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View Full Version : Engine cutting off repeatedly first hour of operation



gusanthony
08-18-2008, 07:37 PM
Need help figuring out why everytime I start my 2004 Moomba it constantly cuts off for the first hour. Can't even get 200 yards. I am mechanicalyy inclined and have found out that the fuel pump cuts off for some reason or the fuel supply is cut off. Once i use for about an hour the problem goes away. Does anyone have any suggestions or answers. I have had this for 4 years and have never had a problem. This summer has been a nightmare! Collapsed boat lift, blown engine in jet ski and now my Moomba. Can anyone HELP ME?

Has anyone had any problems with 10% ethanol gas???

Sled491
08-18-2008, 08:01 PM
Can't help you with the cutting out, but I can tell you that in WI we have always had the ethanol blended fuels and I have never had a problem. Not with my Outboards or My Inboard.

JesseC
08-18-2008, 08:02 PM
What engine package are you running?

gusanthony
08-19-2008, 09:45 AM
Indmar, 310 Horses

gcombe74
08-19-2008, 10:44 AM
replace the fuel pump? have you changed the fuel filter? my approach is simple.. start with the least expensive part in the mix.... filter... then pump. maybe spark plugs as well... what do they look like? are they burning right? meaning if you suspect fuel issue... look at your plugs, they can tell you how your boat is running. rich , lean, hot ext...

JesseC
08-19-2008, 03:37 PM
When it dies, have you removed the carb cover and manually worked the butterfly to see if it squirts fuel? If it does not, then you are definately correct with the fuel problem, however if it does squirt fuel, I had a similar problem a long time ago with a girlfriends Dodge Daytona. I fought that car tooth and nail. It would run then just shutoff at random. Like to drove me crazy. Ended up being the "pickup" module in the distributer. It seems like your problem goes away when something has expanded due to heat and the boat becomes "happy". I do not think these modules are very expensive and I carry an extra one in my boat just in case. It is one of the few things on the carb engines that you can not fix with some duct tape and a hose clamp. Have you also checked the cap and rotor? When was the last time they were replaced? Standard things to carry (Found in a box under my helm) for a carb boat for those "crap we are in the middle of the lake and it is 30 minutes before sunset" are: Extra cap, rotor, pickup module, impellar, various hose clamps, fuel filter, fuel pump, thermostat and duct tape. All of these itemes are ALWAYS on my boat. So if you start by replacing the fuel pump as suggested above and it does not fix the problem, just put it in the spare box under the helm!! Another possibility may be the floats are sticking and when the bowl heats up enough they move freely. This may be a fun one to track down. Good luck. I would also start with the fuel filter first.

zabooda
08-19-2008, 04:45 PM
Probably the pump. When the pump fails, check the wiring at the pump with a voltmeter. If you have 12 volts and the pump is not running then pitch the pump.

gusanthony
08-19-2008, 06:20 PM
When it dies, have you removed the carb cover and manually worked the butterfly to see if it squirts fuel? If it does not, then you are definately correct with the fuel problem, however if it does squirt fuel, I had a similar problem a long time ago with a girlfriends Dodge Daytona. I fought that car tooth and nail. It would run then just shutoff at random. Like to drove me crazy. Ended up being the "pickup" module in the distributer. It seems like your problem goes away when something has expanded due to heat and the boat becomes "happy". I do not think these modules are very expensive and I carry an extra one in my boat just in case. It is one of the few things on the carb engines that you can not fix with some duct tape and a hose clamp. Have you also checked the cap and rotor? When was the last time they were replaced? Standard things to carry (Found in a box under my helm) for a carb boat for those "crap we are in the middle of the lake and it is 30 minutes before sunset" are: Extra cap, rotor, pickup module, impellar, various hose clamps, fuel filter, fuel pump, thermostat and duct tape. All of these itemes are ALWAYS on my boat. So if you start by replacing the fuel pump as suggested above and it does not fix the problem, just put it in the spare box under the helm!! Another possibility may be the floats are sticking and when the bowl heats up enough they move freely. This may be a fun one to track down. Good luck. I would also start with the fuel filter first.
I have checked the carb after it cuts off and it does not pump gas. I have been told that their are other things that cut the pump off when they sense something wrong such as low oil pressure which could mean the oil pressure switch is bad.

gusanthony
08-19-2008, 06:23 PM
replace the fuel pump? have you changed the fuel filter? my approach is simple.. start with the least expensive part in the mix.... filter... then pump. maybe spark plugs as well... what do they look like? are they burning right? meaning if you suspect fuel issue... look at your plugs, they can tell you how your boat is running. rich , lean, hot ext...

I have replaced the plugs and checked them and they are burning fine. It is definitely fuel starved when it cuts off. I try to manually pump fuel and looked in the carburetor and nothin is coming out of the jets!

gusanthony
08-19-2008, 06:24 PM
When it dies, have you removed the carb cover and manually worked the butterfly to see if it squirts fuel? If it does not, then you are definately correct with the fuel problem, however if it does squirt fuel, I had a similar problem a long time ago with a girlfriends Dodge Daytona. I fought that car tooth and nail. It would run then just shutoff at random. Like to drove me crazy. Ended up being the "pickup" module in the distributer. It seems like your problem goes away when something has expanded due to heat and the boat becomes "happy". I do not think these modules are very expensive and I carry an extra one in my boat just in case. It is one of the few things on the carb engines that you can not fix with some duct tape and a hose clamp. Have you also checked the cap and rotor? When was the last time they were replaced? Standard things to carry (Found in a box under my helm) for a carb boat for those "crap we are in the middle of the lake and it is 30 minutes before sunset" are: Extra cap, rotor, pickup module, impellar, various hose clamps, fuel filter, fuel pump, thermostat and duct tape. All of these itemes are ALWAYS on my boat. So if you start by replacing the fuel pump as suggested above and it does not fix the problem, just put it in the spare box under the helm!! Another possibility may be the floats are sticking and when the bowl heats up enough they move freely. This may be a fun one to track down. Good luck. I would also start with the fuel filter first.

Where is the fuel filter located?

JesseC
08-19-2008, 11:27 PM
Where is the fuel filter located?

Should be about 3 feet before the fuel pump on the port side at the bottom of the bilge. It is a standard inline 3/8 fuel filter. Here are some part numbers you can use. If you have not changed this before, then you may have a simple fix on your hands. With the ethanol acting as a solvent in our tanks a lot of "stuff" is ending up in our fuel filters which is causing a lot of people issues.

AC Delco GF482
Hastings GF112
WIX 33482

http://catalog.hastingsfilters.com/PartImages/GF112.jpg

O.D. : 2 9/32 (57.9)
Inlet : 3/8
Outlet : 3/8
Length : 5 1/4 (133.4)

JesseC
08-19-2008, 11:29 PM
There is also some type of check valve somewhere that controls vapor, someone wrote about it a while back, but did not say where it is located. They commented that it was full of gunk and they cleaned it. Maybe someone will chime in...I would like to clean mine, but I am not sure where it is. I will look this weekend and see if I can find it.

byronkoz
08-20-2008, 03:35 PM
I had the same problem recently. Replace the fuel filter with the one like Jesse posted (wix brand) and no more problem.