Boat dies when i put in gear

Try Google Chrome for your home page. My old computer would not upload to the "tree" icon either until I open CCF in Google Chrome..
My 88 Barefoot when I first got it.

MourningWood wrote: Please also note the direction that the distributor rotor turns. .

Distributor will turn CCW on Fords looking down on it no matter which way the crankshaft rotates. Reverse Rotation or not.      That is what screws up most Auto mechanics

Duane in Indy wrote: Distributor will turn CCW on Fords looking down on it no matter which way the crankshaft rotates. Reverse Rotation or not.      That is what screws up most Auto mechanics

Another thing that screws up auto mechanics is the FO is cast into the intake manifold. Same manifold is used on RH or LH rotation engines My 302 was that way and really messes with your mind.

Lisa,
Did you get the FO corrected and have you got the engine running? If not, we would still like to help with the FO but still need the information on the engine marinizer. With your recent site visits,tell us what you have been trying in order to post pictures. We have had other members with problems posting pictures too so don't feel bad. One solution is to email pictures to another member so they can post them for you. Links to members emails including mine are in their profiles. You click on the arrow next to the members screen name and a drop down menu will come up. Have you tried Google Chrome yet? I use it without problems.

Good job with the picture Lisa.

Your tag has a firing order of 1 8 4 5 6 2 7 3 (later 302)

but you have the order arranged to be 1 8 7 3 6 2 4 5 (early 302)

You'll notice some clown named KenO did a little experiment the other day and took his
engine with the late firing order and rearranged the wires to see how it ran.

His results were that the engine would idle a little rough and a little slow but sound pretty good actually.

But when it was given any gas after shifting into gear it stalled. This probably sounds familiar to you

You said it didn't run with the later firing order as shown on the tag. I'm not sure why it didn't , but i'd either try that order again. (thats 1 8 4 5 6 2 7 3} or another option would be to pull the plugs and put a little piece of rag over each plug hole, then rotate the engine by hand in the correct rotation direction and see what order the little pieces get blown out of the plug holes. You have to start with #1 at Top Dead Center on the compression stroke.You can find that with a rag over the plug hole

By the time you get to the 3rd plug hole you'll know which firing order you have.

First rag to blow out will be #1 when you find TDC on the compression stroke

Second will be #8

And then it'll be either #4 if you have the later order like your tag says...... or if #7 is next instead of #4 then you have the early firing order which is the way you have it now.

You only really need a rag over the #1 8 4 and 7 holes to figure out the order but if you take all the plugs out, it'll rotate easier by hand.

You can rotate it with a 15/16 socket on the front crankshaft bolt that holds the harmonic balancer on..


Cylinder numbering is

Front of engine
   5                  1

   6                  2

   7                  3

   8                  4

and you want to rotate the engine counterclockwise if you're looking from the FRONT, Or in other words rotate it toward the drivers side of the boat

You might have to read this a few times to digest it, but it'll tell you your firing order

Ken,
Nice trick with the rags in the plug holes. I honestly have never heard of the method. Simple and I like it!! Sure easier that trying to read rocker arm movements!

I have always heard that you can learn something every day of your life and still die stupid!

Now lets see if Lisa's mechanic can follow it???

Thank you so much! It will be a few days before I can get the boat back to the mechanic but i will definitely let you know how it goes. Again thanks to everyone for all the help!

Hi, me again! It seems my mechanic quit (haven't heard back from him). So my friend Laura and I took it upon ourselves to try your advise. We youtubed Top dead center and went from there. We took your firing advise and she sounds really good. (strong!) We cant do the lake test until tomorrow. So fingers crossed! We will let you know after the lake test.    
Thanks again to everyone for their help. Lisa

So cool that you figured it out yourself.
Your mechanic should sell his tools & look for a new occupation.

I think you being a little hard on the mechanic there Pete,can't make a living working on obsolete equipment. The complaint you should have is that the guy took on the job thinking he knew more about something that is most likely as old as himself   
Does not mean he's a bad mechanic. I can still take a finger wheel off a rotary phone but that won't put food on the table- get to the ISP stuff I'd be lost,but at least I'd tell you that.

You can rotate the distributor back and forth all day and you only change the timing, not the firing order. You need to get it timed properly. That would be a start.

Lisa,
You're not being a pest at al! You do need to go back to this post Ken made regarding the firing order.

KENO wrote: Good job with the picture Lisa. Your tag has a firing order of 1 8 4 5 6 2 7 3 (later 302) but you have the order arranged to be 1 8 7 3 6 2 4 5 (early 302) You'll notice some clown named KenO did a little experiment the other day and took his engine with the late firing order and rearranged the wires to see how it ran. His results were that the engine would idle a little rough and a little slow but sound pretty good actually. But when it was given any gas after shifting into gear it stalled. This probably sounds familiar to you You said it didn't run with the later firing order as shown on the tag. I'm not sure why it didn't , but i'd either try that order again. (thats 1 8 4 5 6 2 7 3} or another option would be to pull the plugs and put a little piece of rag over each plug hole, then rotate the engine by hand in the correct rotation direction and see what order the little pieces get blown out of the plug holes. You have to start with #1 at Top Dead Center on the compression stroke.You can find that with a rag over the plug hole By the time you get to the 3rd plug hole you'll know which firing order you have. First rag to blow out will be #1 when you find TDC on the compression stroke Second will be #8 And then it'll be either #4 if you have the later order like your tag says...... or if #7 is next instead of #4 then you have the early firing order which is the way you have it now. You only really need a rag over the #1 8 4 and 7 holes to figure out the order but if you take all the plugs out, it'll rotate easier by hand. You can rotate it with a 15/16 socket on the front crankshaft bolt that holds the harmonic balancer on.. Cylinder numbering is Front of engine    5                  1    6                  2    7                  3    8                  4 and you want to rotate the engine counterclockwise if you're looking from the FRONT, Or in other words rotate it toward the drivers side of the boat You might have to read this a few times to digest it, but it'll tell you your firing order

KENO wrote: Lisa Back in the second post of this thread NautiqueHunter asked what state you live in, probably because Google says he's about an hour away from you on Lake Lanier. .

I think we should put the call out to anyone close to Marietta who could help Lisa with her timing and firing order. Anyone???

Well if she or her friend were named Kim..........