AQ125A black sooty residue

"We have an '85 AQ125A in

"We have an '85 AQ125A in a Capri Bowrider that by any standards has been a low-use boat since we purchased new. In fact, it was in storage for near 5 years until we started using again this season. The engine has never smoked and uses no oil between changes, however even when new we would have a sooty residue left on the outdrive and transom area at the water line after each outing. After a recent week-long houseboat vacation with the boat in use everyday, the sooty residue was much more prevelent. Based on others' experience, I assume this means the carb is set too rich. However, I also noticed the same sooty black in the engine oil after a week of skiing and tubing (about 20 hours of running). The engine ran great except for a short time after running at low idle while fishing. Is the black in the oil also the result of too much fuel in the carb setting or is it indicative of something more serious?"

Might be running rich and migh

Might be running rich and might need a carb rebuild after sitting for 5 years. Some lakes leave a darker "bathtub ring" as well. Might also be that the rings developed some corrosion and aren't haven't completely sealed after sitting for so long. Make sure your breather and hose are clear and unplugged.

Sometimes it takes 20 to 30 hours of running to get the rings to reseat if that's the problem.

"Thanks for the reply. I chang

"Thanks for the reply. I changed the oil/filter yesterday and we plan on going out today for some skiing. I'll recheck the hose. I have not touched the carb settings except for upping the idle a bit w/the throttle stop. However, I think the marine service who removed the old gas and got it running after the extended layup probably messed with the other carb adjustments and may have increased the richness. He readily admitted not having much knowledge of this carb and did not run it under load as I have since returning to the water. The carb, actually everything except for recent impeller replacement and bellows replacement many years ago, is original 1985 equipment. This toy has spent way too much time sitting on the shelf but we are once again enjoying it so we hope it holds together for a while longer. Thanks again for your perspective and advice."

After that long you really sho

After that long you really should look at a complete tuneup. At the very least check timing and dwell and put in new points and plug wires since they deteriorate over time.

Complete lube job and filter change would also be in order - Don't forget the primary shaft bearings.

It's much cheaper to do all the preventative maintenance BEFORE things break. Actually - glad to hear that it's up and running after all that time sitting. Just keep a very close eye on things to look for possible problems.

"You are so right on all accou

"You are so right on all accounts. Changed the oil and filter and we took the boat out on a local freshwater lake on the north Oregon coast yesterday for a couple hours of skiing and all worked fine except for a little coolant "ooz" from the pressure cap. I added some while we were in C. Oregon a week ago and may have overfilled. Pressure cap is new 4# per spec.

In all the years we've owned the boat, I had it "tuned up" once when it was about 5 years old by the dealer I bought it from and was not happy with the result -- it ran rough and would not idle right after plugs, points, etc -- so I never did it again. So..it's basically had one tune up since new in 1985. I do change the oil and filter very frequently (twice a season regardless of the little use) and have had the bellows replaced once several years ago, and changed the impeller in the seawater pump twice - last time two weeks ago.It looked fine, I just figured it stood a good chance of failure after a five-year-sit in "dry-dock." In addition to the items you mentioned, I also plan to have the toothed belt changed before it fails as I hear that can cause major damage inside the engine. I have lubed all of the grease fittings, however I am not familiar with the "primary shaft bearings" you mentioned -- where are those and how are they serviced? Any other words of advice to keep us going?"

"It's good to hear that yo

"It's good to hear that you're able to have fun with the boat.
The primary shaft grease fill is either a grease cup or a zerk on the top of the bellhousing. It's hard to see and frequently gets missed.

One of the many concerns after sitting for so long is that seals may dry out and fail. Another thing to check is the outdrive oil level soon after shutdown to not only check level but also to check for water in the oil.

It won't hurt to slide the bellows back to check for water and general condition. Any rust on the u-joints is a bad sign. If you've got a qualified Volvo technician changing the timing belt for you, then you're off to a good start and he'll be much more qualified to help you out."

"Many thanks, again, for your

"Many thanks, again, for your williness to share experience, knowledge, & wisdom. While our boat has had a lot of love over the years, we could have undoubtedly put more into deeper maintenance. The oil and filter have had regular and frequent changes but the engine has had only one "tune up" since new and I was not all that happy with the results (idiled rough immediately after and was hard to start). The bellows were replaced once about 10 year ago and I plan to have them replaced this fall. The seawater pump impeller has been replaced a couple of times - including this summer. The drive oil level and color has never changed from looking new and fresh - no discolor, and so has never been changed - should it be changed regarless of apparent condition? I have lubed the grease zerts, but don't specifically recall the one you mention - I'll look for it. The most recent service tech and others have remarked at the great conditon to the boat is in and we hope to get a bit more use out of it so thanks again for your help. I will put your suggestions to good use.
"

"It allmost looks like a case

"It allmost looks like a case of "if it ain't broke - don't fix it" but periodic maintenance serves multiple purposes. If you're having the u-joints serviced and the bellows replaced anyway, the outdrive oil change only takes a few extra minutes and should really be part of winterization. One of the reasons you change the outdrive oil as part of layup is that you also remove any moisture so your lower gears don't sit in water over the winter. An experienced marine mechanic can spot issues long before they become problems - that's another reason for performing routine maintenance. Besides that oil does break down over time.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the tuneup but it really should be done to maximize the enjoyment of your boat. Having a breakdown on the lake or river isn't a whole lot of fun!

One of the senior forum members here is a Volvo mechanic and is just down the road from you if you're interested."

Thanks again for the tips and

Thanks again for the tips and advice. Do you have the name of the Volvo mechanic you referenced? I'm not at all opposed to driving some distance for good reputable service.

Look for any post by Ricardo a

Look for any post by Ricardo and click on his screen name for contact info.

"Sure enough, there's a gr

"Sure enough, there's a grease zert on the top of the bell housing. I've never put grease into the fitting (hopefully the service techs have done so over the years) so do you have any advice about what kind of grease and how much to shoot into the fitting? On other fittings (e.g., outside the drive pivot point) I simply use the same marine Lubri-Matic I use on the trailer wheel bearings. Is that OK to use on this fitting as well?

On another topic more related to my original post, I removed the flame arrester and found it as wella s the top plate on the carb to be very wet with a black oily liquid. I'm assuming this has come up through the attached hose and is the cause of the sooty residue that ends up on the outside of the transome. Or...is this just the result of the carb settings being too rich? Any thoughts on that?"

"I've been using the "

"I've been using the "marine grease" from an auto parts store. Keep in mind, I'm not a marine mechanic - just a regular guy with an old boat who's learning how to keep it running . Some of the pros may recommend a different type of grease. I would just pump in 7 or 8 squirts from the grease gun. There's several inches of room between the bearing and rear seal so it's doubtful that you're going to hurt anything. I would really be looking at getting grease all the way down the passageway to the bearing and putting enough grease on the bearing surfaces themselves.

With the blowby problem, it's imposible to tell without compression and leakdown tests. Like I mentioned before, mine got better after running the motor at different RPM's for several hours. My first inclination would be that the rings haven't totally seated to the cylinder walls. Yes - the dark exhaust is typically an indication of a rich mixture but you've got infrequent operation in the equation as well. Here's the rub - you might have valve seal problems and you might have problems with the rings. If the rings don't seat, then it's something you're going to have to live with. It's not a bad idea to rebuild or have the carburetor rebuilt. At the very least, you probably won't hurt anything by adjusting the idle mixture.

In the mean time, I think I'd enjoy the boat until it's time for winterization. Then have a good marine mechanic take a look at things."