Soft shutdowns until it doesn't start anymore

[JOHN COOKSON]

Be careful not to burn the coil out while you are diagnosing.
If you have "conventional" wiring the coil will be energized when the key or switch is on the on position.
A work around is to take the hot wire from the key or switch off the coil at coil + temporally.
BTW: How is the wiring? Have you tried running a wire battery->fuel pump, bypassing the boats wiring, OPSS, ect.?

TRUE GRIT

[pdecker]

David, I bypassed the Racor and didn't get any flow. The Racor is old, but the engine didn't run when I bypassed it, so I'm thinking that's not the culprit. I'd like to install a fuel pressure gauge. Is there a type or brand I should look for? BTW, it's a two year old Facet pump from Moyer Marine, and I have replaced all the fuel lines.

Phil

pdecker, do you know what type of pump? If your Racor is above the carb you were gravity feeding until it ran out so I would not consider the carb.

You either have a faulty pump or an air bleed leaking into the line before the fuel gets to the pump. These small electric pumps pumps so little volume that just the tiniest bleed will stop the flow(THE SUCTION TO THE TANK) cold!!!

I strongly suggest you check each fitting and clamp and check all sealing surfaces on the Racor. If it were mine I would not even fuss with the old fuel lines I would replace them. If you install a CHEAP small fuel pressure gage in front of the carb after the polishing filter if so equipped your questions will be answered by the gage. The gage will always be there to check whenever something goes amiss, just look and see~~that eliminates a lot of diagnosing time right there!!!

Dave Neptune

[ndutton]

Assuming the pump is installed after the filter: tank → filter → pump → carburetor, your successful operation with the filter primed strongly implies the pump is working fine. Bypassing the filter and no improvement suggests the filter and its connections are fine as well. This leaves the tank, the pickup tube inside the tank or any connections ahead of the filter.

How full is the tank? We've seen cases where the pickup tube developed small holes and when the fuel level dropped below the hole problems began. I'd pull the pickup tube and inspect it carefully.

[marthur]

This leaves the tank, the pickup tube inside the tank or any connections ahead of the filter.

+1 on this

[pdecker]

Solved: it was the Racor water separator AND had to be primed

I did another experiment a couple weeks ago: I took the hose from the output of the Racor and put it in a Jerry can above the engine, and the engine started right up. I concluded there must be an air leak in the Racor. So I ordered a new one from Moyer Marine and installed it on Saturday. The engine ran for about a minute then died. I started it again, and it ran for a few seconds. Then it wouldn't run anymore. Bumming out, I took out the fuel level sender and visually inspected the tank the pickup. The gas, tank, and pickup all looked like new, so it probably wasn't the tank.

Backing up a little, the instructions with the Racor says to take out the filter and fill it with gas, and then re-install so that it would be "primed." But I could not remove the filter with a strap wrench and all my might, so I just installed it anyway. I figured that it needed to be primed somehow, and I don't have a priming bulb. I used my dip stick oil change pump! I stuck the hose into hose going into the carburetor, and within a few pumps had gas flowing easily. I reinstalled the carburetor hose, and was able to start the engine immediately. It now runs like a champ!

Thanks for all your help, guys.

[dcstait]

Electric fuel pumps but not enough

When my A-4 wouldn't start once.

I first tested the electric fuel pump and heard it clicking and thought it was O.K.

Then took the hose off and watched it pump into a cup and thought it was not a fuel pump problem.

My more experienced friend did the same thing and said that is not enough fuel coming out! Sure enough, put in a new electric fuel pump and it ran fine.

[Administrator]

I could not remove the filter with a strap wrench and all my might, so I just installed it anyway.

I have destroyed one brand new Racor, and nearly so with a second one, simply trying to get the new filter canister off the new mount.

Bill