Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

[Buttanic]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Replace the condenser, cheap, easy and fast. Had bad condensers drive me crazy several times. Some new ones right out the box were bad. Go to NAPA, they will have it for about $2.00. Does it die at idle or can you speed it up and it will stay running. You might need to start from scratch with the distributor. Timing mark at TDC on the compression stroke. Distributor rotor pointing at #1 plug wire. You can turn the oil pump drive with a screwdriver to get it and the distributor shaft to line up.

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Dumb question but what is the condenser? Is that that silver tube that is inside the distributor? If so I will go and get one tomorrow. Also, yes the engine dies both at idle and when the throttle is engaged in full. It will rev up then die. Not tooo sure about that one. Anything else I should try?

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Ohhhhh yeah and the whole start from scratch thing, I tried that, but without knowing that I could turn the oil pump by screwdriver, will try that tomorrow!!!

 

[Buttanic]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Yes the condenser is the silver tube with the wire. Starting and then shutting down after a few seconds is sometimes a bad condenser.

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Just so everyone knows, your boat WILL crank and fire but WILL NOT stay running if you are trying to use a remote starter and do not have the key in the on position.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Just so everyone knows, your boat WILL crank and fire but WILL NOT stay running if you are trying to use a remote starter and do not have the key in the on position.

You don't say!......

 

[JustJason]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

haha... and do you know why????

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Nope and that mighty help with my next question. Here is the situation now, I got a new ignition switch, my other one the key broke off in the switch, so now what happens, is I crank the engine with my remote start, the motor turns over, comes on, then I let go of the remote start, the engine dies, if I pull the trigger on the remote starter again, the engine stays running, but if I let go of it the engine dies again. What the hell is going on? The key is in the switch and in the on position. It has to be something with that purple and yellow wire and yellow wire. I see the purple and yellow wire going to my starter solenoid and to the coil. What could be happening here!!!!??!

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

In a points distributor, using full battery voltage all the time would burn up the points. So a ballast resistor or wire was installed before the coil to lower the working voltage, however, this made it hard to start. So another wire coming from the start solenoid was added to put full voltage to the coil during starting while the starter was engaged.
So, any time the starter is turning, you have power to the ignition. Even if the switch is off.

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

So......I dont mean to be rude, but does this have something to do with why it only runs when I have the ignition put in the start mode? Whenever it turns to just the on side it cuts out.....sorry but I didnt really understand what you just said!!!

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

There are two separate wires for IGN.......
One from the starter, & one from the key switch....
The one from the starter only runs in the 'start' position on the key.....
You are jumping that with the remote switch.....​

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

What is the purple wire that runas from the starter solenoid to the Ignition Coil?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

I think it is time for you to download the service manual.....
http://www-alt.mercurymarine.com/mnetdata/Service/Cruiser/Servmanl/04/cover.pdf​

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

See if I can't explain this a little for you. Below is a wiring diagram of your engine (Basically)
When you turn the key to the run position, power comes from the ignition switch, thru the harness plug in the lower left of the picture and follows the purple wire to the coil and goes thru a resistance wire (ballast resistor on some engines).
When you use the remote starter, power is applied to the purple yellow wire thru the starter solenoid anytime the starter is engaged, that is why it runs. And as long as you hold the starter engaged, the ignition will be on and the engine will run. As soon as you let of the starter, the ignition stops.

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

YES, finally started! Just some tweaking around and I finally got it! Although I am scared with all this talk about hole in pistons and all!!!! Here is why I am scared. I set the dwell on the points at 30 degrees, but did not set the gap. I thought that the gap was the dwell, I will verify. Also, if I have my finger over the number one cylinder and I am standing in front of the engine and fell compression I feel compression and watch the crank pulley and the line that (I assume) is the timing mark which is IN FRONT of the channel for the belt (is this right?) at the point where I feel the most compression the line is (once again) at 10-11 oclock and the timing marks are at 2 o'clock. And as it rotates around to where the timing makrs are I can feel it sucking on my finger indicating it is going back down. The problem with this in my opinion is that I cannot dial it in exactly at 8 degrees BTDC when I have no reference point! ARGH!!!!! What in the world is going on!!!! I dont want to kill my motor. So please let me know how I can bring the piston to EXACTLY TDC and put a mark on the crank pulley without pulling the head!!!!! Could it be that when they did whatever work that they did, that they misaligned the crank/cam gears? I read that there are alignment marks on the two gears, could these be misaligned and the motor still run relatively well? Has ANYONE ever seen this pulley with the timing mark on the front of the pulley in front of the belt?is it possible that the pulley was put on with the screw holes in the wrong position? Or is the pulley only able to go on one way? Thanks once again!!!!!!

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

First ya set the points gap, then check the dwell, then set the timing....​

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

YES, finally started! Just some tweaking around and I finally got it! Although I am scared with all this talk about hole in pistons and all!!!! Here is why I am scared. I set the dwell on the points at 30 degrees, but did not set the gap. I thought that the gap was the dwell, I will verify. Also, if I have my finger over the number one cylinder and I am standing in front of the engine and fell compression I feel compression and watch the crank pulley and the line that (I assume) is the timing mark which is IN FRONT of the channel for the belt (is this right?) at the point where I feel the most compression the line is (once again) at 10-11 oclock and the timing marks are at 2 o'clock. And as it rotates around to where the timing makrs are I can feel it sucking on my finger indicating it is going back down. The problem with this in my opinion is that I cannot dial it in exactly at 8 degrees BTDC when I have no reference point! ARGH!!!!! What in the world is going on!!!! I dont want to kill my motor. So please let me know how I can bring the piston to EXACTLY TDC and put a mark on the crank pulley without pulling the head!!!!! Could it be that when they did whatever work that they did, that they misaligned the crank/cam gears? I read that there are alignment marks on the two gears, could these be misaligned and the motor still run relatively well? Has ANYONE ever seen this pulley with the timing mark on the front of the pulley in front of the belt?is it possible that the pulley was put on with the screw holes in the wrong position? Or is the pulley only able to go on one way? Thanks once again!!!!!!

Loosen the three bolts & rotate the pulley.....
You'll know if it is where you want it to be.....
A pencil with an eraser end can be helpful with finding TDC....
I'd rotate the pulley first & see what that does......
I doubt very much that the timing gears are off.....

 

[JustJason]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

disconnecto or disable your ignition system. pull the #1 plug. hook up your remote starter. put your finger over the plug hole (but not on it.. don't want it getting sucked in) bump the starter until you feel compression on that cylinder. then stick a screwdriver down the plug hole and manually turn the engine over by hand (may require you to pull all the plugs) to find TDC #1.
then you can make a mark on the pulley.... i use white out.

 

[Buttanic]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Not 100% sure but I think the pully has two 3/8" inch bolt holes and one 5/16' bolt hole so that the pully can only be installed one way. Of course some "spert" could have drilled out the 5/16" hole.

 

[pigrge]

Re: Mercruiser Puzzler with Timing

Yeah, thats what I think is the some spert put the dog gone pulley on wrong, thats my educated guess! When I get back I will check that out. In regards to checking for TDC, this is CRAZY, but when we are talking degrees of rotation how exactly does one determine exact TDC with a screw driver? That is somewhat evading me!!! In regards to setting point gap then checking dwell, setting dwell is setting point gap right? Or are the two totally different adjustments? I know that in the service manual it tells me that you can EITHER set the point gap with the feeler gage or by a dwell meter. But I am kind of thinking that by checking dwell you are telling me that the points are hitting full surface to full surface and by checking point gap you are telling me that I am setting the distance between the two. Am I right? This whole points distributer is all sooo new to me!!!