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1st Problem of the season!


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So it seems im not allowed to have a flawless 1st day on the lake in a season ever.... last season it was destroying the prop/propshaft, this season it is even better....

Put the boat in, there was no-one on the whole lake let alone the ramp so i let it warm up, established no leaks and it was idling real well. backed off the trailer waited on my business partner to jump on after parking my truck.... we get out onto the main part of the lake and i gave it some throttle, full throttle to be exact... it left a small cloud of smoke but it wound right up to max. RPM and away we went... cruised the lake for 20-25 min. i was thinkin things were going toooooo well....

Idled around the lake a little bit just to see if i could find any ice left (there is none at all) when i went to floor it again it got up to like 2650 or 2700 RPM and cut out, went back to idle, put it back in neutral slowly went up again.... same thing at the same RPM, when it does it the engine sound like its stuttering and making a clicky noise i could not tell where on the engine it was coming from. idled back to the trailer and put it on.... so not sure whats up with it but id like to be able to go more than 25-30mph.... barefooting wont be fun this season at that speed.

Any ideas from the crew would help me out a lot..... is this simply a problem with idling then going back to speed where next time i put it in the water it will be Fine or do you think there is something actually wrong???

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I had the exact same thing at the end of last season.

I was due for the 100 hour service, and it appeared to be the fuel filter.

--Robert

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My first guess would be fuel filter.

Did you notice engine temp? If your impeller is shot and the engine is overheating the computer will cap RPM's...so you might double-check your impeller just to be sure.

Edited by NorCaliBu
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My first guess would be fuel filter.

Did you notice engine temp? If your impeller is shot and the engine is overheating the computer will cap RPM's...so you might double-check your impeller just to be sure.

I agree...sounds like your impeller. Its easy to check/replace.

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2200 RPM was the magic number on my boat. It was the impeller. There were two veins left on it when I checked it out. The boat ran well until it warmed up and then after some extended idle time it would just cut out. There was unburned fuel in the exhaust as a second clue. Plus the engine smelled bad. Turned out it was also burning the rubber in my exhaust hoses because no water was cooling the exhaust. $30.00 impeller and I was good to go.

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Good job getting a 94 Echelon out on the water one of the two warm days in SE Mich, now that it is back to 50 degrees! If the boat you are referencing is the 94 Echelon and it is carbureted, it probably will not have an automatic cutout for fuel. Did you check temperatures while running indicating a bad impeller? I would suspect the fuel filter and water separator if just running poorly. The part that might mean it is more significant is the clicky noise. Was it deep and low in the engine or a higher tinnier clicking near the top or more specifically right under the valve covers. To check that stuff pull both valve covers and see if all the pushrods are in the rocker arms.

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I'd also say fuel filter. I had real similar behavior when mine was bad on my first 'bu, also around 2600 rpms. If you had an EFI engine I would have added impleller to that list as well.

Mike

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That dirty word in boating....Ethanol.... phase separation...now a contaminated filter.

Edited by electricjohn
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If you had an EFI engine I would have added impleller to that list as well.
:unsure: Carbed motors have impellers too. :unsure: And behave that same way when the impeller shreds. :unsure:

Dontknow.gif

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:unsure: Carbed motors have impellers too. :unsure: And behave that same way when the impeller shreds. :unsure:

Dontknow.gif

Behave the same way as in overheating. But I think they are saying a carbed motor doesn't have the computer feedback to recognize the overheat and limit rpms. Dontknow.gif

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350Mag Tournament Ski EFI

now that thats out... temp guage was sitting just a little above 120 the whole time.....

I'm gonna try the fuel filter...that seems the most obvious choice since i ran the tank almost empty at the end of last season and i guarentee it sucked a ton of sediment up when i started it this season.... no bad burning smells at all...just the normal lovely smell of boat exhaust.

So i think some more 89 octane gas, and maybe some lucas fuel system cleaner plus a new filter and i should be back in the water happy.

Anyone in the area want to help me with the fuel filter? im an idiot when it comes to engines. i'll exchange help for a pull...just put on your drysuit...water is still a bit cold. lol

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350Mag Tournament Ski EFI

now that thats out... temp guage was sitting just a little above 120 the whole time.....

I'm gonna try the fuel filter...that seems the most obvious choice since i ran the tank almost empty at the end of last season and i guarentee it sucked a ton of sediment up when i started it this season.... no bad burning smells at all...just the normal lovely smell of boat exhaust.

