Hard Start when Engine Warm

Pumping the throttle on a hot engine will just make it more difficult to start. Especially after a hot shut down, often get some expansion/dripping from heat soak.

Many boats need the throttle cracked open on a hot start

There may be something amiss, but there is a chance your first response could be exacerbating the difficulty.

Went back to the same ramp today. Boat was a little hard to start while on the trailer... but it started up. I idled out like I did the day before and it didn't bog down.... ran like I champ!
Ran a couple miles or so down the lake, turned it off. Tried to start it up again about 5 min later and it just didnt want to start. I had to spin it over and pumped the gas several times. It finally started. It didnt smoke like it was flooded.

I didnt turn it off again until I loaded it on the trailer. I tried it there and it did not want to start again. I spun it quite a bit, but it just did not want to start.   I raised the cover and pulled off the breather. The choke was full open. I even tried pushing the choke closed while I was spinning it and it still didn't want to start. Closed the cover and pulled it out of the water.

I don't "think" it was flooded just because I couldn't smell gasoline, but it may have been.

I cleaned the points with 1000 grit paper before I took it out today. They looked like they are in good shape. distributor and rotor button looks ok.

Any ideas?

Sounds to me like the needle/seat/float got compromised caused a flood condition.

A disassembly/clean/rebuild seems in order.

Change fuel filter prior to removing carb and flush with a start and short run, , so questionable gas does not foul a fresh clean/rebuild.

Follow the red line on the attached picture and it will take you to the list # of the carb. It's on the front of the air horn where the choke plate is.

In the picture the list # is 50419-1. Yours is probably different but it will tell you everything you need to know if you find the list number in Holley literature.

Basically you have a 4 barrel 4160 marine carb, but the list number is handy for ordering the right parts and knowing what jets,and other parts it came with originally.

By the way, I hope you took that picture with a cold engine because that choke sure is shut like it would be on a cold engine.

If that was a warmed up engine, it should be open or you would have some big time flooding issues

KenO

Took the boat out yesterday. Started fine when on the trailer. Idled out of harbor, then when I gave it gas to plane off..... it just bogged down. Would not take the gas. hmmm... never did that before. It was like there was a plug wire off. So I turned it off and checked all the plugwires at the plug and on the distributor. All was good there. Didnt see anything wrong, I tried to start it back up and I had to disengage the trans and give it full throttle while it spinning over. I had to let it crank over for 10 to 15 seconds before it finally started.

I could tell that it was pretty flooded cause there was a bunch of dark smoke coming out of the exhaust.

My boat usually starts right up with just a bump on the ignition key whether its hot or cold.

I know there are several things that I need to check out, but I am trying to ID my Holley carb. I have looked, but I dont see any numbers on it. I want to make sure my chock is working correctly.

Can someone help me ID my Holley Carb. My boat is a 1987. Engine is PCM 351W.