Losing fire

[Loadup]

Background : oil change complete. Tune up complete with wires, plugs, cap, points, condensor, rotor. Exhaust manifold and gaskets replaced. Fuel filter replaced. Timing set and now just need to water test. Boat purrrs in the driveway runing on hose.

Problem: First water test unsuccessful boat acted like it was starving for fuel and would not even come out of hole, so I rebuilt the carb and checked filters again rechecked plug gap point gap.

Now: Again she purrrs in the driveway just idling hooked to hose but I am losing fire when RPMs go up.

Questions: Is the condensor what controls this ? could I have a faulty new condensor ?

[michael hunter]

Not sure what you mean be loosing fire? I would start with the points how did you set them? If all is set correct put the old condenser back in. I have seen two bad condensers in the last 2 weeks. That is more than I have seen in the past 20 years.

[Memmer99]

Check your coil as well that may be the issue and it's the only think you didn't replace.

[Loadup]

By losing fire I guess it's spark. Above 2100 rpms it goes away. I got a new condensor and the same thing happened. The coil was checked out before I went to the condensor. The points are set per the manual. If I can find another distributor cap and rotor I am going to switch it but the new one that I installed does not appear to be cracked or anything, I am just eliminating possibilities before I purchase a new distributor and get away from these freaking points and crap. The old points were junk bad.

[michael hunter]

The beat way to set points is with a dwell meter. If you dont have one set the point gap at .019 on the high side of the cam.

[Loadup]

I used a gage of .018, I installed points while on a flat then bumped engine to high point and set to .018 gap.

[michael hunter]

That sounds good . Tell me more of exactly what its doing. 219-712-5060

[bdumas35]

Loadup,
Sounds like you may be starving for fuel under a load. Did you set your float levels when you rebuilt the carburetor?

[rludtke]

Loadup,
Sounds like you may be starving for fuel under a load. Did you set your float levels when you rebuilt the carburetor?

I concur. Also check your fuel tank vent to be sure it is clear, and replace your water separater to be sure it isn't clogged.

One way to clear your vent if obstructed is open your fuel filler, and blow high pressure air backwards through the vent.

To clear obstructions from the pick up screen, remove the supply hose from the inlet side of your water separator, and blow high pressure air back into the tank (also with the filler removed).

[Loadup]

Thank you for those suggestions, I had to take a day away from it. I will recheck to make sure float levels are correct and make sure all passages are clean and clear from tank to rule all possibilities out and I'm sure it could probably use it.

[Loadup]

O.K. finally confirmed this is not a fuel problem and the coil checked out to be o.k. so another prestolite distributor was found known to work and dropped in and engine ran like it should at all rpms. So now the tune up parts I have for a prestolite screw down dist. will they swap out in a mallory that I will probably be getting.

[Loadup]

Welp new distributor will be here Friday so I can see if this really fixes the problem. I still am puzzled by this, anyway I will have a screw down cap prestolite distriubutor with new tune up parts on the shelf cause nothing will interchange.

[Blackntan90]

I did the Pertronix electronic conversion for $100- saved me a couple of years ago!

[Loadup]

Saturday morning like Christmas I opened the box that was on my front porch to find a EI Mallory distributor inside. It took me a little while to find TDC but it was found and distributor dropped in wired up and CRAP ! 180 deg out. After swapping wires around and fingers crossed Yea, purring like the big girl should alright. I got rpms to where original problem was occuring and it seemed to be gone so I took it to the lake. I still have a little miss but there are so many new things on engine I am going to let things ride for a while then fine tune.

[sybrmike]

congrats on the fix.

[Loadup]

Thought I would post a few pics of the cleaned up power plant.

[sybrmike]

Great work. That cleaned up real nice.

Just a friendly suggestion - get a bronze shut off valve hard piped into that raw water intake elbow. I'd hate to see such a pretty boat lost to a split hose with no way to stop the flow (mine didn't have one from the factory either?).

[csuggs]

The beat way to set points is with a dwell meter. If you dont have one set the point gap at .019 on the high side of the cam.

Or . . . throw the points in the river and install electronic ignition. Then you can forget about it. ;)

[michael hunter]

Or . . . throw the points in the river and install electronic ignition. Then you can forget about it. ;)

I won a electronic conversion kit at a reunion. I figured what the heck and installed it on my Sunsport. Started great but before I could even get the timing light hooked up it shut down. After checking it out the Ign had failed. So I am back to points. I am glad it failed within the first 5 minutes if it would have lasted 30 minutes I would have been in the middle of the lake.

[Blackntan90]

Michael, that is crazy! My Pertronix unit has been great for at least 5 years now! No fussin with points at all, like they did the day I went for a water test on my Supra 8 years ago! Man was that guy mad! Somebody shows up to test drive the boat, and it wont start! Oh, and then when we got back he forgot to unhook the runaway brake cable-snapped!

[lively]

Thought I would post a few pics of the cleaned up power plant.

Hey man motor looks good , glad to hear you got her back up !! Quick question what are you using the PVC pipe on the side of the stringers ?

[Loadup]

I was pretty sure it was connected to a blower but have not had a reason to uncover the other end.

[lively]

yeah ok , just was curious cause im doing a rebuild and thought that was for the blowers ... thanks man ..

[sybrmike]

I was asked the same thing last weekend while testing the Salt. Mine had/has two blowers on the transom - one with an intake hose that draws low from behind the gas tank and one connected to the pvc pipe that draws from the engine area. The other two vents on the transom (4 total) are passive with hoses that drop down behind the gas tank.

Again, nice work cleaning up the engine.

[Loadup]

Thanks for the confirmation on that Mike, like I said I have been a lucky one so far to not have to tear into the structure yet. Also thanks for the compliment, I don't have quite the heart beat you got with the 454 but with the tune up and such the 351 is still pretty peppy.