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Mercruiser engine cuts out on the lake but runs and revs in neutral fine

betsea

New member
"I have a mercruiser 4.3L engi

"I have a mercruiser 4.3L engine. (SeaRay 180 BR w/ an alpha 1 drive) I just had it rebuilt and only have about 10 hours on it. The boat runs fine in neutral and revs nicely when not in gear. When I take it out on the lake and go over some wakes, the boat cuts out like someone grabbed the throttle and bulled it back to neutral. I then pull the throttle back to neutral, restart the engine, and take off fine. I had to do this about 4 times to get back to the dock (about ½ mile).

Sometimes just pulling the throttle back to neutral when the motor starts to cut out is enough to keep the engine running. I then give it more throttle and it runs fine for a bit (3 min) then does the same cycle over and over. I don’t know if this is because the boat is no longer bouncing up and down in the water, or if it has to do with a short in the throttle..or what..

When I put the boat in neutral and rev it runs and sounds fine, it only happens when I am moving on the lake.

I would appreciate any help someone can offer..this is a weird one for me, but probably an easy one for you experts out there..

Don"
 
check your shift cable adjustm

check your shift cable adjustment. could be overtravel activating the shift interrupt switch
 
"Thank you for your quick resp

"Thank you for your quick response, I will check that out today. I just had the shift cable replaced, could the mechanic not have tightened everything down enough??"
 
"cable should be adjusted in f

"cable should be adjusted in fwd gear, at full throttle. there is a little more travel after idle speed. if it's adjusted at idle speed, this extra travel can activate interrupt."
 
"Could there be water in the c

"Could there be water in the carb bowl or in the tank that when you run over waves is ingested and causes the motor to cut-out, and /or quit? Just wondering. JW in Dixie"
 
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