FWC reservations....

[sailhog]

Thanks, Dave.... The condenser was replaced a year ago, along with all of the other ignition parts (points, cap, cables, plugs). I'll order a new one just to eliminate it as a possibility, along with a new OPSS.

One more question.... Down here it super hot Florida, should I change my engine oil from 30W to something more viscous like 15W 40 in the summer months?

[JOHN COOKSON]

sailhog
If this problem persists try this:
Immediately after a shutdown, before stuff has a chance to cool down, quick, quick, quick, pull the big wire out of the center of the distributor cap and hold it close to the engine while some one else cranks the engine and check for spark.

TRUE GRIT

Edit: If you suspect the OPSS try bypassing it or shorting across it when a shutdown happens.

[roadnsky]

Sailhog-
As Shawn has already brought up, it's possible you may have a COLD SOLDER JOINT in the Ignition Circuit.
In your situation, there could be something else behaving just like a failing coil.
When changing coils isn't doing the trick...

Here's a quote from Don from an old post:

"There is at least one other item that behaves in this manner (fails from heat and cures itself when it cools), which is a faulty connection in the primary ignition circuit (some electricians call these faulty connections cold joints, I suspect because they only work when they're cold).

Please skip this paragraph if this is more than you wanted to know, but I am told by normally reliable experts that an electrical circuit sees a weak connection on the verge of failure as a localized zone of high resistance which translates into a small amount of heat build-up. As the heat builds up, the expansion created by the heat eventually causes the connection to open up (minuscule though this heat and expansion is, remember that a connection in this condition is on the virtual edge of failing anyway, even without the heat and expansion).

To keep things simple, before chasing the entire primary circuit which runs from the large battery terminal on the starter solenoid, through the ignition switch and back to the positive terminal of the coil, you could simply connect a jumper wire from the large battery terminal on the starter solenoid to the positive terminal of the coil. If the engine never shuts down as long as that jumper wire is installed, you will have confirmed that the primary ignition circuit is a cold joint in it someplace.

If the shutdowns continue with the jumper wire installed, you can check the remaining short section of the primary circuit which is between the negative terminal of the coil and the points.
Sometimes the conductor in this short wire develops a cold joint where it passes under the distributor cap or at the terminal of the coil or at the points themselves."

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Installing the jumper wire between the starter solenoid and the coil is the very same thing as turning on the ignition switch,
so DO NOT leave that wire installed except when running the engine or you will
burn out the coil and/or kill the batteries.

Just another place to look...

[roadnsky]

You might also give a gander to this thread...

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2643&highlight=high+compression

[jhwelch]

My cooling system is a little undersized so as an experiment I switched to 10w40 oil when I got to some point in NC last fall, and it did make an improvement with my oil pressure. It went back to near steady 40psi and had been falling to 30psi when I was on the straight 30w oil.

[sailhog]

This weekend will be a good one for getting her to shut down quickly -- 90F with light winds....

Thanks to all for your input. Should be able to do both bypasses on the same sail, if it comes to that. Cannot wait to solve this problem.....

Thanks again, captains....