Hello everyone,
I've just acquired a lovely Atomic 4 engine and already I'm making a mess of the lovely thing. I'm here to change that and hopefully have her running smoothly! I've run into what I believe to be a fuel starvation issue and I would be grateful if any of you can offer your insights on next steps. Thanks in advance!
Suspected Fuel Starvation Issue:
Background: C&C 27 Pegasus - Well Maintained Atomic 4 Engine - New Owner
June, July: ran engine for very short periods (5-10mins) with choke mostly on – believe it was because the fuel was old (about 1-2 years old, had stabilizer in it, about 5 gallons), never had issues starting nor running (so long as choke was on). When choke was off engine quit.
July 23: New fuel – 10 gallons added (did not add anything to fuel). Would no longer run with choke on. Ran fine without the choke. I took this as a good sign. Motored the boat for 2-3 hours without any issues.
Aug 1: Started engine easily but forgot to turn fuel on! Ran fine for about 30 seconds - 1 minute then fuel starvation killed engine. Realizing my mistake I opened the fuel valve and tried starting the engine but no luck. I also tried to get it to “re-prime” itself by running the engine with quickstart spray into the carb for a few about 10-15 second bursts. No luck. Most of you are probably shaking your heads by now!
I decided I had to manually reprime the fuel line so disconnected the fuel hose leading into the electronic fuel pump to suck the fuel out (I thought perhaps I had an air lock or something). Instead of sucking out I ended up pumping air into the line or blowing outward. The manual pump I had in my hands was reversed (dummy!). However I realize now the gas cap was sealed so I’m not sure I actually did anything. Realizing I had the pump setup wrong I corrected the issue and sucked out fuel with the hand pump. With the fuel draining into the bilge I reconnected the fuel line into the electric fuel filter.
When all was tight I rinsed out the bottom of the boat and general engine area to remove the spilled fuel. I pumped the bilge, aired the fumes and started the engine. Engine started easily and ran smoothly for 5-10 minutes. My problem was resolved! It was late and I left for the night. All was good right?! Wrong…
Aug 6: Started engine easily, engine operating well, as I was leaving the marina the engine started choking, played with the throttle and was able to clear the marina. When under load the engine would die out after anywhere from 5-20 seconds. If I went into neutral the engine idled nicely. As I was midstream in leaving the marina I continued to restart the engine 4-5 times to move Pegasus out. I reverted into neutral when I heard the engine starting to die but sometimes I was not quick enough. When the engine was not under load (not in gear) the engine would run smoothly. When I put the engine in gear it would eventually starve and stop. Hours later upon return I restarted the engine just for kicks and it ran for about 1 hour under load at about 3.5 knots (low RPM). I thought this was fortunate as it was 11pm and the winds were dead. (I didn’t have to crawl into the dingy and row Pegasus into her slip…..phew)
Current Situation!
Aug 12: After reading and discovering these forums I went back to the boat and added 5-6 ounces of MMO and another gallon of fuel. The engine starts up everytime but the starvation has morphed. Now she doesn’t need to be under load to die out. Even in neutral she eventually starves. I tried to listen carefully and here is what I recorded:
-Can start easily/repeatedly on choke or without the choke.
-Will run smoothly at idle for random times between 15 seconds to 2 minutes before a soft gentle shut down occurs.
-When idling the engine has a constant rhythm/ rpm
-When I try to throttle up – sometimes she responds and the rpms increase and sometimes she starves
-Eventually she starves no matter what combination of choke/ throttle is provided
-Soft gentle shut down
I’ve included a picture: In line filter between electric fuel pump and carb
I’m not sure what to do next! I’m thinking about blowing out (this time with the gas cap off) to move any particles potentially obstructing the inflow from the tank and then re-priming the fuel line, this time letting it drain well to ensure solid flow. I wonder if I somehow water got in/near the carb (perhaps through the flame arrestor housing?) when I tried to wash out the gas?? I’m hoping there are less invasive ways to trouble shoot this as I think the engine was well cared for despite the fact it wasn’t used for a season before this year.
I’m somewhat at a loss and welcome any advice. Thank you in advance!
