BF 200 starving for fuel?

I added fuel half day later it wouldn't plane out. Found lp filter plugged: changed lp and hp filter's and seal's. Still wound not plane out just bogs down. I added a clear filter to ch for air and added filtration. found air bubbles about ever 5 seconds. Changed all fuel lines from tank to lp pump. no good Swapped out new primer buld for the old one (changed it out 3 months ago old one was stiff) It worked for another half day run plus 2 test runs. started acting up again and noticed lp filter on engine would not stay even half full at idle. Replaced lp pump (on engine)and water separator assembly and filter (on boat).
still can't get the lp filter to stay even half full after just idling. Rechecked all lines/clamps. Took housing from water separator and filter housing swapped out ran from portable tank still can't get filter bowl to stay full. If I can get the fuel to it the engine runs great. If anyone have any idea's? oh also it never did have a anti siphon valve in the take line

Have u had someone else squeeze primer bulb while attempting wot and getting on plane,if this works points to fuel pump malfunction.

You've done all of the typical things to fix it, so it's going to be a bug hunt. Try Johnny's recommendation, above, but since you said you have a new LP fuel pump, I doubt that is the problem. Some other thoughts...

1. Drain the VST.

2. Pull the fuel pickup tube in the fuel tank and make sure it's not clogged or partially clogged. Most have a screen on the end of the pick-up tube.

3. Under the high pressure fuel pump, there is a screen. Pull the HP pump, inspect and clean that screen, or replace if necessary.

chawk_man said:

You've done all of the typical things to fix it, so it's going to be a bug hunt. Try Johnny's recommendation, above, but since you said you have a new LP fuel pump, I doubt that is the problem. Some other thoughts...

1. Drain the VST.

2. Pull the fuel pickup tube in the fuel tank and make sure it's not clogged or partially clogged. Most have a screen on the end of the pick-up tube.

3. Under the high pressure fuel pump, there is a screen. Pull the HP pump, inspect and clean that screen, or replace if necessary.

Click to expand...

The VST drains fine no water or dirt. Haven't tried to pull it apart for a screen. Never tried pumping the bulb when it wouldn't plane out. Since I can't get the filter to stay even half full running at idle with the muff's on I don't even try taking it to the water. I ran it from a portable tank so I know the boat tank and all don't play into it but am just at a loss. Is there any vacuum valve's or regulators something in the system that can cause this? It really acts like an air leak or not letting it pump. Should the lp pump shoot out fuel continually or would there be times that it put out less the others (say one rotation shoots 4" next rotation shots 2")

OK, I forgot about the portable tank.

BTW: here is the link to a diagram of the HP fuel pump holder that has the screen in the bottom - part 29.

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/H.../BF225AK0 XA/VAPOR SEPARATOR ASSY./parts.html

Let's back up...

In your initial post you said: "I added fuel half day later it wouldn't plane out." How sure are you of the quality of that fuel? Is that the same fuel you used in the portable tank?

You also said: "Found lp filter plugged:" How did you determine that is was clogged? Was there sediment in the bottom of the bowl? Any water? If that filter was clogged, I would suspect that the on-board fuel/water separator would also be clogged. Did you check that?

You also said: "found air bubbles about ever 5 seconds." Where exactly did you place that clear in-line filter so that you could see the air bubbles? I would recommend getting a piece of clear plastic hose with the same inside diameter as your current fuel lines on the engine and use it to replace the line between the low pressure fuel filter and the low pressure fuel pump. Look for air bubbles under various engine speeds. Recognize that the air bubbles may not show up until the engines is at rather high rpm's. If you see the air bubbles, then start backing up, replacing the fuel lines one-by-one until you do not see the bubbles. That air leak could come from anywhere, including the seal on the LP fuel filter, the seal on the on-board fuel/water separator, the coupler where the fuel line plugs into the engine, the connecting hose on the external fuel/water separator, or the seal on the external fuel/water separator, or the connection where the fuel line connects to the fuel tank pick-up. A real off-the-wall possibility is a hole in the pick-up tube itself.

Have you tried to pull fault codes off of the ECU? If you have a problem with the IAT (Intake Air Temperature) sensor or the IAC (Idle Air Control) sensor, that would tell you. It's a fault code "10" or code "14."

To answer your other questions...


Yes, there are vacuum lines. I'll try to find the diagram. But the most obvious one, and the one easiest to get to is the vacuum line that attaches to the Inake Air Bypass (IAB) control, That's the large disk-like diaphragm that sets above the VST. The vacuum line plugs into the middle of that. I have no idea what the specs are for proper vacuum. However, if the vacuum was too low, I suspect it would throw and alarm and a fault code.

The low pressure pump will shoot out fuel every time the cam turns. You can actually unbolt it and work the cam arm manually to test it. You can test fuel pressure at the cover at the top of the HP fuel filter. There will be a pressure relief bolt there that will accept a fuel pressure gauge. Fuel pressure should be between 42 to 48 psi at idle, in gear with prop removed.

