RollerCoastr
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2007
- 3,884
- Boat Info
- 1997 400DA
340HP 7.4 Mercruiser Bluewaters
Garmin 741, 742, 8212, 24HD, Intellian I2
- Engines
- 1999 280BR
Twin 250HP Merc 350 Alpha Ones
454 Bluewater Mercs. These have an electric fuel pump mounted up high by the ECM, and the notorious mechanical pump that shares the water pump shaft.
I was just outside of my marina and ready to throttle up when port stalled. It would restart, but only run for ~5 seconds.
I returned to the dock in high winds on the stbd engine. (which includes a turn to stbd into the fairway and another into the slip!) It only took 2 shots of vodka to get my hands to stop shaking, but I got her into the slip on the first approach. With any luck I looked cool from a distance.
I took a lot of 5 footers to the beam on the last trip home, so while my tanks tend to stay clean, logic pointed to clogged filters.
I manually fill new filters in routine maintenance, but this time I spun them on dry and cycled the ignition a dozen times to see if the electric pumps would fill them. Not a drop, but I don't know if that's normal or not?
The engine continued to fire, then stall. After ~10 tries or so, it stopped firing, so I assume the filters are empty again.
I carry replacement upper-ends to for the mechanical pumps, so I'll start there, but I'm not convinced that's the issue. I bought those parts not because I've ever heard them failing to pump fuel, but because they tend to leak fuel into the lower housing and dilute the gear oil for the cam. Does the internal diaphragm fail?
The other suspect would be that electric pump... I cycled the stbd engine for comparison - they both make the same sounds. I meant to try the same dry filter experiment on the stbd engine, but I had company on the boat and never got around to it.
thoughts?
I was just outside of my marina and ready to throttle up when port stalled. It would restart, but only run for ~5 seconds.
I returned to the dock in high winds on the stbd engine. (which includes a turn to stbd into the fairway and another into the slip!) It only took 2 shots of vodka to get my hands to stop shaking, but I got her into the slip on the first approach. With any luck I looked cool from a distance.
I took a lot of 5 footers to the beam on the last trip home, so while my tanks tend to stay clean, logic pointed to clogged filters.
I manually fill new filters in routine maintenance, but this time I spun them on dry and cycled the ignition a dozen times to see if the electric pumps would fill them. Not a drop, but I don't know if that's normal or not?
The engine continued to fire, then stall. After ~10 tries or so, it stopped firing, so I assume the filters are empty again.
I carry replacement upper-ends to for the mechanical pumps, so I'll start there, but I'm not convinced that's the issue. I bought those parts not because I've ever heard them failing to pump fuel, but because they tend to leak fuel into the lower housing and dilute the gear oil for the cam. Does the internal diaphragm fail?
The other suspect would be that electric pump... I cycled the stbd engine for comparison - they both make the same sounds. I meant to try the same dry filter experiment on the stbd engine, but I had company on the boat and never got around to it.
thoughts?