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Quiz time!

fastjeff

Gold Medal Contributor
Here's the scenario:

Case # 1: Merc triple (2 carbs) suddenly sagging badly while on plane. Stuck my fingers into the lower carb (hood was of) and it picked right up and ran normal. Removed my fingers and it sagged again. Repeated this several times and the condition eventually went away. Ran fine the rest of the day, but screwed up again the next time out and would not go away. (End of season.)

Case # 2 (same boat but with a Mark 78: While on plane, motor started to sag badly. Made a LEFT turn to go back to the landing and it cleared up and ran fine--until I ran straight forward. Did the left turn fix again and the problem went away. Repeated the maneuver a few times and the motor ran fine the rest of the day.

Case # 3: Newly rebuilt triple installed on the same boat with the LU in a barrel: Motor would start only with a shot of ether, run 3 or 4 seconds and stall. Another shot of ether and away it went again. Over and over again. Rebuilt carbs, changed ignition components, etc. No difference.

Okay, so what is the common problem responsible for all these of these irritating difficulties (since proven correct)?

Jeff
 
Jeff, do you have an anti-syphon valve on the tank?

Could be sticking - covering the carb could have increased the (suction) and dislodged it, likewise, a "hard over" might have "jiggled" it enough to open things up.
 
My bad!

I should have added that I'm running a very reliable electric fuel pump system with a Holley pressure regulator set at 5 psi. Fuel delivery is NOT the problem.

Jeff

PS: I'll answer myself at the end of day if no one figures it out. It took me months so...
 
'Fraid not. It was water in the gas.

I'm posting all this as a warning to everyone how easy it is to get $2.50 per gallon water instead of gas, and the problems it can cause.

I now have a water separator on my little boat, and won't own a boat without one in the future. This is a very important thing to install and use.

In the photo, that's the amount of water that was in 4 gallons of gas purchased at my local gas station. (Yes; I showed them it.)

Jeff
 

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