Monmouth00
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2017
- Messages
- 198
Hello Everyone,
I'm in the throws of restoring a 16 ft. Starcraft Kingfisher.
I bought the boat with what I think is a 20 hp two stroke Mercury O/B, circa 1979. Because my local lakes are 9.9 limited, someone stuck some 9.8 Mercury decals on it, and it's masquerading as a smaller engine.
After I would prime it with just a few squeezes on the ball, I would notice fuel in the water. Not a lot, but it was definitely there.
It ran great when it ran, but after it warmed up a bit, sometimes it would refuse to go into gear. It would stall, and I'd have to re-start and try to pop it into gear abut a dozen times before I could get moving again. Like I said, it seemed to be totally intermittent.
Then, on my last outing, it just wouldn't achieve higher RPMs. It would struggle and stall. It did not sound like it was running well at all. When I got back to the dock, I noticed I had gone through a ton of fuel. I think it was just pumping it straight out of the engine. I didn't notice anything in the water, but I was concentrating on getting back to the dock, and keeping my son calm (who was worried we were going to have to get towed in again).
The O/B came off the boat and went to a local small engine repair shop. They came with good recommendations and reviews, but since I'm new to outboards, I was wondering if anyone could tell me what I should be looking for in his diagnosis.
I think my gas tank is one of the new EPA-approved tanks, and have read about fuel being pushed through the engine on warm days. Was this a possible cause? I don't remember it being that hot that day, or the tank being any more swollen than usual.
Could it be float valves? Fuel pump diaphragm? Ball bearings? Deviating fratastat?
Doing my best to learn as much as I can, but truthfully, I've never been an engine guy.
Your help is appreciated!
I'm in the throws of restoring a 16 ft. Starcraft Kingfisher.
I bought the boat with what I think is a 20 hp two stroke Mercury O/B, circa 1979. Because my local lakes are 9.9 limited, someone stuck some 9.8 Mercury decals on it, and it's masquerading as a smaller engine.
After I would prime it with just a few squeezes on the ball, I would notice fuel in the water. Not a lot, but it was definitely there.
It ran great when it ran, but after it warmed up a bit, sometimes it would refuse to go into gear. It would stall, and I'd have to re-start and try to pop it into gear abut a dozen times before I could get moving again. Like I said, it seemed to be totally intermittent.
Then, on my last outing, it just wouldn't achieve higher RPMs. It would struggle and stall. It did not sound like it was running well at all. When I got back to the dock, I noticed I had gone through a ton of fuel. I think it was just pumping it straight out of the engine. I didn't notice anything in the water, but I was concentrating on getting back to the dock, and keeping my son calm (who was worried we were going to have to get towed in again).
The O/B came off the boat and went to a local small engine repair shop. They came with good recommendations and reviews, but since I'm new to outboards, I was wondering if anyone could tell me what I should be looking for in his diagnosis.
I think my gas tank is one of the new EPA-approved tanks, and have read about fuel being pushed through the engine on warm days. Was this a possible cause? I don't remember it being that hot that day, or the tank being any more swollen than usual.
Could it be float valves? Fuel pump diaphragm? Ball bearings? Deviating fratastat?
Doing my best to learn as much as I can, but truthfully, I've never been an engine guy.
Your help is appreciated!
