350 wont start...have idea, need opinions

Stewie85

Stewie85

New Member
May 19, 2010
17
Alabama
Boat Info
1990 Sundancer 220DA
Engines
5.7l Alpha I
I have a 1990 searay 220 with a mercrusier 350 that i attempted to start today for the first time of the season. It ran for about 5 minutes and stopped. Tried to restart and nothing. It cranks over fine and is getting gas to the carb, but apparently no spark. Over the winter i replaced the plugs, cap, rotor and wires. I ordered a new coil but am hesistant to put it on because on the casing it reads "use with external resistor" and the coil in it right now does not. I have spark going from the coil to the cap, but no spark coming out of the cap. Common sense tells me to replace the module inside the distributor but i wanted to get your opinions before i made this move. Aside from the coil the only other piece that would need to be replaced is the ignition module itself mounted on the exhaust elbow and that's upwards of $300 so i'm fingers crossed about the piece inside the distributor. Any ideas?
 
Could be bad gas! Was it stored with a full tank or not? Tanks that are not full can develop condensation.
 
No, it wasn't stored with a full tank which was a pretty bonehead move on my part :smt021 but that still doesn't explain why i not have no spark from the cap to the plugs. I used a spark tool from autozone between the coil and cap and had spark....then between the cap and a wire to a plug and no spark....then between a wire and plug and no spark again.
 
Oh, another note, i changed the fuel water separator after it stopped running and poured it into a glass container and found no water....not sure if this means the gas is good but no water sounds ok to me.
 
"I have spark going from the coil to the cap"
That means somethings producing spark.
"I have spark going from the coil to the cap, but no spark coming out of the cap. Common sense tells me to replace the module inside the distributor "
Module is what produces spark, so it may be a bad coil wire from coil to cap.
The coil you mention is for a points system that uses a "ballast resistor" to reduce the voltage at the points to keep them from burning.You need the coil for electronic ignitions.
 
I checked the connections and wires and all seem to be in decent condition. When i replaced the rotor i noticed the sensor had some corrosion on it so that could be what is causing the no spark. I'm still using the coil from last season but it'll get replaced after i get with the company that sent me the wrong one. The part number on the box is correct, but ovbiously the coil is wrong. probably mis-packaged...oh well. I went ahead and ordered the module, figured it couldn't hurt to replace it. Seems like just one thing after another...oh the joys of owning a boat :smt101
 
If you have spark going onto the cap and not out,the rotor or cap is bad.Did you remove the cap and check for corrosion or see if the rotor is bad or the cap burnt.I know this is probably not the problem but make sure the rotor is turning when cranking too.
 
The rotor and cap were replaced less than 2 weeks ago, but i did pull the cap off and check and there was no corrosion on either part. The rotor does spin with the distributor when the engine is cranked. With spark coming in but not out it only seems that the module inside the distributor could be at fault. There is some corrosion on it which is why i think it's to blame.
 
The rotors can burn through and is visible by a brown spot on the underside. If you replaced the cap and rotor then the module is most likely the problem. The distributor spins, the cap and rotor are new and you have ignition spark from the coil to the distributor.

Change the module.
 
Was the rotor and cap a matched pair? .... The rotor hasn't chewed up the center post of the cap? Some caps have a sprung loaded center posts that are good at falling out!
If you have spark coming out of the coil it would mean the module and coil are fine.
 
Ok, i got the module today and just in case i messed up the rotor taking it off i ordered an extra with the module. Replaced the module and with fingers crossed attempted to start the engine and.........nothing. Just cranking and no firing. At this point i was a little more than upset :smt013 so after a beer or three, i checked all the wiring again to make sure it was right and just for the hell of it i replaced the rotor with the one i got today.....tried it again.....and it fired right up. Runs better than ever now. The only thing i can think is somehow the rotor i was using went bad :smt017. Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys. Greatly appreciated!
 
Well we got up to Lake Eufaula and rented a slip for the weekend. Ran great. Cruised about 30 miles or so out and came back and putzed around a little. I noticed that after cruising for a while that when i put it in neutral or just keep the rpm's low to idle along that it wants to stall. It's like the engine pulses and to keep it alive i have to give it some gas. This lasts for about 4-5 minutes or so and then it goes back to normal. Does anyone else have this happen to them or is this a normal thing? I noticed it last season but didn't pay it much attention. So it ran great and yesterday we needed gas so i stopped in at the marina and got about 20 gallons and we went back out. About 10 minutes after getting gas it started running rough and didn't want to idle at all. We pulled it out and came back home, as it was time for us to leave. I just got done with the muffs in the driveway and same thing...does not want to idle and seems like it's pulsing from about 400 to 600 or so. I can keep it running if i give it some gas and even then it seems like it runs smooth for a minute and then i can feel it slow down and run rough for a little bit and then back to smooth. I'm thinking it's bad gas from the marina. Anyone else agree or have another idea? Is there something i can add to the gas like seafoam or something or would i be better off just pumping it all out and starting fresh? I just pulled the fuel filter and checked the fuel in it and don't see any water...i know seeing water is bad, but could it still be bad gas without having water in it? The price struck me as odd also, it was $2.87 at the marina and in town it's been over 3.25 for a week now. Weird, but it's usually more at a marina than in town.
 
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Sounds like bad gas and a filter problem.
Try replacing the filter and adding Stabil for Ethanol Gas.
If not get rid of the gas and start over.
Dan
 
Change the fuel filter for sure. Assuming yours is carbed, this also sounds like your choke is engaging for some reason. Pull the flame arrestor next time this happens and make sure the choke plates aren't closing.
 
I changed the fuel filter last weekend but i'm going to change it again since bad new parts seem to be my curse lately. I don't know too much about carbs, but yesterday i pulled the flame arrestor while it was running like you suggested and the two plates near the back of the engine were closed and the two smaller plates near the front were open about 1/4in. I'm guessing those would be the choke plates? It's supposed to rain today, but tomorrow i'll be able to get back into it. I did notice that the sight tube (not sure what's it's really called) going from the carb to the pump has fuel and air pockets flowing through it when it's running. Never paid attention to that before so i'm not sure if it's normal or not.
 
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I would suspect the fuel you put in. Sounds like you put the new 85% ethanol in the tank. With a carbureted motor this can be very bad. The seals in the carburetor may be affected.

Use some additives as other have stated and replace the filters.
 
When the engine is running and at normal operating temperature, the choke plates should be 100% open, or completely vertical. If they are not, often you can mechanically hold or pin the plates open and run the motor to see if the problem goes away.

Also, I don't think your fuel line from the pump should have air in it. You should probably check the hose and clamps between the tank and the pump.
 
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