MtCarmelBugMan Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Well I took my boat out when the warm weather finally got here. I had been out several times in the cold but was excited about the spring bite. I put in at TVA Dam ramp on Boone and ran up to Sunny's. We were traveling about 35mph just taking our time because of all the trash in the water. After we fished there a while we decided to run back down a ways and the water was pretty clear so I opened up the throttle. After about 1500 ft the boat just shut off like it was out of fuel. I knew that was not the case so I pumped the bulb up and took off again. The same thing happened. We limpped back to the ramp and loaded up. My first thought was fuel filter. I picked one up along with some new plugs and put them in that night. The filter was pretty dirty so I was pretty sure I got it fixed. I went out for a testrun and it took off great, ran about 3000ft and shut down. I knew it was a fuel problem so I was thinking of all the possibilities. I rebuilt the lift pump,removed the seats and cleaned the pick-up screen in the tank, and ran a pressure test on the fuel line to check for a small hole. Everything seemed to be in order so off to the lake I went. It did the same thing again. After that I decided to hand the project over to Watson's. After several tries they finally found the 2 causes. It took them a while to figure it out because when they would replace one part the other would cuse the problem. To make the long story short if you have a mercury motor the grey hose that runs from the primer bulb to the lift pump can seperate inside and collapse. You can not detect this from the outside and the hose will look fine. Ethanol can also cause the plastic that the lift pump is made of to become somewhat brittle and crack. You can't see it but trust me it will be there if you look really hard. The pump and diaphrams will look normal but it will not pump correctly. Just a note to try to save you guys some time and money if your boat does this. Aaron treated me right at Watson's so I have absolutely no gripes there but I missed alot of spring fishing. If you run into these symptoms replace the grey fuel line with a black rubber line and buy a new lift pump not a rebuild kit. The new pump is about $40 more than the kit but man is it worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 man this new gas is killing engine after engine.... glad you are back up and going again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Sorry to hear about your misfortune, good to hear your up and running My boat hasn't been out of my garage since last September, I hope it still runs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIGSTICK Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 I had the same problem out of my yammy. Same exact symptoms, stopped at the Shell gas station on 25e where I-81 crosses, filled up, and dumped the fuel pump on Douglas later that day. Cost me $1000 and missed 2 months of spring fishing. Watched the mechanic pump 50/50 fuel to water ratio out of the tank. So I've got a fuel water filter, stabil ethanol treatment, and new fuel filters every 6 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker1861 Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 That stuff is wicked for sure. I really wished more gas stations would offer just the regular gas without the ethanol. There are a few around here but all of them are not in my direction to either Cherokee or Douglas. Glad to see you back up and running Shannon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stump9000 Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 So far I have never put ethanol gas in mine and hope I don't ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worm Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 I hate that in the gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softbaitmaker Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 I'm looking for them to increase the amount they are now using by next year unless November brings us a miracle. It is my understanding that Mr. Obama made it a point visit both of the Ethanol Plants we have manufacturing it last month and a week later the price of Ethanol went up 20% to the Oil Companies. Shortly after that the price of Corn went up 20% which in turn sent the price of corn up to farmers that raise beef, hogs and Chickens for market and that is why the price of all three meat products has doubled in the last month. All of this took place during the same period of time he ok'd the oil companies to begin drilling in the gulf. On the very first rig that strikes oil the rig unexplainably explodes. Obama does not react or respond to the problem in the gulf after the explosion for almost a week personally. He lets his Press core do all the talking for him. Nuff said........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie De Vera Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 man i got bad news this past friday when i put gas in my boat.. as most of ya'll know i got a mercury racing 250XS and i gotta run 93 octane... well i was running non ethanol until friday.. the gas station was the only one in GREENE COUNTY that had 93 octane non ethanol and now they dont.. me off... shannon and you other greene countians know where im talking about.. creekside market on asheville hwy... now i guess its back to BP for gas for both truck and boat.. this change in gas is going to take the motor a while to adjust.. i just hope i can keep the ethanol from eatin it up cause i done had to have the motor rebuilt two months after buying it from a piston detonation... politicians can't help us out could they?? anywho, enough jabbering.. GLAD YOU ARE BACK ON THE WATER SHANNON!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassinHomer Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Yeah when I bought my rebuilt motor this year they found a crap ton of water in the gas tank, thye said Ethanol per se' isn't a bad fuel but it attracts moisture, but they also said the pput a new fule line on and I doubt that haha.There are at least 3 gas stations around where I live/Fish that have switched from %100 gas to Ethanol. What I don't understand is how the Government claims to be encouraging people to "Go Green" and they keep increasing the amount of Ethanol which is nowhere near as fuel effiecient as plain gas and the emissions are worse than regular gas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Based on a bunch of articles on BBC, the correct fuel line to put on is from mercury. It is gray with BLUE writing. I'm sure other engine manufacturers have their own version. The cost is pretty high, about $3.50/ft, but alot cheaper than any fuel related repair. I replaced the line from the bulb to the motor and am waiting on the delivery of the line from the tank to the bulb and a new bulb. Just my research Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb76 Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 I am about afraid to try to start my boat. It has been since last fall and since all of my batteries are shot it hasn't been started yet. I have been putting the blue/green stabil in it everytime that I put gas in and maybe a little extra so I hope that it will still run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtCarmelBugMan Posted May 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Good luck Mike if you need some help just give me a yell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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