I've just acquired a lovely Atomic 4 engine and already I'm making a mess of the lovely thing. I'm here to change that and hopefully have her running smoothly! I've run into what I believe to be a fuel starvation issue and I would be grateful if any of you can offer your insights on next steps. Thanks in advance!
Suspected Fuel Starvation Issue:
Background: C&C 27 Pegasus - Well Maintained Atomic 4 Engine - New Owner
June, July: ran engine for very short periods (5-10mins) with choke mostly on – believe it was because the fuel was old (about 1-2 years old, had stabilizer in it, about 5 gallons), never had issues starting nor running (so long as choke was on). When choke was off engine quit.
July 23: New fuel – 10 gallons added (did not add anything to fuel). Would no longer run with choke on. Ran fine without the choke. I took this as a good sign. Motored the boat for 2-3 hours without any issues.
Aug 1: Started engine easily but forgot to turn fuel on! Ran fine for about 30 seconds - 1 minute then fuel starvation killed engine. Realizing my mistake I opened the fuel valve and tried starting the engine but no luck. I also tried to get it to “re-prime” itself by running the engine with quickstart spray into the carb for a few about 10-15 second bursts. No luck. Most of you are probably shaking your heads by now!
I decided I had to manually reprime the fuel line so disconnected the fuel hose leading into the electronic fuel pump to suck the fuel out (I thought perhaps I had an air lock or something). Instead of sucking out I ended up pumping air into the line or blowing outward. The manual pump I had in my hands was reversed (dummy!). However I realize now the gas cap was sealed so I’m not sure I actually did anything. Realizing I had the pump setup wrong I corrected the issue and sucked out fuel with the hand pump. With the fuel draining into the bilge I reconnected the fuel line into the electric fuel filter.
When all was tight I rinsed out the bottom of the boat and general engine area to remove the spilled fuel. I pumped the bilge, aired the fumes and started the engine. Engine started easily and ran smoothly for 5-10 minutes. My problem was resolved! It was late and I left for the night. All was good right?! Wrong…
Aug 6: Started engine easily, engine operating well, as I was leaving the marina the engine started choking, played with the throttle and was able to clear the marina. When under load the engine would die out after anywhere from 5-20 seconds. If I went into neutral the engine idled nicely. As I was midstream in leaving the marina I continued to restart the engine 4-5 times to move Pegasus out. I reverted into neutral when I heard the engine starting to die but sometimes I was not quick enough. When the engine was not under load (not in gear) the engine would run smoothly. When I put the engine in gear it would eventually starve and stop. Hours later upon return I restarted the engine just for kicks and it ran for about 1 hour under load at about 3.5 knots (low RPM). I thought this was fortunate as it was 11pm and the winds were dead. (I didn’t have to crawl into the dingy and row Pegasus into her slip…..phew)
Current Situation!
Aug 12: After reading and discovering these forums I went back to the boat and added 5-6 ounces of MMO and another gallon of fuel. The engine starts up everytime but the starvation has morphed. Now she doesn’t need to be under load to die out. Even in neutral she eventually starves. I tried to listen carefully and here is what I recorded:
-Can start easily/repeatedly on choke or without the choke.
-Will run smoothly at idle for random times between 15 seconds to 2 minutes before a soft gentle shut down occurs.
-When idling the engine has a constant rhythm/ rpm
-When I try to throttle up – sometimes she responds and the rpms increase and sometimes she starves
-Eventually she starves no matter what combination of choke/ throttle is provided
-Soft gentle shut down
I’ve included a picture: In line filter between electric fuel pump and carb
I’m not sure what to do next! I’m thinking about blowing out (this time with the gas cap off) to move any particles potentially obstructing the inflow from the tank and then re-priming the fuel line, this time letting it drain well to ensure solid flow. I wonder if I somehow water got in/near the carb (perhaps through the flame arrestor housing?) when I tried to wash out the gas?? I’m hoping there are less invasive ways to trouble shoot this as I think the engine was well cared for despite the fact it wasn’t used for a season before this year.
I’m somewhat at a loss and welcome any advice. Thank you in advance!
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