Well guys, I'm in the same BOAT, sorta speaking. If you read my first paragraph, you can see, these guys have replaced or checked about all the things that can cause this issue. I done a lot of research but typing, ENGINE RUNS ON MUFFS BUT NOT IN WATER, well, it brings up all kinds of solutions. One has to imagine even if these mechanics didn't replace some of the ideas on here, what they did replace and check pretty much ruled out some of those things. I've dealt with more wire shorts than I care to mention but, one common symptom with just about, if not all wire shortage issues is the fact it won't behave the same way over and over. Loading the boat, bouncing on waves, pulling it on a trailer, etc. etc. Whats the odds it doesn't move those wires and change the symptoms. Completely broken wire, yes, I get that but it seems when it comes to this issue, it's about a shorted wire or broken insulation which should cause the problem to change when that wire is moved the least amount. All these mechanics, as you can see by the parts replaced, believe it to be a electrical part or at least problem. The primer bulb pumps up and gets hard. I can squeeze it while the motor is running and it makes absolutely no difference. It never looses it's hardness even when the engine dies. O yea, it's new as well, forgot I replaced it way back. I still have the old timing plate base, I'm going to remove the new one and put the old one back in, not to fix it but to see if it takes the motor back to the original problem I had. I mean, before it would run, take fuel even if I was doing it at the carb but now it simply won't take any fuel. I can't help but wonder why everything changed after I had the timing base plate replaced. This problem started by it running great as long as you didn't run it wide open for a 1/4 mile, the original problem wasn't anywhere near as severe as the one I have now. If for some reason that timing base plate won't work right on my motor, we are like dogs chasing our tail. At least if I get back to the original symptoms, it might make sense what's causing the problem. I talked with David today, he assured me that he checked the reed valves and there's nothing wrong with them. When I picked up the boat, checking that exhaust tube was the only thing he said he forgot to check while he was working on the motor but I dropped the lower unit and there's no blockage, at least not on that lower portion of the motor. It's hard to think the plate isn't working properly and none of these mechanics would figure that out but I just keep wondering why the symptoms changed after it was replaced. Just seems to coincidental to me when before, no matter what I replaced or checked, it would run good cold but then shut off. Once it shut down, it acted that way until I took it back to the lake to test it...Danny