What does salt water do to carbies?
So we're out in the boat trolling around and the motor starts to splutter and dies fairly quickly. Attempts to restart produce a bit of a fire now and again but it refuses to spring to life. After a bit of head scratching, noticed that the fuel filler cap is open for some reason, and due to sloppy seas had probably taken in a fair bit of salt water. We took some fuel samples from the hoses just before the carbs and found what we're fairly sure was water in the fuel so set about bypassing the water separater/filter and flushing clean fuel through the lines and reattaching to the carbs. Was all in vain unfortunately because at the time I didnt know there were screws you can remove to drain the float bowls, so attempts to start failed and we ended up having to be towed a rather long way back to ramp (Thanks gero fisheries)
Another symptom was the primer bulb didn't want to pump hard, like there was a large leak in the system?
Anyway due to having to fly back to work for 2 weeks I've had to just leave the motor possibly with salt water sitting in the carbs/ god knows where else and was wondering what the consequences might be. Its a 96 evinrude 115 ocean pro. ( VRO fuel/oil pump)
Should I be paying someone to go and look at it ASAP or what ?
Mick71
Posts: 125
Date Joined: 18/12/10
Short answer
ASAP
To fish or not to fish....
Shakespeare had it SO wrong!!!!
Rob H
Posts: 5798
Date Joined: 18/01/12
left of field a little but as
left of field a little but as the tank was open and bulb wouldnt pump up, are you certain the boat wasnt siphoned and low on juice?
Bulb wont pump up = fuel spilling after bulb, sucking air before bulb or no fuel.
You would know straight away if water was in the fuel by looking, and if you filler is on the gunwhale it would have to be bloody rough i.e lots of water coming OVER the gunwhale to get a significant amount into the tank?
Id pop over and have a look for you but Im off Dampier at the moment unfortunately.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
mr_meks
Posts: 189
Date Joined: 11/02/11
We had a full 20 litres tank
We had a full 20 litres tank of clean fuel that we tried to flush through the system.
dkonig82
Posts: 2091
Date Joined: 06/07/10
I'm pretty confident that
I'm pretty confident that what we saw was water in the fuel.
Also the filler isnt on the gunwhale, it is in the well in front of the motor, which was seeing a lot of water.
When asked by a non-fisherman 'how many fishing rods do you really need?' the correct answer is either:
n+1 (where n is the number of fishing rods you currently own); or
n-1 (where n is the number of fishing rods which would cause your significant other to dump you.
Rob H
Posts: 5798
Date Joined: 18/01/12
in that case Id just drain
in that case Id just drain the bowl, put in fresh fuel then give it a little squirt of "start ya bastard". Once its started and run itll be ok. But maybe what you should have done (no use now though) is rip the plugs out and put a squirt of any oil in the cylinders and turn it by hand a couple of times.
Those bulbs often play up a little, one trick is to kink the hose BEFORE the bulb then squeeze it, kink it AFTER the bulb and let it fill. Cos the little one way valves often stick.
How many carbs have they got?
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
mr_meks
Posts: 189
Date Joined: 11/02/11
Hope you're right about the
Hope you're right about the bulb issue, seems a bit of a coincidence that it would play up the same time as the engine but you never know. Time to renew the whole fuel line and bulb anyway me thinks.
Has 4 carbs. Annoys me thinking about it sitting there in the driveway and not being able to tinker with it!
squidvicious1
Posts: 824
Date Joined: 22/07/10
fuel blub is only used to get
fuel blub is only used to get initial fuel to the motor ,than the fuel pump takes over.
Rob H
Posts: 5798
Date Joined: 18/01/12
absolutely correct squid but..
yes thats true but it should be your first and quickest diagnostic tool when your having trouble.
-sucked flat=blocked/pinched fuel line or filter (if post filter)
-spongy/unable to pressurize=no fuel, leak before bulb (suction) or after, float in carb stuck open, dodgy bulb.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Asap
If that salt water got in and around crank bearings you can kiss it goodbye rust will and salt will pit it