Sluggish and no top end????

[SupraTom]

I have a 85 TS6M. The boat was running fine but I decided it was time to replace the plugs, wires, rotar and Cap. I installed an elctronic ignition in it as well. I also had to replace the throttle cable last month. Now the boat is starting harder than usual and it feels almost like it is governed at 3300 RPM. It will not exceed 33MPH. There is also a delay when I hit it out of the hole. Prior to this routine maintenance it went 41MPH. Plugs are gapped at .035 and the timing has been re-adjusted. (New plugs are the same as the ones that were in there, Autolite 24s. THe new throttle cable also checks out good.

What am I missing here? The plugs look good and all wires are where they need to be. Did the carb mysteriously start acting up at the same time I did my maintenance???

[OUI]

It's unlikely that the carb went bad - unless there was a backfire through the carb, if that's the case you could need a new power valve.

My guess it's the new ignition or the timing is off. Try doing a powered timing. Go out in the lake lift the hood and adjust the timing when the boat is at full throtle. Advance the timing to where you get max rpms then back it off just a little so it will idle. If that doesn't work, check your instructions and see if you're supposed to bypass the ballast resistor. Electronic ignitions need full power and the resistor will reduce voltage to the new ignition and cause you problems.

[SupraTom]

There were a couple of backfires through the carb after the new parts were added and I got on the throttle out of the hole. I plan on purchasing a renew kit for the carb and giving it some TLC now. Do you reccomend the secondary diagfram for the rebuild? Also will a timing light work on this engine or do you reccommend just timing it by turning the distributor?

[OUI]

I would rebuild the whole carb - it's cheap and easy. Yes, a timing light will work. Do you have a ballast resister?

[SupraTom]

Ok the carb has been rebuilt. TIming is great and the boat couldn't idle any better. It sounds great. But it's still very slow out of the hole and won't exceed 2700 RPMS. Fuel pump is good and the secondaries are opening. And I don't have a ballast resistor so i ran the electronic conversion directly to the coil.

I'm running out of ideas. Any insight??

[99 LAUNCH]

Have you changed the fuel filter? I have seen the same thing caused by fuel filters.

[SupraTom]

It ended up being the distributor. I am installing a new one tomorrow.

[Salty87]

supratom-

have you installed the new distributor? i'm in the same situation, pertronix conversion didn't turn out so well and i'm curious to hear how your new distributor is doing. if you don't mind saying where you got it, how much, etc. i haven't replaced one before. my rotor is a little more wobbly than i would like and i can't get the timing to smooth out. is there any way to verify that a dist. is bad?

thanks,
kevin

[OUI]

If your rotor is wabbly then it won't be long before it goes out. The mechanical advance is the problem and it will soon give away. I bought a Prestolite package from Lighthouse Marine. $239.00 for a new distributor, electronic ignition, cap, rotor, coil, and plug wires. It's a great deal and the boat has never run better.

http://marineengineparts.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page82.html