Inshore Worst opening day ever? Plus no fishing

[jsquez]

woke up 230 got the boat hooked up left around 340. Got to shelter island around 730. Got the boat backed in the water and here comes the beginning of the problems.. motor did not want to stay running so we pulled it out went to check the spark plugs and I found out I did not have the right spark plug socket. Disconnected the boat waited until west marine opened got new spark plugs and a socket… put in the new plugs quik started it and it started perfect… put it back in the water and the same shit.. would start and die. One of my batteries seemed weak.. headed back to west marine got 2 batteries.. now I’m around minus 340.00 get them in couple cranks and she’s running. Started to head out… just about to get on plane (this boat has those stupid volvo trim tabs) for some unknown reason the starboard side is now stuck down… so I back off and motor dies again.. ended up putting the trolling motor down and headed back to the ramp… called BoatUS they have been taken my money for sometime now and I’ve never used them. So I decided to have them help me push the boat back on the trailer.. I noticed a lot of the boats that were launching with us in the morning were already getting out of the water before noon.. so to try to keep the ramp moving I went to the far right of the ramp to stay out of everyone’s way. they get my boat pushed on my trailer. Take off and when I was going up the ramp it was so slick my truck and trailer slid off the side…

Called boatus again and they started to say they couldn’t cover it.. I was thinking what else could go wrong. They finally called me back. Guy showed up About a hour later.. I was able to back up enough to float the boat then pulled the trailer out they reloaded my boat and I called it a day..

I guess the one positive note fish and game was handing out a pretty cool full sheet laminated rock fish Id chart.

I’ll get the boat to a shop and get them next time…

 

[John S.]

Sorry man. That does suck. Is your outboard a two stroke or 4?

John

 

[jsquez]

2

 

[hucklongfin]

Wow, my day could’ve sucked big time and still be better than your’s. Better luck next time!

 

[Blackmagic]

Ouch. Sorry for the rough day.

 

[JK155]

Sucks sir. Way to salvage the day and not sink the boat with no motor and trim tab issues. Sounds like a fuel system issue to me but lots of smarter guys will hopefully chime in.

 

[Hismosa]

Usually when people get the trifecta it's yellowtail, white sea bass, and halibut. Maybe that's in your near future as you definitely paid your dues.

 

[Spoons]

Did you do all your preseason maintenance?

As a fellow Seacraft owner, I’m glad you didn’t ruin the boat on the ramp.

Some days you’re the dog and some days you’re the tree. Consider this a good shake down to get the cobwebs off.

 

[Ahkhuang]

Trolling motor have its own battery? Would check alternator and fuel system first.

 

[jsquez]

Trolling motor have its own battery? Would check alternator and fuel system first.

Trolling motor has 3 group 27 motor has 2 group 24s…

 

[jsquez]

Did you do all your preseason maintenance?

As a fellow Seacraft owner, I’m glad you didn’t ruin the boat on the ramp.

Some days you’re the dog and some days you’re the tree. Consider this a good shake down to get the cobwebs off.

This is we’re the dumbass and never learn my lessons come into play… it was supposed to be done from the broker I bought it from… you seen my thread… the trailer speaks for the trust I have in them.. but I did do a fluid check and the impeller was great shape. Been running it at house in a barrel and on the hose with no issues..

I don’t no if the gas went bad as I was having my cousin put gas in it months ago because in North Carolina the gas was at least 2 dollars a gallon cheaper. I wasn’t sure what was in it when he picked it up or how long it was in there and that never crossed my mind. when I went to top it off Friday I was expecting it to take at least 200 and it only told 27…

 

[Goldfishy]

Check your fuel filter for water or just replace them.

Go to Wallymart and toss in a bottle of the blue stuff - Star Tron fuel treatment.

While it may not be the problem, but seeing how the gas tank has been sitting for awhile it can’t hurt.

 

[SandyClaus]

Sorry bro, rough day, but it sounds like you handled it like a pro

 

[John S.]

Sorry man. That does suck. Is your outboard a two stroke or 4?

Johni

I am not a mechanic. But had a 2 stoke For quite a while. Sounds like fuel issue. If replacing your fuel filter does not do it then you might have to clean out the carbs. I would install a water fuel separator. Use an additive in your fuel to help mitigate the impact of the ethanol. Always top off your gas tank after every trip.

