spitting & sputtering

[jimseese]

I have a 1985 sea ray just had a tune up it starts fine and runs fine until you try and go fast it starts to spit and sputter. Runs fine slow.I keep hearing carb. problems?

 

[Wotknot]

Re: spitting & sputtering

yep could be carb.......or water in the fuel/filter......or points, condenser, cap, plugs, plug wires........or partially stopped-up filter in your gas tank......you get my drift......unfortunately your troubleshooting list is long.......but I'd start with water in the gas. If you've got a spin on water separating filter pour the contents into a clear container and see if water is in it..........hope this helps some.

 

[jimseese]

Re: spitting & sputtering

I changed plugs,cap,wires fuel filter,water seperater and still no luck. tried a few small things with the carb. put water absorber in gas tank also.

 

[Wotknot]

Re: spitting & sputtering

I changed plugs,cap,wires fuel filter,water seperater and still no luck. tried a few small things with the carb. also.

IF you've got water in your tank, all you've done is refilled a new filter with more water. Did you check the old one to see if it had water in it?.......... not trying to be a smart azz........just trying to help diagnose your problem.

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: spitting & sputtering

you dont say what engine this is, was it doing this before tune up and that was what the tune was for, or did it start after, finding out where to start looking depends on when it started, could be a plug wires crossed point setting off timeing off, so and so on

 

[jimseese]

Re: spitting & sputtering

I dont think that at all as you can tell i know nothing about boats. This happened at the end of the season last year changed the water seperator and was back to normal. Took the boat out a few times this year and ran fine all of a sudden it happened again. I didnt check the old water seperator because last time it solved the problem. Got the tune up before season just for maintinance.every once and a while it runs fine it and next time out it starts again.

 

[Don S]

Re: spitting & sputtering

Read this.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=220416

 

[jimseese]

Re: spitting & sputtering

1985 sea ray 21 ft cuddy cabin 350 mercruiser 260 hp alpha drive. it runs great until you try to go fast then it spits and sputters but doesnt stall out. every once and a while it will run ok then take it out again and it starts doing it. The tune up was done by a marine shop just for maintinace reasons. Like I said this happened before the end of last season and a fuel/water seperater seemed to take care of the problem.

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: spitting & sputtering

1985 sea ray 21 ft cuddy cabin 350 mercruiser 260 hp alpha drive. it runs great until you try to go fast then it spits and sputters but doesnt stall out. every once and a while it will run ok then take it out again and it starts doing it. The tune up was done by a marine shop just for maintinace reasons. Like I said this happened before the end of last season and a fuel/water seperater seemed to take care of the problem.

since it was done by a shop that you trust it was probably done right, i would still change or at least check for water in the filters, you might have trash in carb and do for a rebuild, you might go back to the shop and talk with them since you took it there for this problem and see if they had found any water in the filters or maybe something they had over looked.

 

[jimseese]

Re: spitting & sputtering

Im leaning tword a rebuild of the carb changed out all the filters but did not check for water as the other guy said if it was water all i did was put it back into the system. If i take off the filter now and find water how do i get rid of it the right way this time?

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: spitting & sputtering

if you find water you will have to drain the tank. and put freash fuel back in, replace fuel filters then un hook fuel line at carb slip a rubber hose on endput other end into a fuel can and spin engine over until it starts to pump some fuel out, do this a little at a time, to clean out fuel lines, then rehook everything back up and try it, or just take it to you repair shop and tell them you have water in the fuel and to get it out.

 

[jimseese]

Re: spitting & sputtering

will i still have to rebuild the carb? Is their any more filters to change than the fuel and water seperater? Im confused because it runs great until almost opened up.I put a few bottles of water absorber in the tank will i be able to tell the difference between that and water? I also noticed we are sometimes running at higher rpms.

 

[bayliner in elkmore]

Re: spitting & sputtering

you may want to make sure the pump is not failing by using an inline pressure guage, you should have about 7psi for a mechanical pump. also check the hold down screws on the distributor cap i've seen the tabs on my bayliner that also has a 350 chevy in it strip out. i had just put screws with a nut at the bottom