0x66 250 stalling at idle in neutral

brudzj

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Jul 20, 2010
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3
I've got twin 2000 0x66 250's. One of them won't stay running at idle. What's weird is that if it is at idle in gear, it will run, but in neutral it coughs a few times then craps out.

When first starting from a cold start, I can start it, it idles OK for maybe a minute, then starts to cough and sneeze and stalls. Starting it after that results in pretty quick stalling.

I can't say for sure, but I believe this issue came on gradually over time, not all at once.

The boat is an hour away, so I am sort of stockpiling ideas before I head down there. My plan is to put the winky-blinky on it, do a fuel pressure test and hopefully a vac test on the fuel lines. Also plan to test the 02 sensor and check the poppet valve.

History on the engine is as follows: supposedly professionally maintained till 2005, at which point I got a hold of it. I do fuel filters every year and generally kept up with the ringfree but didn't this year. New plugs towards the end of last year, the ones I took out were actually pretty clean.

I just got the yamaha service manual and realized I'm supposed to be checking and cleaning the 02 sensors - so I pulled that and took a look, it was actually quite clean. Never changed the low pressure fuel pumps. The only issue I have had with these engines was the screen on the high pressure fuel pumps, which appeared to get fouled due to some evil action of ethanol.

Anybody have any other thoughts on what I should be thinking? From reading this board and others I'm thinking low pressure fuel pumps or 02 sensor - I'm just a little unsure of those items because the engine runs fine once it is in gear and up to speed. I haven't checked for loss of rpm at WOT, but I'm not noticing any lack of power or surging at 4500 rpms (when the screen in the VST filter got clogged that was the main symptom) I would think a pinhole in a fuel line or bad pump would cause problems at higher RPM's, but the complexities of EFI sometimes confuse me.
 

rodbolt

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
20,066
Re: 0x66 250 stalling at idle in neutral

OX66 is way way more simple than carbs.
your describing a lean out.
either the VST cant get fuel,the injectors cant pass fuel or the VST is clogged.
about all that can cause a lean sneeze.
lean sneeze is a backfire in the crankcase due to lean air/fuel in the crank case.
you tell me how many things can cause that.
 

brudzj

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Jul 20, 2010
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Re: 0x66 250 stalling at idle in neutral

Thanks Rodbolt,

That gives me a good idea of what to look for.

Forgive me if I'm a little clueless, but could low pressure fuel pumps still be a candidate under the "VST can't get fuel" scenario?

Also, would 02 sensor still be a concern? The reason I ask on the 02 sensor is because the engine runs fine at speed and under load. It also appears to run fine for the first minute or so when I fire it up cold.

I would expect if it was a fuel delivery issue that the issues would be present from the get-go and that they would get worse as fuel demand increased with RPM, but that doesn't seem to be happening. So I guess what I'm asking is could the 02 sensor be among the things that could cause it to lean out incorrectly?

Thanks again for your help and your expertise.
 

rodbolt

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
20,066
Re: 0x66 250 stalling at idle in neutral

most likly not the o2 sensor.
yes a bad lift pump can work at highspeed and not at low speed.
 

brudzj

Recruit
Joined
Jul 20, 2010
Messages
3
Re: 0x66 250 stalling at idle in neutral

Thanks again -I think it's fixed.

Checked fuel rail pressure, that was fine.
Checked winky blinky, no codes
Checked 02 sensor, was showing very low voltage (probably to be expected given the ultimate problem) - just to be sure swapped out the 02 sensor with the other motor. Still had the issue on the first motor and 02 sensor worked fine with second motor.

Pulled the fuel rail and checked the injector screens - bingo, they had a bunch of that crud that I'm beginning to blame on ethanol in them. Cleaned them out and the engine ran great. Now I figure I ought to do the other one.

Thanks again
 
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