How to test under load (dum question)

[drbarbara]

I am having problems with my ford 302 engine after changing the carb to a marine Holley. It will idle ok and will rev to 4000 in neutral but when in gear and I open the throttle it will start to rev and then "bog down". Because it is a pain in the neck to have to go to the marina in order to test the engine under load, is there any way of doing it on the trailer, like a tank of water or any other contraption.

Please help the newbie.

Thks

[spareparts]

other than using a prop shaft dyno, there isn't a way to load the engine. Check the accelerator pump function, with the engine off, have omeone pump the throttle while you're looking down the carb throat, you should see two streams of gas squirting into the throat everytime you pump the throttle, if it doesn't then theres something wrong with the carb. Check your timing, you probably have the automotive distributor based on all teh other auto accesories on your engine. Using a timing light, set the initial timing to 8 btdc, rev the engine on the hose and make sure the timing advances, the mark will move while being observed with the light on

[drbarbara]

This thing had a vacum assisted advance and the vacum was hooked up to the old truck carb. Now I am left without a vacum port to hook the distributor to. Can this be part of the problem, since there is no vacum in the hose it is not advancing the timing? Where should I look for a vacum port on the engine??

[spareparts]

the vacum pot will never operate on your boat as it will allways be under load, the only time a vacuum advance works is under light or no load. hate to tell you this, but your next step is to replace the distributor with a marine distributor. try ebasicpower.om they have complete retrofit kits.

Before you spend any more money on this thing, you muight want to do a compresion test, just to make sure your not throwing good money after bad.