Running -- Not so Well, help diagnose

I had a few minutes today so I dewinterized and dunked my SN with the 318. It took a few cranks to start, but it did. I warmed it up, and it didn't feel quite right. Hole shot was slow and top end, mid 30's.

Put it back on the trailer and looked around and it died, but would start back up.

Plugs are good, I "stabilized" each cylinder, one wire at a time last fall. I put in new impellers, the water pump is running fine. Temp gauge was fine.

Last year I was having some trouble with the boat just dieing, so I replaced the coil, and thought that was it, but on last run of the year it did it once. But, even then the boat ran strong. Today, not so strong.

Thanks, Chuck

I do have an electronic conversion kit in it.

So, if you guys could be so kind as to run a list of diagnostics to check I would appreciate it.

Pete, I'm not sure that I have them. When I put the EI in the points were missing badly; it ran great with the EI. That's been about 4 years ago.

Would the EI cause "missing" or would it just quit.

Chuck

I think I do have a new cap, I'll try it, not sure about a rotor.

Chuck

Thanks Morfoot,

I'll put it one the list to check; this will be their third summer on the boat.

If I don't have time to look at it tomorrow its going to be at least another week.

Is it generally best to trouble shoot electrical first and then go to fuel? Which just now reminds me, I've got a screw in cannister fuel filter that I have not checked.

Chuck

MaddMarxx wrote: How old is the carb?

I was waiting for that question--supposedly was rebuilt before I got the boat. This is the fourth summer on it. Ran strong all last summer, except for the aforementioned coil and/or EI problem.

Chuck

62 wood wrote: When you say screw in fuel cannister,what kind is it? Its not the clear glass kind where the ends screw in and the element is replaceable is it?

It's the type of fuel filter that looks like an oil filter. Steve, it is idling, but not so smoothly, nor is it running at speed smoothly.

Thanks, I'm appreciative of these ideas. I should add, I am determined to have this old girl running great by the time GL roles around; I'm not wanting anyone to see those scary sights in the bilge.

Chuck

Thanks 79, I've picked up a new water seperator, hopefully I'll be able to find some time this evening to try it out. I filled the gas tank in the fall and put stabil in it.

When I took the old water seperator out this morning it had some dirt in it.

I'll use some carb cleaner, then I'm thinking of putting some sea foam in the tank--it seems to work wonders on my motorcycle carbs.

Chuck

Thanks Munday, the carb is an AFB Carter, I think what was typically used on the 318's

Chuck

Chuck, Glad you got it! You mentioning fogging each cylinder by removing th plugs has got me thinking about how many people use the method. I have always fogged down the carb with the engine running at a higher and higher throttle until it almost dies. I have always felt that with that method, everything in the fuel path gets a fogging. Any comments guys?

At least you only had 2 wires and not 4 off otherwise it would have run like the two brothers who thought they only had 4 plugs!

Pete, I too used your method of fogging. When I lived in Oregon, because the weather was so damp (except during Summer) in addition to fogging the carb, I would squirt a few shots of motor oil into the plug holes then disable the ignition and spin the motor over a few turns. I then would screw the plugs in loosely and put a couple of tennis balls in the exhaust pipes. Boy would she blow smoke when first fired up during the spring.