate it when people don't close the problem with the solution?

Just the facts:

Alright, 1996 Evinrude 48 SPL on a 13' Boston Whaler. Just bought the 'Whaler. Did the earmuff test, noted:

a. Engine would run rough at idle.
b. Would bog down at anything above 1800 RPM.
c. When bogging down, gobs of smoke. This indicates (I believe) rich operation.
d. Noticed a fair AC component at the battery. About 25VAC into the battery.

Diagnostics:

1. QUICK cleaned carbs. NOT a rebuild.
2. Used new gasoline mixture
3. Compression test: 125PSI on both cylinders. Man, those are big cylinders.
4. Put new voltage regulator. I am not convinced the regulator is bad to begin with.
5. New battery.
6. Checked fuel delivery at pump. All okay.
7. Changed impeller, pressure tested LU, and confirmed temperature with an IR gun. All okay.

..The problem persists.

Am I staring at a power pack problem?

(Hope so. I just ordered the power pack and a replacement coil set. ..And I hope to avoid a carb rebuild. I just don't want to do it.)

Finally, everyone: Is the Evinrude 48 SPL a dependable engine? Is there anything I need to be aware of with this machine?

Thank you in advance!
Ken
Red Bank, NJ

(42' Egg Harbor / 13' Boston Whaler Dauntless.)

 

[Maichip]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

"Finally, everyone: Is the Evinrude 48 SPL a dependable engine? Is there anything I need to be aware of with this machine?"
The answer is YES, they are good and dependable engines. I just sold one last summer which had about 800+ hours on it and still ran strong. They are simple, easy to work on and will last a lifetime if maintained properly.

I would rebuild the carbs first. I know you said that you didn't want to but it sounds to me like the high speed jets are clogged. Spraying carb cleaner through them may not clean the jets thoroughly, especially the high speed jets. The kits are cheap and it should only take a couple hours max to rebuild them. It is not a difficult job. While doing so you can also check the idle settings and make sure your floats/float valves are not stuck open or closed. Take the fuel pump apart and make sure the diaphragm is not damaged.

I would also suggest replacing the power pack (especially since you already ordered one). Hold off on the coil set until after you rebuild the carbs and replace the power pack. This may save you from having to pull the flywheel. With the power pack being 16 years old, it would not hurt to replace it.

Check your plug wires and make sure you have a good set of plugs.

One last thing I would suggest is to get a can of SeaFoam and decarb the motor. This is another simple and easy maintenance item that will prolong the life of the motor.

On my motor I kept the carbs clean, kept fresh plugs in it and used fresh gas/oil mix and she never caused me any problems. In the 800+ hours of operation, I had to rebuild the fuel pump once and replaced the power pack right before I sold it. Obviously I replaced the lower unit oil and water pump at regular intervals. Not bad in my opinion. This motor pushed a 17 ft skiff with a max speed of about 32 mph.

Hope this helps.

 

[kameika]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Thank you kindly, sir. That's good advice. It's funny you say what you do: It so happens the high speed jets open at ~1800 RPM.

I did do a plug exchange, gapped 'em to 0.030''. I forgot to mention that one.

I will follow your advice and pull the carbs for a rebuild. With fuel at $4/gallon, I might as well get the smelling like gasoline. At least we'll know the machine is running at optimum.

For the rest of the world to learn from my stupidity -- I'll change one thing at a time. The power pack and step-up coil ($107 delivered, in the event you're wondering) arrive Wednesday. I'll do the carb rebuild Saturday morning and perform an intermediate test each time.

With the carb rebuild, I'll do an I-spy into the fuel pump. That way, I can group tasks requiring the fuel system to be re-primed.

Maichip: if this 48 hp pushed a 17' skiff to 32MPH, you have me wondering what the 1996 Boston Whaler Dauntless 13' can do. I'd guess 35MPH. No??

I'll report results as I learn them.

 

[Maichip]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

I'd say you should get atleast 35 mph of its running right. Good luck with it!

 

[kameika]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Hi Maichip.

Alright. Received and installed the power pack and step-up coils last night. Testing was not in the cards. Open air testing the engine at 11PM? Not good for the neighborhood.

I'll tell you the outcome by the weekend. It'll be "coils/power pack", "carburetor", or "both."

Get this: I figured I'll replace the thermostat -- just in case. Why not? It's a ten minute job, right? Sheered the head on a bolt. Time to freshen up the welding skills..

 

[kameika]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Alright, the answer to the question:

The coil and the power pack were the culprit. Installed the parts and away we go!

$107 delivered. Both the parts were "Sierra" aftermarket parts. Sigh! I wanted OEM. My wallet wanted Sierra.


In summary: Weird operation of the engine. Couldn't get far above idle. The biggest suggestion of an ignition problem was the timing light on the spark plug wires. There was a direct correlation between the wheezing/coughing of the engine and the ignition failure. squeezing the throttle would make the power pack hesitate for several cycles.

If I encounter this kind of problem again:

a. First I'd check fuel and fuel quality. Cheap check.
b. Check compression.
c. I'd check and/or replace the spark plugs. Pay particular attention to fuel fouled electrodes.
d. I'd wire in the timing light and check crud.
e. If timing light indicates miss, change power pack AND coil. Don't half-*** it. If timing light indicates good spark, rebuild your carb.


Maichip, I am going to rebuild the carb for fun. At $22 per rebuild kit, why not.

I hope this helps someone else in the future.

 

[Maichip]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

I'm glad you got it all worked out. One of the good things about that motor is that you can pretty much do all of the service work yourself and it doesn't break the bank.

Good luck with it and let me know what kind of top end speed you get out of it.

 

[kameika]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

So, the 13' Dauntless -- with four adults (I estimate the load at 620 lbs) -- an easy 27.5MPH at WOT, as confirmed by the GPS.

Undoubtedly, with a lighter load the 13' Dauntless would reach the middle 30's with the Evinrude 48. I'm pretty damn happy...

 

[Stretchman]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Hello - good threads - I have just come to own one of these and am having similar issues. First guess was the carbs and I wanted to give it a rebuild. The motor seems to run good for a while and then dies after about a minute or so. When it is running you can hit the throttle and it revs up and sounds fine - then dies - noticed if just before it dies I give the fuel bulb a sqeeze it will idle back up and run for a bit more. seems like it may be lacking in fuel supply. Have taken the carbs apart and just did a quick inspection of bowls, floats etc. They seemed fairly clean - put all back together and purchased a new fuel tank and hose. Did not fix the problem. So does this sound to you like I should get the rebuild kits? I would also like to know where you purchased them. A link would be great.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Maichip]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Stretchman,

It sounds like your fuel pump diaphragm may be bad. Its just a guess but again pretty easy and cheap to replace. I'd try that next.

I will send you a PM with a link to get parts for your machine.

 

[kameika]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Yep, Maichip seems right. I did test my pump with a little length of fuel line and a mason jar. As negative pressure from the crankcase provides motive power for the pump, you can just pull the spark plug wire (REMEMBER THIS!) and spin the flywheel to test the pump fuel delivery.

Cheap repair if you do have a problem.

 

[Stretchman]

Re: Evinrude 48 SPL 1996. Power pack problem?

Maichip - we ended up replacing the "choke" which is an injector of sorts. I'm sure you would know - but that and a good cleaning of the carb jets, and having someone who know's what they are doing adjust the throttle linkage and she run's well now. Just seems to idle a little low but we also bought the service manual so hopefully we can keep it going. Having a blast otherwise!! (first boat, and it was a gift! woohoo)