I got gas at a reputable station non ethanol high test to semi top off tank (35 gallons). Didn't have issues prior to this but did change primer bulb few months before old one was stiff. Went offshore half way thru trip (motor idling when sitting on spot). Middle of the trip it wouldn't pane out so we cut trip short. Found lp filter and bowl had small rubbery debris in it (seemed like a lot in filter) checked the fuel water separator had the same stuff in it. replaced filters, cleaned water separator. still no good. Added clear filter after primer bulb and could see air bubbles, started replacing lines, water separator housing and filters still getting air. Re replaced primer bulb and air seemed to all but stop. 2 test runs and another trip fishing all's good till mid day. Would not plane out. Found the lp filter and separator on the motor had a little more trash in them also lp filter was almost empty. (nothing big but cleaned and swapped out filter again this time replacing O rings on housings). Found the line between the boat and motor had a splice in it that was bad. Replaced line from bulb to water separator now is one section. Still cant get filter to stay near full with gas at idle more then a few minutes. Started eliminating water separator, filters and lines no good. Replaced lp pump and have same issue. Drained the VST nothing there, good flow. Ran from portable tank that I drained gas into and still can't get the bowl to stay filled even ran portable tank to bulb to just lp filter then the engine with swapping lp and water separator housing around. So I figure I have a sizable air leak that I can't find a bad new pump or something past the lp pump that won't let the gas in and am lost to try and find it. I don't know about codes but last year I did find the vacuum driven air plates inside the intake corroded in place and are operating normally and couldn't tell by the way the boat ran that there was anything wrong with them. Just noticed the lever on the vacuum unit didn't move when changing hp filter last year.

Thanks for the detailed clarification. That's helpful.

If you send an e-mail to me at [email protected], I will send you a one page write up on the proper procedure for pulling fault codes. However, if you have a fault code, you will USUALLY get an alarm, but not always.

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you do not have an air leak between the fuel tank and the LP fuel pump. Do the clear plastic hose procedure described in my previous post. Also, if the debris were in the LP filter, they will also be in the on-board fuel/water separator. That could be a reason that the LP filter bowl is not filling up. Pull that separator element, clean the bowl thoroughly and clean the filter element in clean gasoline, or alcohol. Dry with low pressure compressed air. If it's really clogged up, replace it.

If no air bubbles, then I suspect that some of the debris got past the LP fuel filter and possibly even the HP fuel filter. You need to check that HP fuel filter again and I would recommend pulling the HP fuel pump to inspect and clean the screen underneath. I sent the link to the diagram in my previous post. If the HP filter shows any signs of contaminants, change it.

Thanks this looks a lot more then I was hoping to get into. Is there normal parts needed to pull this apart and re install so I can get them prior to tearing things apart. Just to clarify I have all the air issues fixed from the boat side. I did clean out the water separator and even take it out of the loop and tried it with portable tank short line to bulb to lp filter to lp pump and its still not keeping the filter bowl near 1/2 full. What number screw was it to test the fuel pressure from that diagram?

Let me clarify - I want to make sure we are both talking about the ON-BOARD fuel water separator - not the external one mounted outside the engine. As the fuel line comes into the engine at the coupler, it first goes to an on-board fuel water separator. From there it goes to the low pressure fuel filter, and from there it goes to the low pressure fuel pump. If your engine is a 2006 model, or newer, the on-board fuel water separator will have a float in it and two wires coming out of the bottom. Is it the ON-BOARD fuel water separator that you bypassed using the portable tank? Either way, the filter element in there should be cleaned as described in addition to the low pressure fuel filter.

I don't think you can eliminate air getting into the fuel system unless you can definitively test the connection between the low pressure fuel filter and the low pressure fuel pump as described earlier. It sounds like that your test using the clear fuel filter was in the main fuel line after the priming bulb. As I said, there are plenty of other places where air can get in the fuel line - the coupler, the connections at the on-board F/W separator and the LP fuel filter, and the seals for those two devices.

Item 42 in the diagram I sent the link to previously, shows the 6 mm bolt where you can test fuel pressure. BTW, you need to remove that bolt to relieve fuel pressure if you are going to work on the HP fuel pump. Use shop rags or a wad of paper towels to soak up the fuel that will come out.

If you are going to pull the HP fuel pump you will need replacements for the two O rings - items 13 & 14.

While you are in there, I recommend that you pull and clean out the VST, and closely check the float valve. If you do that, you will need gaskets 16 & 17, and two O rings - #18.

Now that all parts are ordered to check out the high pressure screen and float. I got frustrated and decided to start over looking at the engine side again. Drained the VST again and looked at all lines and clamps. Hooked up my clear filter with clear line and found air leaks at the fuel water separator and lp filter both. Man this is getting old swapping out old parts with new ones and the new parts turn out to be worse then the old.
Talked to the dealer and it seems that the o rings are listed as a suitable sub for the original o rings. hmm not so suitable me thinks.

Agreed. Fix the air leaks. That's probably the source of your entire performance problem. If so, it will save you at least a day or more likely two from digging into the HP fuel pump and VST.

Thought I had posted this looong time ago but the boat needed the entire fuel bowl filters and high pressure pump replaced due to corrosion through out the system