'89 sunsetter issues

[ricksart]

I've got an '89 sunsetter I got from a friend last year. Last year, no problems, other than what I had to fix(replace strut, straighten shaft and prop) which made it such a deal. This year, first day out, pretty good, just a little rough, so I decide to do some ham-handed carb adjustments. Next time out, it won't go over 1100 rpms and about 11 mph. The adjustments were to the idle mixture screws and I messed with those to no avail. Next I replace fuel filter/water seperator and clean some siltylike stuff from the filter at the carb. Next time out, at first 25 mph,(that's all we wanted to do, as the lake was pretty rough), then progressively, less and less power and speed until we limped back to the dock at about 10 mph. The other issue is idle and starting. It'll cut out right when you're about to approach the dock and then it will decide to pull the neutral safety switch card as I'm about to beach on the ribbed concrete launch. Moving the throttle lever back and forth doesn't seem to have any effect and I don't have time for the screwdriver short across the slave solenoid trick. Then when time is not an issue, it works just fine. Any thoughts?

[cbmalibu98]

If you can check your fuel pressure, it sould be the fuel pump.

CB

[skier_88]

Agree with a fuel pump issue...

[ricksart]

If you can check your fuel pressure, it sould be the fuel pump.

CB

Thanks for the reply. It checks out at 8 psig. I'm thinking possibly Sam's club gas?

[skier_88]

what is the pressure when it starts having issues?

[ricksart]

what is the pressure when it starts having issues?

It was 8psig on Saturday and 8psig Sunday evening after the problems during the day.

[SBR]

Have you already done a basic tune up? Doubt its the problem, but prob. should anyways. If you have fuel pressure and found sediment at the carb filter, good chance there is sediment in the bowls. Check your float levels. There could be trash in the needle and seats which will affect the gas level in the bowls. The idle and hard starting problem could be a number of things. Sounds like the idle circuit is plugged or maybe the power valve is leaking. Is it hard to start the boat after running the boat for awhile, shutting it off, letting it set for 10mins or so and then trying to restart? If so, could be a blown power valve. It sounds mostly like the idle circuit. You can try a few things without pulling the metering blocks off, but you still might have to. 1-take a can of brake/carb cleaner and blow through the air bleeds. 2- screw the air fuel mixture screws in and count the turns. Now take them all the way out and blow brake/carb cleaner through the ports and reinstall the screws the same amount of turns. You can also try holding the boat at about 3000 rpm and choking the carb off, it will suck the debri out of the circuits....sometimes that works.

[ricksart]

Well, we were on the wrong track with the fuel issues contributing to the problem. Turns out it was some corrosion in the mechanical advance causing it to stick. A little dielectric grease and she runs really smooth. In the driveway at least.