alpentolic
New Member
- Jul 5, 2021
- 5
- Boat Info
- 1989 Bowrider 200
- Engines
- 3.0L Mercruiser Stern Drive
Hello, I said a bit more in my intro, but hoping to get a jump start on fixing a few bugs that have popped up in getting my '89 Bowrider 200 (Merc 3.0L) back to reliably running.
Picked it up from a good buddy who's dad had passed on a few years ago, he wanted it to go to a friend. It had been sitting for a good 2.5 years, although you could tell it had been cared for prior. The oil was still honey colored, plugs looked great.
- The starter and solenoid relay were bad so I replaced those.
- I couldn't figure out how to get the old fuel out and don't have a pump, so I filled the tank with new ethanol-free, put a little seafoam and some sta-bil marine in (I know, not a great solution).
- Replaced the fuel filter, it was an old stone style, put in a new paper style.
- Replaced Battery. Was still firing great but had a 2014 date on it.
- Checked all fuses.
- Coil was pretty rough looking so replaced it.
- Not sure if this model would have been points, but it has a Pertronix ignition unit under the cap now.
It started with a little encouragement, ran rough a few seconds while it flushed out the hoses and crud, then smoothed out. Do these 3.0L always shimmy so bad when starting up or at low revs? I checked the motor mounts, can't see anything wrong but it feels shaky until I get up over 1500 or so. Maybe I'm just spoiled by all those E-Tecs I ride with in other boats.
- Speedo gauge stopped working. could be related to the next issue but could be total coincidence. Need to check if the stern drive has a Piton tube that could be plugged. The speedo sensor has a chip in it but it was already there and it worked prior.
- Engine cut out going about 3500rpm with a few people on the boat, briefly, then back on for a while. I dropped the rpms and slowed down to a dock to check things out. Temp stayed around 145 deg. throughout the problem so I know the engine itself wasn't getting too hot. Voltage never wavered from 14v. From there it would start and run for a bit before abruptly cutting out again, eventually not starting at all, though the motor would spin up right away, once I let off the key it died. It did this for well over an hour till my buddy towed me back to the dock. When I got it home and let it sit for a few hours, it started right up again and ran great while I flushed the motor.
Gut tells me the Pertronix is tired, and needs replaced. I coated the underside of the plate with dielectric grease as recommended as a heat sink, but it didn't make a difference.
Here's my to-do list so far, and I'm hoping to get some guidance on what to add to it or what sticky's to follow:
- Check fuel sending unit in fuel tank
- Clean Piton Tube if there is one
- Pull carb and clean out jets/tubes
- check or replace oil pressure sensor
- Replace pertronix unit and match with coil
- Check grounds again, maybe even run a redundant ground from motor
None of the accessories work other than the horn, also. Fish finder, bilge, blower, etc. Nav lights did work but are no longer, even though fuses, battery and voltage are good. I did cut the harness to the old tape deck but it didn't appear to share any wiring with boat accessories.
I'll end the novel there, apologies. I just know how hard it is to offer opinions without all the info. I'm looking forward to digging into this thing and making it loved again, since it obviously was before. Thanks!
Picked it up from a good buddy who's dad had passed on a few years ago, he wanted it to go to a friend. It had been sitting for a good 2.5 years, although you could tell it had been cared for prior. The oil was still honey colored, plugs looked great.
- The starter and solenoid relay were bad so I replaced those.
- I couldn't figure out how to get the old fuel out and don't have a pump, so I filled the tank with new ethanol-free, put a little seafoam and some sta-bil marine in (I know, not a great solution).
- Replaced the fuel filter, it was an old stone style, put in a new paper style.
- Replaced Battery. Was still firing great but had a 2014 date on it.
- Checked all fuses.
- Coil was pretty rough looking so replaced it.
- Not sure if this model would have been points, but it has a Pertronix ignition unit under the cap now.
It started with a little encouragement, ran rough a few seconds while it flushed out the hoses and crud, then smoothed out. Do these 3.0L always shimmy so bad when starting up or at low revs? I checked the motor mounts, can't see anything wrong but it feels shaky until I get up over 1500 or so. Maybe I'm just spoiled by all those E-Tecs I ride with in other boats.
- Speedo gauge stopped working. could be related to the next issue but could be total coincidence. Need to check if the stern drive has a Piton tube that could be plugged. The speedo sensor has a chip in it but it was already there and it worked prior.
- Engine cut out going about 3500rpm with a few people on the boat, briefly, then back on for a while. I dropped the rpms and slowed down to a dock to check things out. Temp stayed around 145 deg. throughout the problem so I know the engine itself wasn't getting too hot. Voltage never wavered from 14v. From there it would start and run for a bit before abruptly cutting out again, eventually not starting at all, though the motor would spin up right away, once I let off the key it died. It did this for well over an hour till my buddy towed me back to the dock. When I got it home and let it sit for a few hours, it started right up again and ran great while I flushed the motor.
Gut tells me the Pertronix is tired, and needs replaced. I coated the underside of the plate with dielectric grease as recommended as a heat sink, but it didn't make a difference.
Here's my to-do list so far, and I'm hoping to get some guidance on what to add to it or what sticky's to follow:
- Check fuel sending unit in fuel tank
- Clean Piton Tube if there is one
- Pull carb and clean out jets/tubes
- check or replace oil pressure sensor
- Replace pertronix unit and match with coil
- Check grounds again, maybe even run a redundant ground from motor
None of the accessories work other than the horn, also. Fish finder, bilge, blower, etc. Nav lights did work but are no longer, even though fuses, battery and voltage are good. I did cut the harness to the old tape deck but it didn't appear to share any wiring with boat accessories.
I'll end the novel there, apologies. I just know how hard it is to offer opinions without all the info. I'm looking forward to digging into this thing and making it loved again, since it obviously was before. Thanks!
