Boat ran great,stalled,now only runs a few seconds

[joe1981$]

Hello, I recently picked up a 1985 sea sprite with a 3.0 4cyl.. I took it out yesterday for the first time, boat ran great... Didn't bog.. I put it in neutral periodically to check for leaks.. everything was smooth, after an hour I was heading back to the boat launch.. while on approach, I put the boT in neutral again and it stalled... After attempting to restart the engine, the boat would run for a few seconds and stalls again.. any suggestions?? The boat came from a guy in his 80s that he owned since new, it was for the most part well maintained
Thanks

 

[alldodge]

Welcome
Could be a lot of things

Being a new to you boat there is a lot of things that should be done before ever taking it out the first time

Start with checking the fuel filter.
When boat dies pump the throttle and look down throat of carb to see if there is any fuel in the carb

Being a 85 it can either have DDIS or points ignition. Which do you have?

 

[joe1981$]

Welcome
Could be a lot of things

Being a new to you boat there is a lot of things that should be done before ever taking it out the first time

Start with checking the fuel filter.
When boat dies pump the throttle and look down throat of carb to see if there is any fuel in the carb

Being a 85 it can either have DDIS or points ignition. Which do you have?

Thanks for the reply.. I'm thinking points.. 2 wires come out of distributor and go straight to coil

 

[joe1981$]

Thanks for the reply.. I'm thinking points.. 2 wires come out of distributor and go straight to coil

I didn't look down throat

 

[alldodge]

Thanks for the reply.. I'm thinking points.. 2 wires come out of distributor and go straight to coil

With 2 wires it may have been changed to something like Petronix or other. Points has just one wire going to coil

 

[joe1981$]

With 2 wires it may have been changed to something like Petronix or other. Points has just one wire going to coil

Distributor says SAEJ1171

 

[joe1981$]

Distributor says SAEJ1171

It says pertronx... Is that an after market upgrade?

 

[alldodge]

The SAEJ1171 is just a marine safety standard

With it saying Petronix then it has been changed from points to electronics.
Could be the Petronix burned out.
Measure voltage on the + side of the coil with key ON not running

 

[joe1981$]

The SAEJ1171 is just a marine safety standard

With it saying Petronix then it has been changed from points to electronics.
Could be the Petronix burned out.
Measure voltage on the + side of the coil with key ON not running

Looks like the contacts on the rotor and cap are a little burned

 

[tank1949]

As ALLDODGE said... 12 volts at coil??? Ground plug to center coil wire and check for output spark. Then pull fuel filter and pickup tube. That old of a boat and sat for a while may have disintegrated rubber fuel line or varnish collected in tank.