Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

[slow96z]

I have a 98 Starcraft deck boat with a mercruiser 260 and an alpha 1 outdrive. The boat sat for years before I bought it. I got it running, took it out once and then it sat for 3 months while life happened. I got it out of storage last week and tried to start it, but it will not start. When I pour gas into the carb it will fire, but it is not pulling fuel up to the carb at all. There is fuel in the tank and the fuel/water seperator is full of gas but none of it is getting into the carb. I pulled the line off of the tank and (I think) I feel a very faint vacuum but definately not enough to pull fuel. I assume from this (and the whine when the key is on) that I have an electric fuel pump but have no idea where it would be. I am used to cars with fuel pumps in the tank, but if the pump were in the tank here it should be shooting fuel when I pull the output line. Any ideas where I should look for the pump? The fuel plumbing consists of a line directly from the tank to the seperator, then up to the carb, I don't see how an electric fuel pump would be supported by this anyway so it could be a mechanical pump. Is there anything else that would be making a whining sound when the key is turned on? The sound I heard doesn't stop like a primed fuel pump would.

Second issue: outdrive will not trim down. The motor is running and it will still go up, but not down. I pulled the lines off of the rams at the outdrive and some fluid came out, but even with the lines off the rams stay in the out position. Is there any possibility that they have been over extended and are now stuck? If so, how do I resolve this issue? Additionally, my fluid was white and milky. I assume this means there is water in it. I am starting to believe that this boat spent some time with water in it so I think it is fair to say the water could have entered the system from that. I am going to flush the system and replace the fluid with new ATF, if it gets water in it after that I will rebuild the rams.

Any advice I get will be GREATLY appreciated!

Justin

 

[Volphin]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

Clogged fuel filter perhaps on the fuel issue... corroded connections to the trim/tilt motor. You are right on the water contamination. Try it changing it and see.

V

 

[slow96z]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

Other than the fuel water seperator I don't see any fuel filter. I guess I should change the seperator filter, maybe that's the issue.

Tilt/tim connections don't appear corroded and the motor still runs, just sounds like it's free spinning on down. I'll check the connections tonight anyway but with the drive staying up even with the lines disconnected I believe the resistance is mechanical.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

Fuel pump is NOT in the tank. If it's a mechanical pump, it's on the starboard side, down low in front of the motor mount, where SBC fuel pumps have always been. If it's electrical it's probably mounted on the port side of the engine, way down low, just behind the front motor mount.
White milky fluid does mean your trim system has water in it. And it it's got water in it, your cylinders could be corroded internally. Rather than hope that flushing the system works, you should rebuild them. The kits aren't very expensive, and it'll be a good learning project. Spanner wrench makes it much easier, though.

 

[slow96z]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

Went home for lunch and looked again, fuel pump is attached directly to the output of the fuel water seperator, lower starboard side of motor, right in the front. It's whining loudly like it is spinning freely and not stopping so I'm hoping the seperator is the issue and the pump just isn't getting fuel due to it being clogged. There is some rust on the seperator filter so I'm hoping for the $8 fix instead of the fuel pump being bad......

I put some pressure on the outdrive and still jammed in the up position, I will remove the rams either tonight or tomorrow and see what I can come up with.

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

Went home for lunch and looked again, fuel pump is attached directly to the output of the fuel water seperator, lower starboard side of motor, right in the front. It's whining loudly like it is spinning freely and not stopping so I'm hoping the seperator is the issue and the pump just isn't getting fuel due to it being clogged. There is some rust on the seperator filter so I'm hoping for the $8 fix instead of the fuel pump being bad......

I put some pressure on the outdrive and still jammed in the up position, I will remove the rams either tonight or tomorrow and see what I can come up with.

Ran into very same fuel issue 2 weeks ago turned out stuck inlet needle in carb. With pump running, tap carb with something like a screwdriver handle by fuel inlet. Worked for me

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

you have to love E10 fuel. it sucks moisture right out of the air and breaks down corroding everything in the fuel system.

I concur on the need to rebuild the cylinders. Mercruisers have a much lower pressure to lower the drive then raise it. I have in the past swapped lines from the pump to get things to move, however I did end up replacing the cylinders.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

e10 has nothing to do with this. It's the fact that the boat sat for 2 years. It could have had Sunoco pure racing gas in it, and it would be having trouble. Please, stop blaming ethanol for issues caused by improper maintenance.

 

[slow96z]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

@ ZBNUTCASE: I will definately have to try that trick, hopefully it will work. You had the exact same problem, pump spininng freely and no fuel being pulled from the tank?

 

[tdearien]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

Same prob after my boat sat for 2 years, replaced fuel pump, still had problem. Turned out gas tank had algea in it and was clogging lines and filter. Drain tank cleaned it out, let dry for 3-4 days added gas and off I went. Hope this helps !

 

[slow96z]

Re: Boat sat for a while, now 2 problems.

OK, I did the "hit the carb linet with a screwdriver" trick and the boat runs, thanks for the tip! I knew the gas wasn't bad because I just put it in there 3 months ago and the tank was empty when I put it in there. I have concerns about the fuel pump because it doesn't turn off. Is it supposed to always have power? It was my understanding that initial fuel pump power came from the starter solenoid circuit to turn on the pump while cranking and then the oil pressure switch took over after the engine was running. Mine comes on when you turn the key on and stays on until it's turned off. The ignition switch has been replaced with a toggle switch and push button for the starter, it is possible that the fuel pump wire was wired onto the wrong connection at the switch. I can fix it but first would like to know how it is supposed to be.

thanks for all the help so far!