Help Needed

[Gimpy]

I have a 1974 slickcraft with a Ford 302 188 Merccruiser. Ill be out tolling for 3-4hrs and on the way back into the dock running 1/2 throttle it will start puttering and stall out. Is this a fuel pump issue? Started doing this at the end of last season and want to get it fixed before I go out!

[wakina]

I have a 1974 slickcraft with a Ford 302 188 Merccruiser. Ill be out tolling for 3-4hrs and on the way back into the dock running 1/2 throttle it will start puttering and stall out. Is this a fuel pump issue? Started doing this at the end of last season and want to get it fixed before I go out!

Sounds like a moisture issue in the distributor, a lot of the older ford engines aquire that problem because there is a rubber seal that goes on the distributor shaft between the block and the bottom of the distributor and that sometimes fails and allows condensate from air that is sucked into the engines crank case to accumulate in the distributor cap from the leak that is caused by the failed seal, it is most noticeable at higher rpms. The longer you run the engine the more condensate that forms. If your crank case pcv vents or the flame arrestor are dirty or gooy then they cant help keep that condensate level in check as that restricts air flow out of the valve covers, the condensate is nomally sucked into the flame arrestor and into the carburator.

[Gimpy]

Thanks Wakina! I will check that

[ebijack]

Also, could be your coil. When going bad, as they get hot, they start to miss/fail. If it's your coil. Easy to check using an inductive timing light on each wire and coil wire. Look at the light while pulling the trigger, if the spark is good it will blind you. If it's weak it will be like a flashlight with low batteries. Also you'll see if your missing spark.

[aerocraftmach2]

Also, could be your coil. When going bad, as they get hot, they start to miss/fail. If it's your coil. Easy to check using an inductive timing light on each wire and coil wire. Look at the light while pulling the trigger, if the spark is good it will blind you. If it's weak it will be like a flashlight with low batteries. Also you'll see if your missing spark.

The same thing happened to my boat last year. I would run out in the morning when it was cool and it would run fine, on the way in when it warmed up it would cut out and spit and sputter. I thought it was a fuel problem, changed the fuel filter/water separater and would run better but then start again. finally changed coil and fixed problem.