what does this itty bitty piece of pipe do

[Dignity]

The motor has been a little cantakerous of late, after some iddling and switching off it doesn't want to start again. She turns over but takes a lot of coaxing to get her going. Even giving more throttle when she decides she might fire up doesn't do sqaddly. Had a good look at her and found this missing piece of pipe on the leg. Does this supply some sort of back pressure and has it done any damage. The boat has done about 3 hrs offshore since it started playing up.

sam

[Spaniard_King]

OMG.. a broken FRET ;)

Nah mate, that looks to me to be a speedo tube which just picks up water pressure and through a tube running all the way to the dash indicates how fast ya goin... nuthin to wory about unles ya want the speedo to work otherwise just plug it off as it will spray water up at ya motor.

ya poor running maybe another problem

Garry

[Dignity]

Thanks Garry, the speedo hasn't woked for years so that part does not worry me as the GPS usually tells me how fast I am going. #What concerns me is that I just had the motor serviced recently and it is still displaying the same problem. #It is one of those problems all tradespeople hate, intermittent and impossible to replicate. #

sam

[Spaniard_King]

Sam,

They can be nightmares ::)

Have you tried choking it when this happens, just to isolate a fuel problem.. if she takes off its a fuel problem, if not its an elecy problem. Also is she hard to start ie you have to crank it allot before she fires

Garry

[baldyhead]

I had a similar problem some years ago and it confounded the experts. It was a 65hp suzuki. One day I was running on the auxilary trolling and when it came time to fire up the 65 I just took the fuel line from the aux and plugged it into the 65. The run home was perfect, no misses etc. When I flushed the donk it started first pop. On my next trip out I put the original hose back on the 65 and it wouldnt start and I had all sorts of problems again. Turns out it was the plastic one way valve in the bubble, it was allowing the fuel to drain back to the tank. Hope this is of some use. Now I have a question...How did you attach the printing to your foto ? cheers baldy

[Angla]

Wouldn't happen to have the choke stuck on would it.

Chris

[griz066]

Hi Baldy,
You just need to open the photo in paint shop or similar add your text then post it.
hope this helps.

[Dignity]

Baldy, just opened the pic in the default Paint software and did it there. Do have more powerful stuff but for what was needed this sufficed. The fuel line seems to be OK can pump it up till it is hard and it doesn''t drain away although it could be telling me porkies. Will replace the pump and see.

Garry, choking it doesn't seem to help. When she first starts to fire it just kind of dies and splutters. It is too intermittent eg last time after running around and then settling down for a few hours she didn't want to fire up. The previous time after the slow 6 knots running to the ramp at horizon shores went to collect the truck and she wouldn't start. Each time I check the bulb is hard with fuel.

Chris, don't think this is the problem as she just winds over and doesn't even look like firing. Probably took about 12 goes before she even thought of sputtering. Once you get an indication that she might start then in the next 3 or 4 goes she will fire up although reluctantly, have to really work the throttle. Suspect fuel may is the issue. I know there is no water in fuel as I have checked the separtor which has had 2 new filters in 6 months.

Maybe my fuel is old or contaminated, have a 200 L tank which I keep fairly well topped up. Does anyone know where you can get your fuel tested?

Sam

[baldyhead]

Thanks for that guys...baldy

[bigmack]

Just had trouble with the little motor and it was cantankerous to start, wouldn go wouldn go and then it fires up / revs and then dies.

It was a small piece of gunge that was holding the needle in the carby open and flooding it and then why you tried to get full throttle you couldnt - had the carb cleaned out and it was amazing the junk that came out. Going no problems and I know how to pull that little sucker apart myself and clean / service etc.

Could be this - the outboard mechanic said modern motors have a draw back in that they put more carbs on them and they run smaller jets and can be bloody difficult if you dont have clean fuel and connections. On my old motor I suspect the bayonet fitting (merc) that plugs straight into the motor - its a ball loaded by spring and gunge had congealed in and around the spring. I also put on a 13 dollar glass filter / in the fuel line just to be double sure.

Hope it helps
Phill

[familyman]

Sam I had a late 70s blue band 50 merc and I believe that this tube is the bottom section of a pushrod that locks a cam over the trim pin in reverse so that the motor doesny lift itself out of the water.If I am right your motor will not have electric trim/tilt.I would not worry about it ,reverse is overrated anyhow ;D
If it does then I got no idea :-?
About the coughing and farting I would firstly try a different fuel supply,if no good then check your plugs for even colouring,mine are normally mid brown and damp with fuel(merc 115 il6).
If once its running it wont pull under load then look to a fuel flow problem eg leaking carby bases,damaged crankcase etc.Actually just a thought have you or anyone pulled the leg off the motor?If so then if the gear shift rod did not go back correctly then you now may have a hole in the crankcase from the leg being forced back on . :o
This will give you same problems.
good luck
Cheers jon

[Panda]

Two most common basic things that stop a petrol motor are lack of spark or fuel.

Take your spark plug out and turn it over to see if you have a nice strong blue spark. If so. crank it over with the plug back in then take the spark plug out and see if it is wet with unburnt fuel. This simple procedure wont tell you the exact cause, but at least it will narrow it down a bit.

[Dignity]

Jon, the motor played up before the service so don't think it is the gear shift rod. The motor pulls well under load and the sparks are even coloured.

Phil, I am leaning towards your theory as I think it could be gunge, will check it out.

Panda, will give it a go this coming weekend as my fishing is stuffed due to a meeting re the coming Toyota Fraser classic with some mates, a wedding on sunday and the missus wanting a new garden built.

sam