2001 evinrude 225 hp troubles... could use some help.

[gsw721]

Hey,

I have had my boat for about 4 years. a year ago the boat was running fine but would have sporadic surges and decreases of power of power as i was cruising. I thought it could be water in the fuel or a bad fuel line. I replaced the fuel line and added a water separator. It did not do anything. The boat would run, but had this problem. Then a hurricane hit and I didn't use the boat for about 6 months. When i finally took her out, I could not get the engine over 2500 rpm in the water. After getting back to shore, I put the muffs on and the engine would run full, without any hiccups. I took the carbs apart and cleaned them out and replaced all the gaskets. while i was in there, i noticed that one of the petals on the 5th carb reed box was damaged. I replaced the petals and put it all back together. After that, the engine would start and run, but it would not idle. If i brought the engine to 900rpm, it would die. I did a link and sync and that had no effect. I tried to mess with the idle arm adjustment, but i had to screw the bold in completely before any change was made (about 20 complete turns). when i did this i could get it to idle, but the shift control was almost impossible to move without some muscle. I put it back where it was, and returned to the original problem.

History of the engine. model number j225vxsss. I have owned it for 3 years. prior to purchasing the engine was completely rebuilt. It looks like all the the electrical components were replaced inside, as they are not OEM. I have replaced the fuel line, fuel filter, water separator, and spark plugs. The fuel is rec90 and has never had any gas with ethanol in it. when i cleaned out the carbs, they were clean. i found nothing that would make me thing there was sludge in it. I also put fuel stabilizer in the tank prior to the hurricane, so that may have helped.

all of the threads online on this forum and the rest have recommended changing the power pack for the power surges. I have no problems changing the power pack, but it is only 6 years old, according to the born on date on it. My questions are: 1. is a bad power pack the likely cause for my power surges and idle issue? 2. is there anything else that could be causing this problem.

i would really like to use my boat again.

 

[joereeves]

I retired in 1991 so your engine's circuitry may be foreign to me. However, since nobody has jumped in here as of yet, I'll put my two cents worth in if for no other reason to get you back on top of the list for other knowledgeable members to take a second look.

The problem of not being able to exceed 2500 rpm brings to mind the S.L.O.W. feature of your engine which is engaged if the engine overheats. Check the heat sensor on the port bank which has two wires... disconnect to see if that cures the problem.

Also.... when shifting out of gear... a feature that takes place so quickly that it is not noticeable. The shift interrupter switch is attached to the engine's shift linkage on the starboard side, at the front bottom portion, near the carburetors... look for two wires, a black and a black/yellow wire.

Disconnect the black/yellow wire and test run the rig to see if that cured the problem.

NOTE: On a flushette... DO NOT run the engine at "Full" as you call it. I assume you mean full throttle? If so, you are risking a runaway engine scenario whereas the engine turns into a diesel with ever increasing rpms until it disintegrates! In this mode, as many boaters have found out, turning off the key or pulling the spark plug wires off has no effect.

Let us know what you find.