Any tips for taking "open" engine back into service?

[Sharky]

Try some easystart down the carbs, i found it gets most thing going

[jwalker]

Bang.

[Mr-d]

look what i bought today!



The title makes me feel reluctant.. The manufacturers must be VERY optimistic about their product... perhaps im going to have to prove them wrong!

weather has made another turn for the worse.. and im not going to stick my barrel of water inside the shed since its a 80L barrel, and there is no way to remove it from the outboard but by tipping it over!

I'll give it another go today if the weather clears up!

Thank you for help

[jwalker]

It's mainly ether and your engine will become addicted to it.


It sounds daft, but it will!

[Rogue Wave]

I have to agree with my celtic cuzzin. It's not a good long term plan

but it's ok for a once off.

By the way do you know there is a brand of easy start sold in Australia called ' star t yer bastard'

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by jwalker

It's mainly ether and your engine will become addicted to it.


It sounds daft, but it will!

JW - I've heard that before... any idea of the reason for it?

I used to use easy start on a diesel engined boat and it worked a treat. It was an old engine in poor condition (needed oil priming as well) and on anything less than a hot summer's day the easy start was mandatory. Mr-d be very, very sparing with it - you don't need much (just a v. quick squirt) otherwise the engine will start and rev to the max until it's burnt of the gas.

A mate once once nearly set fire to a transit van by spraying it under the bonnet for about five seconds

[Rogue Wave]

I suspect it's got something to do with exploding easier

[Mr-d]

Gave it a try, seemed more promissing... it gave a backfire through exhaust instantly, and one 3 pulls later.. then nothing
so did it again (disconnected lower cylinder) and it fired about 3x and stopped... then it started to piss down with rain so i ran back inside to shelter.

the thing is becoming smoother and smoother so hopefully one of these times its going to fire and keep on going!!! however, my arm hurts now

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Mr-d

.. then it started to piss down with rain so i ran back inside to shelter.

You'll have to get used to that wet stuff if you are going to be a ribber

Goodluck by the way

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Richard B

JW - I've heard that before... any idea of the reason for it?

Yup, it is not only very inflamable but has zero lubricating properties so removes any oil you have in the cylinders and bearings. Result seals, bearings and bores wear out and you loose the compression needed to start normally so it needs a squirt every time hence becoming hooked.

However given a choice I will use it rather than pissing about trying to pull start an engine and good stuff to have at sea just incase.

Pete

[Mr-d]

Pff, i dont get wet at sea... just take it easy and plan carefully (i.e. blue sky, 20C , slight breeze..)

anyway, dont really wear waterproofs all day

[Mr-d]

Haha!!!! im a genious! (with the help of you guys )

Thing nuked the pullstart, grabbed hammer and hit the pin back in place, its fine now... pulled choke out, pulled 3x, it fired 3x (on 1 cylinder) choke in, pulled 2x and it started to run on 1 cylinder! it ran about 20seconds and then stopped (it sounded very uneven though..)

However.. i never noticed any water coming out of the tell tail, perhaps not enough revs to draw it up? (its in neutral, prop cant spin in the bucket.. its to small..)

it was cylinder #1 that fired and ran, i took the plug out right after and felt it, it was really cold but a tad warmer than the other plug which had not ran at all.... think it died of fuel starvation..

Now, a question, is it alright to run the engine without propellor or will this effect the waterpressure that enters the water pump?

what i really want to do is fire her up and just rev it for a few minutes (IF any water comes out the tell tail..) and see what happens!
Going to increase the 1½ turns to 2 turns now and see what happens

(Perhaps a compression check is a good idea.. but i have nothing to check it with that fits into the sparkplug hole...)

Thanks
Daniel.

[Pete7]

Daniel don't even think of starting it without the water intakes being submerged in a bucket, that rubber impellor won't last very long without water to lubricate it. Worse still was watching a friend strip a V6 power head because part of the water pump rubber broke off and got stuck in the water galleries. It was only £130 for a gasket set

Is there still a spark from the second cylinder ?

What are you adjusting from 1½ turns to 2 turns ?

It will take a while for water to fill the power head and start coming out of the tell tale.

Pete

[tue]

If you are adjusting the carb. The starting point should be 11/2 turns out. Then just try it from there. If its running on only 1 cylinder its not likely to be just the mixture. Was the plug wet on the cyl 2 when you took it out?

[Mr-d]

It started at 1 1/2 and then died after 20 seconds, the thing is (was) in a 60/80L dog food container with the top of the exhaust JUST above the water (just like it is when on the boat)

Spark is still there on the second cylinder... both plugs were dry, but a slight smell of petrol was coming out... lack of the tell-tail must be due to insuficient pressure to push it up the tube.. (and it was only idle anywa

So, its 2 turns off (The air/fuel mixture i believe it is)
and it only backfires through exhaust, the pull start is back to a normal resistance now... and something i noticed was that the bulb deflates itself.. it stops backfiring, and then you pump it again till its solid and then it starts backfiring again...

the fuel pump diaphragm was still intact when i took it out and stuck it back in... and the engine is at a slight angle, with the air intake lower than the back end of the carb that connects to the engine, so if it was overflowing it should drip back out , and its not...

I remember it always soaking the plugs right up when it did not start (and leaving black junk on the plug).. it doesn't do this anymore... instead there is just a slight smell of petrol... and the top of the piston looks cork dry...
(however how did it run for 20 seconds in that case? on vapour?)

Im off to the Isle Of Rum for a month i think, might come back inbetween, have no idea if there is an easy internet access there or not.. we shall see...

engine is back in the shed now waiting for daddy to come back home
Thanks for all your help, and keep the suggestions coming!