So i think some more 89 octane gas, and maybe some lucas fuel system cleaner plus a new filter and i should be back in the water happy.

Anyone in the area want to help me with the fuel filter? im an idiot when it comes to engines. i'll exchange help for a pull...just put on your drysuit...water is still a bit cold. lol

Should be more like 160...

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350Mag Tournament Ski EFI

now that thats out... temp guage was sitting just a little above 120 the whole time.....

I'm gonna try the fuel filter...that seems the most obvious choice since i ran the tank almost empty at the end of last season and i guarentee it sucked a ton of sediment up when i started it this season.... no bad burning smells at all...just the normal lovely smell of boat exhaust.

So i think some more 89 octane gas, and maybe some lucas fuel system cleaner plus a new filter and i should be back in the water happy.

Anyone in the area want to help me with the fuel filter? im an idiot when it comes to engines. i'll exchange help for a pull...just put on your drysuit...water is still a bit cold. lol

Should be more like 160...

it's been little above 120 since i bought it last season.

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Thermostats used to be lower than 160 prior to the proliferation of heaters. But I thought they were 140. Ice cold water will also cause temp to stay down unless you really run it.

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:unsure: Carbed motors have impellers too. :unsure: And behave that same way when the impeller shreds. :unsure:

Dontknow.gif

Behave the same way as in overheating. But I think they are saying a carbed motor doesn't have the computer feedback to recognize the overheat and limit rpms. Dontknow.gif

Exactly

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Thermostats used to be lower than 160 prior to the proliferation of heaters. But I thought they were 140. Ice cold water will also cause temp to stay down unless you really run it.

its possible that its more like 140.... my temp guage starts at 120 and the next hash is 160... so it starts at 120 cold.... gets further up....never gets to 160 lol.

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:unsure: Carbed motors have impellers too. :unsure: And behave that same way when the impeller shreds. :unsure:

Dontknow.gif

Behave the same way as in overheating. But I think they are saying a carbed motor doesn't have the computer feedback to recognize the overheat and limit rpms. Dontknow.gif

Exactly

Oh don't mind NorCaliBroken. He's just irritable because he's old and brittle.

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The 350 Mag is a Merc - Thermostat is 140 degree. (Normal Operating) It's not a temperature related problem, unless you opened up the engine box and saw steam rising and smelled like rubber was burning.

Peter

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:unsure: Carbed motors have impellers too. :unsure: And behave that same way when the impeller shreds. :unsure:

Dontknow.gif

Behave the same way as in overheating. But I think they are saying a carbed motor doesn't have the computer feedback to recognize the overheat and limit rpms. Dontknow.gif
Exactly
My 310 carbie did exactly as described when it shredded an impeller...that's why I recommended checking it.
Oh don't mind NorCaliBroken. He's just irritable because he's old and brittle.
Cry.gif D@MN, I wish that wasn't true. :(
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changed the fuel filter. didnt have time to put it in the water and check everything out, hoping it will be fine now since i was running at normal temp, so i dont think its the impeller....i dont know how to check it tho.... i think i aid before im an idiot with engines. glad no-one caught me saying i didnt know how to change a fuel filter...lol screw off, screw on. hahaha.

-MB

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changed the fuel filter. didnt have time to put it in the water and check everything out, hoping it will be fine now since i was running at normal temp, so i dont think its the impeller....i dont know how to check it tho.... i think i aid before im an idiot with engines. glad no-one caught me saying i didnt know how to change a fuel filter...lol screw off, screw on. hahaha.

-MB

if you've got a fake-a-lake, run it in the driveway.

water out the exhaust means your impeller is working.

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if you've got a fake-a-lake, run it in the driveway.

water out the exhaust means your impeller is working.

Fingerwag.gif Not necessarily Grasshopper. Forcing water into the cooling system via hose pressure will send it through the engine with or without fins on the impeller.

meb885 - the impeller is in the pump housing directly behind the ski pylon. It's about 3-4" in diameter with four screws holding the cover on. Piece of cake to remove the cover and look inside the make sure the fins haven't started shredding.

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I can see your point...

however, when my engine is off - no water is forced thru the engine with my hose at full-pressure

i figure it can't get past the impeller fins without it turning

however, if the impeller is destroyed - perhaps water can be forced thru the raw impeller, and make it to the engine's internal water pump

i'd still do a driveway run (or quick inspection on the impeller) prior to launching

I much prefer working on the Tractor in the driveway versus on the launch ramp

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