OMC 1.8l V4 seadrive quit

[ARERHODES]

Yesterday, after running at high rpm for approx 30 min, motor stuttered then lost power. Picked up power for another few min, then sputtered out. After engine was off, bulb needed priming. Motor would not turn over after several attempts. Finally, after the 8-9 attempt, motor turned over after priming bulb, and pumping throttle in neutral. Ran for another 10 min or so as I limped back to the ramp. Motor died out again at low RPM, would not start, would turn over but not start.

Carbs have not been cleaned yet this year. Boat is a 1987 V20 with a 87 1.8L OMC Seadrive. New plugs installed this year, only have an hour or two since the problems. My guess is a fuel delivery problem/obstruction. This happened yesterday evening and have not had time to start investigating.

Any ideas on where to start?

[Slightly_Twisted]

Start with the simple things first.

How old is your primer ball. if it more then 7-10 years replace it. Pump it until it's hard and leave it. How long will is stay hard?

Check you fuel filer and water separator. Replace if old/dirty

If the primer ball & filters are ok. Unhook the gas line from the engine and pump the primer ball to see how if you get a good flow. If not, your fuel line is clogged.

When was the last time your carbs had cleaned, and how did you store them?

[THEFERMANATOR]

From the soundsof your description, it sounds like you said it locked up as you say the engine wouldn't actually turn over until it sat and cooled for awhile. If that's the case, I would bepulling the plugs and looking for aluminum on them, then doing a compression test. Speaking from personnal experience, the early small bore loopers have to be perfect, or else they'reknown to run lean, stick a piston, and lockup. Sounds like ypu had some warning, and you should have let out of it when it 1st lost power on you. If it did indeed not physically turn over, check the cylinders for aluminum as you most likely had a piston stick on you. Now if the engine turned over but just wouldn't fire, then check your fuel and kill circuit out.

[ARERHODES]

Checked the Old primer bulb and it had an air leak. Cut fuel line flush and installed new primer bulb. Also checked fuel filter, it was clean but blew out the lines clean anyways. Took off intake and found that one of the carbs was leaking fuel, bad float?, ordered rebuild kit with the float from Crowley marine. Will restart after carb is repaired. Priming the fuel system resulted fuel leak at the carb, don't want to literally burn the motor up..

[phatdaddy]

Was motor locked up or just not starting. BIG difference. Are you running premix or vro?

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

Was motor locked up or just not starting. BIG difference. Are you running premix or vro?

What he said. That's why I asked above. If it locked up, quit wasti,g your time with carb kits and primer bulbs and find out what locked up. It makes no sense to dump money into an engine that may be toast.

[ARERHODES]

Still running VRO. Not locked up. Yesterday she started up, ran at idle then choked out. Sounded like she was fuel starved. That's when I discovered the bad primer bulb.