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1989 Evinrude 70HP VRO - Struggling to start

P

petkovski

Member
Model number is E70TLCEM. Engine was running fine for a long time, except for the rough and shaky idle, there was no known problems. Until now no major servicing was done to the engine. When I bought it in 2008, I've made over 200 hours with it.

Today I went for a quick run and after 2 minutes of driving the engine died, from 4500 rpm bogged down immediately to a complete stop. Afterwards every attempt to start resulted with difficulties to maintain proper idle and the engine would just bog down. I assumed that there was a problem with the fuel delivery as the primer bulb was soft.

I've disconnected the VRO pump, and checked all the hoses and reconnected them again with new clamps. I've changed both the fuel filters and tried starting again but it would work for 2 - 3 seconds and bog down.

I think that somewhere - somehow the engine is not getting fuel and when I try to start it, it's using only the fuel that went to the cylinders from the solenoid valve when I push the ignition key. When I continue pushing the key the engine somehow starts working but that's just because the solenoid valve is putting fuel in the cylinders.

Any thoughts?
 
In agreement with Scott... Check your warning horn as follows:

Key in ON position (engine NOT running).

Ground out the wire that's protruding from the cylinder head (Normally TAN in color), this is the heat sensor. This should cause the horn to sound steady and constant.

Let us know what you find.
 
How is this related to overheating problems? Water pump works great. Engine died 2 minutes after running. I let it rest for almost 3 hours when changing the fuel filter, first start was the same as previous tries.
Will check tomorrow if the VRO pump is working and pumping fuel.
 
How do you know what the temp was on the motor. When you pump the primer ball it will fill the carbs. Your motor should run and idle for a couple of minutes on whats in the carbs alone. I have the 1986 version of your motor it will easily start and idle for a couple of minutes on what is in the carbs alone. You need to do a compression test because it sounds like you overheated or your motor burned down. Checking the fuel pump is easy pump the primer while it is running if it runs while pumping the ball it is the pump. If pumping the ball makes no difference not the pump.
 
I will check this theory and do a compression test, but first I must get my hands on a compression tool.

Is it possible that the carburator jets are stuck or there is a problem with the floats?

I will record a video later and post it here so you can see the symptoms.
 
UPDATE:

I was going to post a video, but now since the problem is solved there's no need for that.

After dissasembling the intake manifold I unscrewed the big screws on the carburators and confirmed that the VRO pump was working because there was fuel squirting from the holes.

But I noticed that the fuel had white color which indicated that there was water mixed somehow. With the primer bulb I started squeezing fuel and even more water started coming off the carburators. After 15 minutes of squeezing the water was flushed and pure fuel started to drip.

After reasembling everything the engine started immediately and although it was a little rough it worked like before. For 15 minutes I drove with WOT without any problems.

Definitely the problem was water in the fuel tank and I have 2 explanations for this.

1. Either the fuel from the pump station was mixed with water (here in Macedonia this is a very often thing).

2. Somebody put water in my fuel tank (the fuel cap is unsecured and easily accessible).
 
More likely your #1 suspicion, especially if the fuel was purchased at a water accessible marina. I encountered that a long time ago after purchasing gas at a marina at the waters edge so to speak.... a discovery made in the middle of Delaware Bay (sigh).

Anyone putting water in a boat's gas tank is tinkering not only with the mans boat but also with the man's life... storms come up rather quickly and a small boat adrift in that situation usually doesn't have a good outcome.
 
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