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318 stalling at idle

B

Bob F

New member
new to this so I hope I am doing it properly. I just purchsaed a 1981 F 32 trojan with twin 318's. I was told the starboard engine was just rebuilt and that It has 12 hrs on it. Problem is that when it is at idle and I shift into either forward or reverse it dies. It starts right back up in neutral no problem. In fact it starts in gear as well but then dies. It runs great at any other RPM and just came back on a 1 hr cruise RPM up to 3400 not problem. As soon as I got to the dock and dropped to idle it stalled. Previous owner had this engine set at 1100 rpm for idle but even then it kept stalling it is now set at 600-700 rpm. The only other thing I noticed is that on the first trip out it stalled at lot this next trip at little less. Also earlier in the day at the slip it shifted into fwd or reverse without stalling svereal times. Please help
 
Carb problems, or a sticking (and mis-timed) distributor.

Try this: Warm her up good, then gently screw IN the idle mixture screws, one at a time. If the motor doesn't not slow down and die, then the carb is flooding.

Try that and get back to me.

Jeff
 
Try this :

Once you figure out the if it s the mixture screw, tie it off hard to the dock

Put it in gear at idle and turn the screws slightly to whatever keeps the motor running (smoothly)

This would be an in gear with load (resistance against the dock) adjustment for adverse conditions

also this would have to be the correct mixture for optimum performance at idle speed

I would do 1 motor at a time and do it in reverse if possible. 2 motors may be too much for the lines/cleats have somebody ready to take it out of gear if it gets to hairy while your adjusting the screws

or do it at anchor in reverse
 
Firstly thanks for the quick response, secondly I need to update. I do not have 318's they are 360's (very embarrased) I replaced the carb today with a brand new edelbrock 1409 which seems to run fine. I ran it at idle for over 30 minutes and shifted it from forqard to reverse ever thing was fime no stalling
However, I went out for a ride and while out there as soon as I idled it down and put it in gear the engine shut down every time. It will start right back up put it in gear and it shuts off, when it starts acting this way I have also noticed that today especially it would start back up but die even in neutral (w/o putting it in gear) I can keep in running if I keep the throttle above 1000 rpms but as soon as I go to idle it shuts down. of course I don't want to shift it at 1000 rpms so I come back to the dock on one engine. Please help I am at my wits end. Also I have a friend who is willing to help check it out he is a mechanic but I don't have specs on timing and maybe a foolish question but is tiiming diff for rotation of engines In other words, are this counterrotational engines does it matter ?
 
I suspect your spark advance mechanism is sticking, which led someone to time your motor with it stuck in the advanced position. Run it for a while and it returns to where it should have been when timed, but now that's way retarded so it stalls.

You did not mention how the motor runs on plane. Does it make respectable power? If I'm right, it won't.

Jeff
 
Jeff,
I seems to get up on plane pretty easily although the last ride it did seem to struggle a little getting to 3000 rpm but once up and trimmed up crusied easily at 22 mph engines ran fine, once you drop down to idle it starts the shutoff routine especially if you place it from nuetral into gear but lately also just trying to idle in neutral. I also read on another post that it could be a ecm issue do you know what I would ask for, part # Desc and could it be found at a local NAPA etc. Going to the boat now. Desperate!
 
I did replace the ecm once and it cured the in gear stalling I also did the ballast resistor and coil.check that coil Napa has a Sierra book its in Chrysler Inboard section all those parts

The 1409, did you do the drill and tap for the pvc hose?

Jeff, What do you think off a 1410 on a 318? Would that be 1 upping you of course Im not trying to do that! Or would I be wasting fuel .

I know you got 360s

Dan
 
..."The 1409, did you do the drill and tap for the PVC hose?"

Yes, and if you want to put vacuum gage on it to adjust the idle, drill both front and rear (but plug the back).

..."Jeff, What do you think off a 1410 on a 318? Would that be 1 upping you of course I'm not trying to do that! Or would I be wasting fuel ."

Yes, since 90 % of your cruising is done on the front barrels. Also, the holes in the manifold are too small--the 1410 uses larger rear barrels.

Jeff
 
Grease monkey thanks for the reply, I will check with NAPA re the coil. By the way where is the ballast resistor loctaed ?. Re drilling for the pcv I did not drill. I removed the old carb and bolted the new one in. The old one was not drilled either, In fact the pvc hose attached to the pcv valve goes into a fitting that sort of lies next to the flame arrestor. The other well running engine has the same PCV setup and as I said it runs fine.
 
Ballast resistor is about 3 ins long, white in colour & should be close to the coil, with at least a couple of wires coming out of it. One going to the coil, the other to the switch side of the ignition
 
under the black cover is the electronic ignition components

the pvc hose goes to the carb inbetween the mixture screws the breather goes to the top or the carb flame arrester,right?
 
greasemonkey,
there is no hose between the idle mixture screws, The pcv hose goes fron the pcv valve in the valve cover up to the top of the carb flame arrestor and into a braket alongside the arrestor. By the way I put in a new coil and It does not run any better in fact now it won't idle below 1000 rpm at all just dies. Before it died at idle when put in gear no not even in idle
 
Bob, The hose from the pcv valve should go to a vacuum port near the base of the carb below the butterfly valve and the breather hose from the other valve cover should be the one going to the flame arrestor. Sounds like you have them reversed.

Eero
 
Why doesn't Edelbrock drill and tap it? Dammed if I know! (I gave them hell about this once to no avail.) Interestingly, their street versions of the same carb has TWO vacuum ports ready to go!

You MUST have a PCV circuit with a marine engine or the sludge will build up, and the bearings will be eaten up by acid thus formed. The marine environment requires it even more than in cars. The carb without the PCV is wrecking your engine!

Jeff
 
Im not a mechanic like the others but (Sea Foam) helped me a lot. My boat ran better. So I ran that tank out. Got some premium with no ethanol ( so they say ). It would then idle good enough to dock and use. Then I started working on one thing at a time... Enjoy it !!

David
 
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