2000 Speedster - A WHOLE BUNCHA QUESTIONS :)

[srow]

I just bought a boat that has the 'boat idles fine but won't go fast' problem. It has sat for two years but still fires up without issue. I have drained the old fuel, I have tested and re-adjusted the TPS and it wasn't out by much, on the low end of the 200-300K recommended range and it shows continuity throughout the whole throttle travel, I set it to 250. The Head temp sensor is good, plugs were changed when the problem emerged, filters have all been changed (all of which was done 2 years ago

So upon testing my fuel pump it appeared to show a reading of 33-34 PSI and seemed to settle at 33 PSI -- Merc states to look for 34-36 PSI -- could that measly 1 PSI be the issue?

I'm also curious how to test the oil injection system -- I have put premix 50:1 in the tank with 91-octane ethanol free as the boat is 15 years old and I have no idea if the oil inj. system is working. There is some oil in the pump outlet hose, but its mostly air. Can I now just undo the outlet hose at the oil pump and feel for pressure while it idles? It is my understanding that the ECM is requesting 100:1 at idle, would that just be a slow drip into the Vapor Seperator?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Not ignoring you, just don't know enough about the Merc to help you in this case.

 

[UKGlenn]

Have you checked you have sparks from each coil pack?

 

[srow]

LOL thanks guys. I have not checked the spark from the cylinders -- I've somewhat just continued the problem solving process of the previous owner who had done all those basics (spark, compression, and a shiny new ECU, etc). It appears to idle fine so I have no reason to not believe him -- he had a falling out with his service dealer and decided to buy a new boat instead of continuing the repair saga on this one (which ended in small claims court).

I was playing around last night and planning to confirm good compression, but then started looking at the wiring and decided to solder some subject butt connectors and test the stator and trigger assembly, both of which appeared to be showing proper continuity/resistance. HOWEVER, the wires on the trigger assembly harness were VERY brittle, and I ended up breaking the blue one at the connector just by tearing it with my hands as it was very brittle and turned out to be very internally corroded. So I've ordered a TA from ebay from an '03 which appears to have a different wire loom (same p/n).

Does anyone have any experience with the trigger assembly causing this kind of issue when it still appears to be working via the ohm-meter?? I have no idea how the TA works and electrical isn't my best subject, but I'm hoping that the voltage across the wires increases as engine RPM increases, which may have not been possible through the brittle/internally corroded wires. The manual appears to show that the trigger assembly can be a cause of my boats symptoms...

Looks like the part is going to be a week or two so I will update when it arrives.

 

[Dr Honda]

What engine do you have??

The 240 EFI changed... and there seems to be no logical trend of where they are.

So... is the cover over the flywheel small, and round... or is it large, and more rectangle shaped?

If it's round (The older style engine) The '03 trigger won't work. (Directly)


Also... the comment above about "Are you getting spark on all the plugs" is very valid. Those engines will idle just fine with a couple dead cyl's... but won't rev up very high. This can also be caused by low compression on a couple cyl's. So... it needs checked.

 

[srow]

Sorry its the older engine with the round cover. So it looks like I bought the wrong trigger -- is it a connector issue that can be overcome with soldering? Or should I just bite the bullet on a new one (>$200 here in Ontario).

I was planning on checking compression the day I found this wiring issue, but I was going off the word of the guy I bought it off of that spark and compression were fine... The dealership had moved on to replacing the ECU (which didn't fix the problem, but I have a shiny new ECU). Once I get the trigger installed I will check spark and compression -- BUT, assuming both are fine, would the trigger having internally corroded wires cause my symptoms?

 

[srow]

So I finally got around to swapping out the triggers. The used trigger from the 2003 appeared to be identical to the broken one I was replacing in my 2000, with the exception of a different wire loom. So I'm going to try it unless it could cause a serious issue. My next question is have I messed up the timing by removing the flywheel and trigger? I'll get some photos up of them a little later today.

 

[Dr Honda]

OK... here's that thread you were asking about.


Well... as I was saying before... an '03 trigger shouldn't work, since in '03... it was just a single crank position sensor, and not the larger ring with 3 triggers in it.


As far as "Did I mess up the timing"..... you could have, but if you are carful, it should be OK. The flywheel itself is key'ed, so that won't change. The rings are good to a degree or two... so that end should be good. Assuming the trigger you have is from the 240 EFI, and not the 210 carb engine... that should be good. THe only question on timing would be if you changed the length of the timing rod, coming from the throttle links.

SO... as you can see, things can stay the same, but things can change when you pull it apart. SO, the safe thing to do, is check it when you put the ignition back together.

 

[srow]

I DID change the length of the control arm link rod, the one I pulled off was set to something around 14mm or so, when the manual calls for 17.5mm... the used one I installed (with much better quality wires and different loom) had the linkage attached so I just used that one and it was at 17.5mm...

 

[srow]

Also curious, I've just drained the vapor separator as I want to run the new fuel in the tank that is pre-mixed, how many times should I have to run the fuel pump to fill the reservoir back up?

 

[srow]

 

[Dr Honda]

Also curious, I've just drained the vapor separator as I want to run the new fuel in the tank that is pre-mixed, how many times should I have to run the fuel pump to fill the reservoir back up?

Assuming there isn't any leaks in the system.... it shouldn't take long.


When I put my engine back in... after the rebuild... it started in just a few seconds of cranking. (probably less than 6~7 seconds) That was with a dry vapor tank, and both filters dry. (because they were new)


FYI... the "Lift Pump" only runs when you crank the engine. The pump you hear cycle, when you turn the key on is the high pressure pump. SO... you have to crank to fill the system.

 

[Dr Honda]

From your pics... they look the same. I wonder if the person who sold it, had it come off an '03... but it was still the 2001-1/2 engine.?


Did you say the plugs were different? Can you post a pic?

 

[srow]

I just got back inside, like you said a couple seconds of cranking it filled everything and fired right up.

The used trigger was an ebay purchase -- seller said off an '03, but that's totally possible -- HOWEVER, I have a new one that I bought just in case, and that has the grey loom on it like the broken one (obviously loom could change just based on which day the part was built). I have left the new one in the packaging so I can return it ($200) or else I'd take some photos of it for comparison...

NOW, it seemed to idle great, I'm going to put it in the water this aft as soon as I track down a friend/family member with a truck, as they don't provide hitches on the loaner trucks... (STILL haven't got my truck back lol)

Edit: The connectors were the same, plugged right in, all wires were the same.

 

[srow]

Success!

Got the boat in the water tonight, ran like a top. The speedometer is shot so that's the job for tomorrow.

So chalk the symptoms up to a bad trigger assembly that appeared to be fine via the ohm-meter test, check the wires, if they're brittle there is likely a problem.

Now I was running 50:1 pre-mix and I was getting quite a bit of smoke at idle -- I'm thinking the oil injection is still working 15 years in... if I use an inspection camera would I be able to see the condition of the worm gear that drives the oil pump?