Do I Have a fuel Problem

[Ydel]

I think that I have a fuel problem, not enough usage of the boat. I was sailing on Saturday and on the trip back to the Marina (motoring about 1 Mile) the engine started to run very rough, it got worse and worse and finally quit at the entrance to the marina. Started right back up und felt like it was running on 1 cylinder and then quit again. I was able to start it often enough that I was able to drift in to my slip.
Went back to the boat on Sunday, started the engine and it ran great. Does that not sound like a fuel filter problem.
Any advice would be appreciated, as you can tell I am NOT a mechanic.

Bill Ydel
SallyB #441

[s/v Essayons II]

Not enough information to come to a solid theory on you problem....

Sorry, I know that is not what you are looking for. There are many issues that could cause the problem you are describing.
1- Water in fuel
2- Sticking valve
3- Spark plugs fouled
4- Dirt in Carb
5- Foriegn debris in fuel tank
6- Cracked spark plug wires
7- Bad ignition coil
8- Bad Distributor Cap/Rotor
9- Dirty Points/Condensor (unless you have Electronic Ignition)
10- Bad wiring harness
11- Fouled prop
12- Clogged Fuel Filter
13- Old Fuel

I could add a bunch more to the list but I am making some assumptions based on your post. Since your engine did start and run OK the next time you used it I would eliminate 1,2,3,11 and 12 from my list of issues.

COA I would advise:
1- Place an additive like SeaFoam in you tank, just in case you have moisture in you fuel, this will also help clean you carb/plugs. #1,3,4
2- Check your spark plug wires for cracks and replace if necessary. #6
3- Check your Cap and Rotor for cracks/corrosion and replace if necessary. If moisture is getting into your cap this will cause all kind of phantom problems. #8
4- Check to see if you have Electronic Ignition. If you do leave out a sigh of relief....if you do not consider this upgrade. Points and Condensors are easy for a mechanic to troubleshoot and adjust, but for a non-mechanic you can get into a lot of trouble fast here if you do not know what you are doing. #9
5- Check your wiring harness for good clean connections and make sure it is not cracked and shorting out somewhere. Repair/Clean as necessary. #10
6- Does you gas smell like gas or varnish? Old fuel will cause a severe power loss problems and gum up the fuel system fast. If you fuel smells like varnish you need to drain your tank and replace with fresh gas. Also consider adding SeaFoam or StaBil to your tank, this will help preserve your fresh gas. If you have to drain your tank you may want to pay your marina to do this for you. It is dangerous if you do not do it correctly/safely. #13

As you can see I have not gone into solutions for all of the possible problems. I do not want to get to technical in this post. The Course of Action I described should be easy for a non-mechanic to troubleshoot, if this does not help let me know. From my experience I would be leaning towards you electrical/ignition system as the culprit with the fuel system a close second.

If someone else has something to add please chime in! Larger/Deeper mechanical problems tend not to be intermittent. Hope this helps!

V/R,

[Marty Levenson]

Fuel problem

Since it ran ok at the dock later, I wonder if it was choppy, or if you went through many wakes before your engine trouble. How full was your tank? If there are contaminants in your tank they may only cause trouble after a disturbance churns them up. Do you have a good fuel filter?

-Marty (Vancouver)