97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

[hold em hook]

My boat ran fine this past weekend. We had stopped and started many times and ran wide open w/o a problem. Then the last place we stopped at, when we got ready to go she cranked right up no problem. As I got opened up she went to cutting out real bad like it was starving for gas and would surge some. I told my buddy t pump the ball and she would open up and run fine(as long as he stayed back there pumping the ball if he quit it would start to fall on it's face again. Is this just a bad ball on the gas line, fuel pump or what?

 

[lowkee]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

Possibly a particle got clogged in a high speed jet? For it to happen on the same day as it working fine, my bets would be a clog (or you are out of gas .. kidding, but I've slapped my forehead a few times on that cause)

 

[crxess]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

Check vent first.
Ball second. Disconnect from motor and pump up. Should hold.
Next is bad fuel pump.

 

[JDusza]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

I've had this happen to me with my 15 hp.
In the end, I found it to be low fuel in the tank. The tank pick-up probably starts to suck air as the fuel runs out and high speed running cuts out unless you squeeze the ball.
Since the engine runs when you squeeze the ball, it is not a bad ball. The ball is working.
Since the engine runs, the carb is OK. Squeezing the ball works, so the ballis OK. These two say the fuel isn't getting to the carb unless you squeeze. Therefore, either low fuel or bad fuel pump.
My bet is low fuel.
Marketing fellows would feature this as a low fuel detection method!
Good luck!
Jim

 

[hold em hook]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

Got plenty of gas, well over half a tank. Just seems odd for the fuel pump to go bad all of a sudden w/o any warning of any kind.

 

[TimmyC]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

fuel pump......

 

[hold em hook]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

fuel pump......

Not tore into it yet. The other day it done the same thing. We pumped the ball and then we only ran it at half throttle to idle rest of the night and it never done it
Thanks for the replies

 

[ezeke]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

It is probably not the fuel pump if the motor will run at half throttle without needing to pump the bulb.

It still sounds like a fuel obstruction; try running with a different tank and fuel line. If you have a fuel filter, you might want to change it.

BTW, surging is usually caused by air leaks in the supply lines.

 

[blc13732]

Re: 97 evinrude SPL 50hp, having to pump ball to keep from going dead at wot

Just had the very same issue. It is indeed a bad fuel pump (assuming you have gas in the tank). A fuel pump can go bad at any time, despite having used the boat extensively all morning. Good luck.