John

 

[efx]

Been there many times. You handled it like a champ. Here is my two cents. Buy a new 200 hp four stroke. Mount it. Add an on deck 24 gallon fuel tank. Plumb it. Isolate a starting battery and a separate house battery ( which you just bought). Get an onboard battery charger and make sure it is always plugged in. If you don’t have power get a solar panel at least to trickle charge the batteries. This way you won’t be chasing carbs, fuel, electrical, etc. the season is early and there is deals on outboards. Shoot me a PM if you need some help, I’m a part timer in JT. Also, with all this rain you probably have water in your fuel. It’s surprisingly easy for water to make its way into old fuel tanks. And it’s been raining in 29. Also, keep the boat titled well so it drains well.

 

[Hismosa]

Been there many times. You handled it like a champ. Here is my two cents. Buy a new 90 hp four stroke. Mount it. Add an on deck 12 gallon fuel tank. Plumb it. Isolate a starting battery and a separate house battery ( which you just bought). Get an onboard battery charger and make sure it is always plugged in. If you don’t have power get a solar panel at least to trickle charge the batteries. This way you won’t be chasing carbs, fuel, electrical, etc. the season is early and there is deals on outboards. Shoot me a PM if you need some help.

Only problem is he needs a 300hp on that boat.

 

[efx]

Only problem is he needs a 300hp on that boat.

I just looked at the beam and previous thread. Yes it needs more power since it’s a 23’, I thought it was a 20’. A 200 minimum would make a 23’ useable with the right prop. Reply revised. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Oblivious1]

If your not mechanically inclined your at the mercy of the mechanics and the only thing they care about is making easy money but for the exception of a very few. I'm sure they exist but after forty years of owning boats I've yet to meet a single one but have seen many including myself totally ripped off. The number #1 issue is fuel fuel and more fuel. Gas has a shelf life of about 4-6 weeks and you must have a fuel stabilizer but make sure to add it while the engines running or it does not get into to fuel system as old fuel quickly turns to into varnish and gums up everything.

Next is the fuel filter and if you don't have an external fuel filter you're just asking for trouble, heck I've seen some who have two external fuel filters and many of today's modern marine engines have two to three internal fuel filters and these all should be changed at the very least every 100 hours. IMHO if one is at the mercy of the alleged mechanic AKA parts changers they would be better suited fishing party boats or private charters, with no insults intended I hope the helps.

 

[walter heim]

I have chased outboard problems for decades with older engines. Finally bought an etec. Likely a fuel issue. An inline filter with a water separator is a good idea, although I have issues with them also trapping air. One trick I used to do was to disconnect the fuel line and drain a portion. Then, spray carb/injector cleaner into the line and reconnect. The pulse of pure cleaner helps keep the carb or injectors clean (depending on what you have). Running injector cleaner with you fuel periodically is also a good idea. I usually let the tank get low before I add some so the mixture is more concentrated. The fuel pump could also be the issue. Mine has a low pressure and a high pressure pump. When the high pressure pump died, I was dead in the water. I also had problems with power packs and coils on the old engines. They would be intermittent. I would do all the fuel stuff first. If you still have problems and if your motor has a computer, I would take it to a mechanic and see if there are any codes logged on the computer. Also, if your motor has injectors, the plugs need to be clocked correctly. My 2 cents.

 

[karlow]

Sounds about right, check all of the fuel line clamps as well.

 

[walter heim]

One more thing, the older engines are not compatible with high ethanol fuel. Supposedly erodes the seals.

 

[DH10]

I sold my older 2 stroke last year, but with some simple maintenance, they are usually pretty reliable (if a bit smokey). When I bought it, it had been sitting for a long time, and had old gas in the tank. Ran like shit. I drained the tank and brought it to a mechanic to have the carburetors cleaned. After that I ran only ethanol free gas unless I absolutely knew I was going to burn through all the fuel in the tank quickly. The carburetors never needed to be cleaned again in the 16 years I owned that boat. I religiously disconnected the fuel line and ran the gas out of the carburetors EVERY time I pulled the boat out of the water. With no gas sitting in the carburetors, they never got varnished, and the thing was very reliable and bulletproof. The worst thing for those engines is to sit around not being used with old fuel sitting in them...

 

[Beaumont Glass & Door]

Hopefully all that Badd JuJu will cover the entire season.

 

[Killin Time]

If it kept running until you let off the throttle, maybe the lifter/ diaphragm pump on the side of the crank case? If the lifter pump is going out, the higher RPMs would help it out. The rebuild kits are relatively cheap. Racor water separator is a must. It takes a massive amount of hours to ware out spark plugs. They get fouled by carbon and oil. Clean them off with a wire brush and place them in a sonic cleaner. Good as new=)

 

[jsquez]

I should probably move this to a different section… maybe after I test some things.. It’s a efi so no carbs… pulled the plugs and they were wet… looked it up and said it could be water in the fuel system.. my question is if I hook up a 5 gallon tank to test do I need to premix the gas or will the auto oil still work?