Hello Everyone,
First post here. Brand spanking new to the boating world and already questioning how (why??) I ended up here...
My brother and I picked up a 1983 Wellcraft Bowrider which seemed to be in great condition (it is in appearance!) but quickly learned it was not mechanically sound like the previous owner said it was. We never put the boat in the water prior to purchasing (won't do that again!) but it fired right up and sound great on the trailer. For $2k we figured it was worth a shot...
Our first trip out we noticed the boat had some issues because as soon as we left the no wake zone and gave it some throttle it stalled. Tried again and it got up and going but was low on power and took a long time to get up on plane. We cruised around for a bit and accepted the fact that we had some work to do. Jumped in the water and swam for a bit then got back in to head back to the dock and boat would not go at all. Every time we put it in gear it would die or it would shortly there after with just a touch of throttle. Had to get towed in by a personal watercraft....
We figured the boat hadn't been used much as of late, the PO had already purchased a new boat, and came to the conclusion that a carb rebuild and fuel system freshening up wouldn't be a bad idea. So we rebuilt the carb, replaced both filters and the line going from tank to engine. In the process we blew out all lines and the pickup to ensure it was clear and the tank vent wasn't plugged. All good.
Took it back out and it was better. Still low on power but no stalling and it would get on plane more quickly.
The next weekend we bring the family out. What a disaster. Same **** as before. Boat wouldn't take throttle and coming back into the dock it was stalling EVERY time we put in gear. Seems the heat is having an influence on performance somewhat because the longer we're out the worse it gets but temp never goes over 165-170F.
Plugs didn't look bad but replaced them just for grins. No change. Cap and rotor are new and wires look good. But I am thinking the problem may still be ignition related....
I've read that the distributor cam should alternate between sharp angles and rounded lobes. Something relating to the odd firing order of the GM V6.? We pulled the rotor to inspect and it looks like alternating lobes may have been sharp angles at one point. Not having another to compare it to I'm not sure if this is normal or not:
https://i.imgur.com/kIUchEI.jpg
Assuming this cam is worn, could the increased dwell from the rounded lobes be causing the timing to be retarded and it's resulting in lost power?
The plan was to replace the points and check timing and go out again but am I wasting my time with this distributor the way it is? If anyone can chime in we'd certainly appreciate some guidance.
TIA!!!
First post here. Brand spanking new to the boating world and already questioning how (why??) I ended up here...
My brother and I picked up a 1983 Wellcraft Bowrider which seemed to be in great condition (it is in appearance!) but quickly learned it was not mechanically sound like the previous owner said it was. We never put the boat in the water prior to purchasing (won't do that again!) but it fired right up and sound great on the trailer. For $2k we figured it was worth a shot...
Our first trip out we noticed the boat had some issues because as soon as we left the no wake zone and gave it some throttle it stalled. Tried again and it got up and going but was low on power and took a long time to get up on plane. We cruised around for a bit and accepted the fact that we had some work to do. Jumped in the water and swam for a bit then got back in to head back to the dock and boat would not go at all. Every time we put it in gear it would die or it would shortly there after with just a touch of throttle. Had to get towed in by a personal watercraft....
We figured the boat hadn't been used much as of late, the PO had already purchased a new boat, and came to the conclusion that a carb rebuild and fuel system freshening up wouldn't be a bad idea. So we rebuilt the carb, replaced both filters and the line going from tank to engine. In the process we blew out all lines and the pickup to ensure it was clear and the tank vent wasn't plugged. All good.
Took it back out and it was better. Still low on power but no stalling and it would get on plane more quickly.
The next weekend we bring the family out. What a disaster. Same **** as before. Boat wouldn't take throttle and coming back into the dock it was stalling EVERY time we put in gear. Seems the heat is having an influence on performance somewhat because the longer we're out the worse it gets but temp never goes over 165-170F.
Plugs didn't look bad but replaced them just for grins. No change. Cap and rotor are new and wires look good. But I am thinking the problem may still be ignition related....
I've read that the distributor cam should alternate between sharp angles and rounded lobes. Something relating to the odd firing order of the GM V6.? We pulled the rotor to inspect and it looks like alternating lobes may have been sharp angles at one point. Not having another to compare it to I'm not sure if this is normal or not:
https://i.imgur.com/kIUchEI.jpg
Assuming this cam is worn, could the increased dwell from the rounded lobes be causing the timing to be retarded and it's resulting in lost power?
The plan was to replace the points and check timing and go out again but am I wasting my time with this distributor the way it is? If anyone can chime in we'd certainly appreciate some guidance.
TIA!!!