89 v-135 problem for the record book? timed i think?!@#$!

section8

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
120
more on my frustrating week with this motor. if you guys arent as fed up with me as i am this motor, maybe you want to help me. rebuilt carbs again! replaced all sorts of gaskets again. midleg, water jackets over the cyl heads etc. timed it as per the manuals instructions. drained carbs, pulled all but #1 spark plug and grounded wires and had wife cranking it while i ran the timing light. checked pointer with .462 with dial caliper from hardware store. good. cranking time was set at 0 and the motor calls for 11 deg. atdc. adjusted that. set the max timing at 18 deg. btdc cuz the manual told me to. after this i need to set idle in gear to 600 rpm. well the motor surges. has for a while, tryin to figure why. i have the fancy timing light with the tachometer in it and heres where it gets interesting! hook the inductive clamp to cyl 235 and i get 1100 to 1200 rpm. have it high to keep it from stalling hook it to 4 or 6 and its reading around 2200ish. hook it to cyl 1 and in goes anywhere from 3000 to 6000 rpm?!?! hooked up spark wire tester light and when i drop throttle below 1000 rpm and on some cylinders light gets real dim when it tries to die. idle it up and it brightens up again. for about 2 minutes it held steady idle at 650 rpm with the plug wire tester looking bright but then stalled. disconnected the idle stabilizer and it still surges and reads funny rpms. dont know what to do next or how? j martin said something about timing being the difference between running like a dog or a bomb, im thinking i like the bomb idea right now! please help
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: 89 v-135 problem for the record book? timed i think?!@#$!

I sure wish you'd keep all the info on one motor problem in one thread. I just plain don't have time to go search for what has transpired, and I have given thought to a few more things in the meantime, not to mention that at my age, brain cells are being lost at an alarming rate.

It sounds, however, like you have an ignition issue. Standard diagnostics call for probing the switchbox stator, trigger, and coil terminals with a DVA. Have you done that?
 

section8

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
120
Re: 89 v-135 problem for the record book? timed i think?!@#$!

sorry bout that. i figured since the timing seemed to go to plan that this is a new issue. i looked up the dva a while ago online but didnt think i needed one at the time. if i recall they costed alot and i saw scematics on making one but didnt understand it. maybe its time to give in and give it to a pro. i havent had luck with the ones i used but im not having luck with me either. one guy put a lower unit on with a leaky water pump. i hit a rock hard! the motor that came on the boat had 80psi and scoring on one cyl 3 weeks after buying it used and after 3 times bringing it in saying something isnt right and im new to boating so give it a good once over. tons of carbon on cylinders and he says did i do a decarbing. never heard of it, thats why i brought it here and said i know nothing so have at it. there was also about 3 gallons of water and scum in the gas tank. he said hed be happy to sell me a new motor for 8 to 9 grand. thats the tip of the iceburg. we can say i dont trust the "pros". any tests i can do without a dva in the meantime. looks like ill be missing out on the lci derby this year. $300,000 top prize this year!
 

section8

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
120
Re: 89 v-135 problem for the record book? timed i think?!@#$!

maybe this will help, last year i had a battery/rectifier question because my voltage gauge was reading real high 16+. id trim the motor up or down and it would go down to 13v. took out the battery switch and put a new battery but would high voltage damage the switchboxes, stator or trigger and if so which one is more likely? Thanks a million and sorry to be a pain in the bum.
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: 89 v-135 problem for the record book? timed i think?!@#$!

The battery charging system uses entirely different coils in the stator than the ignition system. The battery is not involved in the ignition system in any way.

The reason you found your idle timing at 0 is that the link-n-sync setting is just a ball park setting to get it started. Normally the final setting will be very near that. You move it to set the final idle. If it has to go all the way to 0 to run, something basic is seriously wrong.

It could be as simple as dirty connections, or as major as pistons in upside down. If you can't noodle it back to where it ran right (ie it never ran right) then you have to go back to square 0 and go from there. Everything is suspect, verify all steps.

hope it helps
John
 
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