Fireball 327 225hp Grey Marine V8 HELP!!

Author Message   Michael Hall New member Username: rs6176 Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 08:56 pm:    My Dad & I have just completed a 3yr restoration of a 1961 17' Century Resorter w/ a Fireball 327 225hp Gray Marine V8. The motor had undergone a complete 100% rebuild 15yrs ago & was put in storage until Dad & I found the time to finish the Resorter. During the engine rebuild my Dad decided to replace the existing sidedraft carburators with a brand new 600cfm edelbrock marine four barrel carburator. Long story short...The Engine runs great...but only in the driveway & in neutral. Under load however, is a different story. As soon as we reach around 1500rpm the engine looses power & starts to cough & backfire through the carb. We checked little things like fuel filter, points, spark, vacuum pressure, & timing and everything checks out. If anybody has any advise to get this old girl running please help!!! thanks, Mike   Cal Martell Member Username: cal Post Number: 29 Registered: 02-2004 Posted on Friday, June 30, 2006 - 07:00 am:    Michael, I feel your pain. I had this problem several years ago with a 305 Chevy in one of my Cruisers. As goofy and simple as this sounds check and re-check your distributer to plug wires. Make sure you have the firing order in the right pattern. Just one plug off by one cylinder will produce this symptom. I checked several times before hitting myself on the head because it is simple but confusing. Another problem would be inproper air vent to the tank. There would be enough air to run the engine in idle but when it really sucks at high rpm there is not enough air coming in the tank to replace what is going out. I would first of all recheck the plug wiring pattern first. Hope this helps and good luck. I might need the same info from you when I finally get my '63 Sabre with the same 225 back together. Cal   Michael Hall New member Username: rs6176 Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 01:23 pm:    Cal, thanks for the post. The vent is clear. we checked it when we installed the new gas tank, new gas line, & new filter. I double checked the wires & we're good there too. Do you think maybe the distributor? We'll also be installing a new electronic ignition to see if that does anything for us. Crossing our fingers. thanks again, Mike   doug miller Visitor Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 01:32 am:    Hello, Tonight took an old gray marine powered boat for her maiden voyage. Had similar issues. revved up just fine. throw her in gear, and she'd sort of rev to 1900 or so, then no more. Jetted and jetted (easy to do, just turn the little screw in the updraft in and out.) No fix. Finally started playing with timing. Was SHOCKED how wide timing can be, and it still run. Finally retarded the timing a BUNCH (20 degrees???), and she took off like a happy little lark. That being said, coughing is almost always a sign of too lean. i'd look at fuel delivery, power valve in carb, and main jets in the primaries.   Michael Hall New member Username: rs6176 Post Number: 3 Registered: 06-2006 Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 09:22 pm:    Cal, Figured it out!!...a little embarrising, but i have to post it anyways. After the electronic ignition was installed, we decided to regap the plugs. Found the first plug to be brand new with no ware & tear. 2nd plug black from normal use. 3rd plug clean. 4th plug black and so on. We've been running on 4cyl! We grabbed the manual & checked the plug wires AGAIN & discovered..... wrong freaking firing order! Next day she was in the water & up on plane making all the right sounds. thanks again, Mike   Fastjeff Senior Member Username: fastjeff Post Number: 2491 Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 11:00 pm:    Awesome looking rig! Glad you figured it out. Jeff   Cal Martell Member Username: cal Post Number: 31 Registered: 02-2004 Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 11:20 pm:    Mike, kudos. Now you know why I kept banging my self in the head when I finally saw the wire mix up. Can't see the trees because the forest is in the way. Glad you found the problem. Ditto on the awsome rig. Love the chrome valve covers. Have a good and safe summer. Cal   Fred Durbin Visitor Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 01:16 pm:    Mike! Make sure the carb has a leveling wedge under it. also the timing is critical on these motors. The ignition timing should be at 6 degrees before top dead center and the firing order is as follows for a right hand or standard rotation, with flywheel foward 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. with the flywheel aft the firing order is 1-3-4-5-6-2-7-8 and the #1 plug for the flywheel fwd would be the right rear looking toward the bow of the boat. with the flywheel aft the #1 plug would be the left front looking toward the bow of the boat.I hope the is of some help Fred Durbin fldurb@chartermi.net   LARRY COLLINS Visitor Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 10:56 pm:    I HAVE A 1961 CRIS CRAFT WITH TWO 327 IN HER IF ANY ONE KNOWS WHAT THE FIRING ORDER IS ONE RUN COUNTER CLOCKWISE THE OUTHER RUNS CLOCKWISE   Cal Martell Member Username: cal Post Number: 65 Registered: 02-2004 Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 07:05 pm:    Larry, you came to the right place. I finished my 225 rebuild last month. Here are the direct quotes from the Graymarine tech manual. "Firing Order: Engines with the flywheel aft, except those with 1.91;1 Reduction Gear ratio: Standard rotation 1-3-4-5-6-2-7-8 Opposite Rotation 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 Engines with the flywheel forward, except those with 1.91;1 Drive ratio; Stardard Rotation 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 Opposite Rotation 1-3-4-5-6-2-7-8" Mine sits with the flywheel forward and it is difficult to picture the thing running in a clockwise rotation when you are looking at it from the flywheel which would make it turn in a counter clockwise......you get the confusing pic Hope this helps. Cal   Jeff Hart Visitor Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 12:07 am:    I have a Gray 327 in a 1961 Lyman Hardtop. Want to tune the engine on it's trailer. I have purchased a toilet type plunger that has a garden hose attachment which supplies water to the intake on the bottom of the boat. I am hearing that the hose pressure in this system can damage your engine by forcing water into the cylinders??? Can't see how that can happen unless the water released into the exhaust got sucked back up to the exhaust valves. Seems to me as long as I have the proper decline on the exhaust that wouldn't happen and this system should not cause any problems. Would appreciate any thoughts or experience on this subject

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