351 W Distributor

That Emoticon is embarassed because I didn’t know that I had the anti siphon valve in my hand and didn’t know it. Anyway fireing order was correct. I found some debris in the anti siphon valve, checked the intake screen at the carb which was clean rechecked the point gap all was good. Noticed excess gas in the carb coming from the primaries. Cleaned and checked the float level put it back together and voila success! Boats ran great and we got a couple of runs in. Thanks for all the help.

It is very easy and a common problem to get the spark plug wires re-arranged when replacing a set. Check to ensure your cables are routed to the correct spark plugs. And don't be fooled by the firing order cast on the intake manifold. Look on the aluminum tag near your ballast resistor.

Thanks Tim. I didn't realize it but I took off the elbow and now i guess the anti siphon valve, unfortunately since I didn't know it was the anti siphon valve I didn't check it . However the elbow actually attached to the pick up tube, is that right? I will do some more checking tomorrow.

Ok so I finally got back the boat. There is indeed a resistor right where you guys said it would be so that answers that question. I did a full tune up, Points, Plugs, Condenser, Cap and Rotor. I took the boat out it ran great. I then changed to the ignition wires, started the boat and seem to run fine. Got ready to go ski I idled out my friend jumped in the water said hit it and the boat died, same problem as described earlier in the post. I checked one of the plugs it looked fine, I rechecked the points they look fine, I checked the coil and it is delivering 7.5 volts to the points. Then checked the fuel line by blowing air in with a bicycle pump, there didn't seem to be a problem as I heard air blowing in the tank. I checked the vent tube, no problem there. I could get the boat up to speed if nursed it but even then if I tried to go full throttle it would bog down and die. It will go right up to 4000+ rpm with no load. Help!

audiodude wrote: Thanks Chris and Ken, I will bring a new resistor next time I get to go down to the boat and hope that fixes my problem Art

Art,
Ceramic resistors don't gain or loose resistance. They are ether good at there design resistance or "open" meaning there's no continuity so no current flows through them. There's a element inside producing the resistance so when it "burns out", it's like a light bulb that no longer works. Taking a VOM with you so you can confirm resistance and or volts in and out.

audiodude wrote:    My points don't looked burnt

You can't tell the condition of the point contact faces by looking. Again, put the VOM to work to check them. Disconnect the - wire off the coil and with the points closed, Ohm between it and ground (the block). You should get a near zero Ohm reading. .

Here's a picture of the location with the cover removed courtesy of somebody on CCF

BR should be above the bell housing, next to the 50A breaker.

Wow... Tough room..   

Is this in your future? How's your insurance? Is there a fire extinguisher on board? Maybe two would be better!

Peacock wrote: I'm old, but not totally out there.

I would question exactly where you are. .

KENO wrote: [QUOTE=8122pbrainard] [QUOTE=75 Tique] It wouldn't hurt to have it hooked up on a boat as far as advance goes but the hole in the distributor where the mechanism hooks up leaves a nice path for those explosive gases to find a spark and go Boom. With it disconnected you still have the mechanical advance function and the boat will run good just like with a mechanical advance distributor. Like I said before there's a lot more to vacuum advance but here's a good basic article in the link link

The vacuum hole, where the hose would hook does have a stopper over it. LOL
I'm old, but not totally out there. Just like the blowers.
Turn them on BEFORE you start the engine. And not just before you start. Give them a few minutes. Recommendation is 10 minutes.

75 Tique wrote: So now I am curious. I'm no gearhead so there is a lot I dont understand, so I am just trying to learn. If he has an auto distributor with a vacuum advance but is not using/not hooking up the vacuum, how is it advancing? I also wonder if that wideass open run from the dock to the ramp fell within that 30 - 60 minute lifespan of his distributors. Again, just curious.

The distributor likely has both a vacuum and a mechanical advance - there is no reason to think the mechanical advance isn't working. However it may also be too much advance, too little advance, too slow or too fast of an initial advance, and too slow or two fast of a final advance for the application.

And in this relatively lightly loaded application none of that may make any difference at all to the guy driving it...

8122pbrainard wrote: 75 Tique wrote: If he has an auto distributor with a vacuum advance but is not using/not hooking up the vacuum, how is it advancing? Larry, With no vacuum, there's no advance or retard. I suspect the engine performance isn't the greatest.

Larry

Pete might be a little retarded when it comes to vacuum advance

A distributor with a vacuum advance mechanism also has a mechanical advance mechanism just like the marine distributors.

It could be long and dragged out and fill pages of reading but the short version is that vacuum advance adds advance under low load high vacuum conditions like driving downhill, highway cruising etc to maximize efficiency and fuel economy.

If you could read your timing from the drivers seat of the car you might see around 50 degrees advance under these light load conditions and then when you punch it the vacuum falls off and the advance added by the vacuum falls off too.

Fuel injected stuff can do all this advance magic through the use of all those sensors feeding the ECM and the ECM makes the same adjustments that mechanical and vacuum advance could make together.

It wouldn't hurt to have it hooked up on a boat as far as advance goes but the hole in the distributor where the mechanism hooks up leaves a nice path for those explosive gases to find a spark and go Boom. With it disconnected you still have the mechanical advance function and the boat will run good just like with a mechanical advance distributor.

Like I said before there's a lot more to vacuum advance but here's a good basic article in the link


link

75 Tique wrote: If he has an auto distributor with a vacuum advance but is not using/not hooking up the vacuum, how is it advancing?

Larry,
With no vacuum, there's no advance or retard. I suspect the engine performance isn't the greatest.

So now I am curious. I'm no gearhead so there is a lot I dont understand, so I am just trying to learn.

If he has an auto distributor with a vacuum advance but is not using/not hooking up the vacuum, how is it advancing?

I also wonder if that wideass open run from the dock to the ramp fell within that 30 - 60 minute lifespan of his distributors. Again, just curious.