Boat is a 89 maxum with the 5.0lx mercruiser, thunderbolt ignition, 305.
2 weeks ago I went throught the boat after it wouldnt start. Check everything I could think of. I even took out the ignition sensor and cleaned it. Put it all back together and nothing. I go out awhile later and it starts right up. I start it everyday for the next few days, no problems. So I take it out and put it in the water. In neutral it revs great, put it in gear and its flat on its face. Again to netral and its fine but once in gear it just chugs slowly. I decide to swim for a minute and then attempt to fire it up and like the first time nothing. It cranks strong and makes every effort to start. I mean it is so close its almost like it starts for about .0002 of a second and dies. The boat has not had a tune up in years only because I havent used it but twice in the few years I have had it.
So being handicapped and not working for years, I need some advice before I drop money into it I dont have. Would you attempt a full tune-up on it first, maybe new fuel filter/water seperator(maybe water in fuel or clogged, dont know how though its sealed), new plugs? I am getting spark based on directions I got online, and I swapped coils to see but that did nothing. I have tested for 12v at the coil and going into the amplifier. Could I be losing power as I crank (does that even sound like the issue I am having)? I though perhaps its not getting the fuel to start, but it wont start on ether and it smells like theres plenty of gas present. I have checked all fuses. I just dont know were to go next. Cap doesnt appear to have any moisture, it was blown out, wd40'ed, the rotor looks good.
2 weeks ago I went throught the boat after it wouldnt start. Check everything I could think of. I even took out the ignition sensor and cleaned it. Put it all back together and nothing. I go out awhile later and it starts right up. I start it everyday for the next few days, no problems. So I take it out and put it in the water. In neutral it revs great, put it in gear and its flat on its face. Again to netral and its fine but once in gear it just chugs slowly. I decide to swim for a minute and then attempt to fire it up and like the first time nothing. It cranks strong and makes every effort to start. I mean it is so close its almost like it starts for about .0002 of a second and dies. The boat has not had a tune up in years only because I havent used it but twice in the few years I have had it.
So being handicapped and not working for years, I need some advice before I drop money into it I dont have. Would you attempt a full tune-up on it first, maybe new fuel filter/water seperator(maybe water in fuel or clogged, dont know how though its sealed), new plugs? I am getting spark based on directions I got online, and I swapped coils to see but that did nothing. I have tested for 12v at the coil and going into the amplifier. Could I be losing power as I crank (does that even sound like the issue I am having)? I though perhaps its not getting the fuel to start, but it wont start on ether and it smells like theres plenty of gas present. I have checked all fuses. I just dont know were to go next. Cap doesnt appear to have any moisture, it was blown out, wd40'ed, the rotor looks good.
