FRESH PLUGS...PROBLEM SOLVED

 

 

hey guys, we have a GM Vortex 5.7L (340 hp) motor in our wakeboard boat that won't accelerate under load. With people in it and some ballast it can't get over 13mph.

It was left in the rain by the marina before being covered up wet and stored for the winter. We picked it up and its a horrific mess, had to replace both batteries and a new starter just to get it running (the 'marina' couldn't get it running in 2 weeks of 'trying'). I suspect that they either entirely forgot to winterize it or improperly winterized it.  On the weekend we replaced the distributor cap and it can get up on plane with no weight or passengers but still runs like shit. In neutral the engine seems to run half decent. 

Anyone have a suggestion on what could be causing this? 

Edited June 21, 20169 yr by Sedz

Is the distributor in the right spot, sounds like timing.

How old is the boat?  Check timing as Merc said...... plugs and wires might be wise also.

22 minutes ago, Puzzleboy said:

How old is the boat?  Check timing as Merc said...... plugs and wires might be wise also.

its a 2008 Tige. Still has relatively low hours on it. Hoping to get a few things to check next so I don't waste another weekend trying to get it running properly. I'm sure a real marina with diagnostic computer could figure out the issue in 5 minutes but my old man refuses to go that route cause all his friends seem to think they're experts and can fix it themselves.

Are you running with last years gas? 

 

2 hours ago, Sedz said:

hey guys, we have a GM Vortex 5.7L (340 hp) motor in our wakeboard boat that won't accelerate under load. With people in it and some ballast it can't get over 13mph.

It was left in the rain by the marina before being covered up wet and stored for the winter. We picked it up and its a horrific mess, had to replace both batteries and a new starter just to get it running (the 'marina' couldn't get it running in 2 weeks of 'trying'). I suspect that they either entirely forgot to winterize it or improperly winterized it.  On the weekend we replaced the distributor cap and it can get up on plane with no weight or passengers but still runs like shit. In neutral the engine seems to run half decent. 

Anyone have a suggestion on what could be causing this? 

Start by draining and drying the hull.  Nothing like leaving a boat outside uncovered and protected in the rain and snow......once done baseline the engine.  The usual fuel, oil, spark, prop, lower end......find a new Marina after you send them the bill..... 

What's the name of this incredibly awesome place . 

15 hours ago, Puzzleboy said:

How old is the boat?  Check timing as Merc said...... plugs and wires might be wise also.

If that doesn't work it is time for a diagnostic check.

16 hours ago, Sedz said:

its a 2008 Tige. Still has relatively low hours on it. Hoping to get a few things to check next so I don't waste another weekend trying to get it running properly. I'm sure a real marina with diagnostic computer could figure out the issue in 5 minutes but my old man refuses to go that route cause all his friends seem to think they're experts and can fix it themselves.

Nothing beats a Brechin tune up.  Fiddle around with it for a bit, then start it and rev the piss out of it.  If you need a good guy to look at it Give Brian at On Your Way Marine a call.

Trade it in on a new one.  They wont water test it.

Then next weekend your boat will run like new.

On June 7, 2016 at 9:46 AM, 04nightfire said:

Nothing beats a Brechin tune up.  Fiddle around with it for a bit, then start it and rev the piss out of it.  If you need a good guy to look at it Give Brian at On Your Way Marine a call.

yeah no kidding. There is an easy resolution to this which is just taking it to our tige dealer, port sandalled marina would have this fixed in 5 mins I'm sure. 

On June 7, 2016 at 11:40 AM, Sksman said:

Trade it in on a new one.  They wont water test it.

Then next weekend your boat will run like new.

Only 120k short of that being an option

On June 6, 2016 at 8:56 PM, StevieWonder said:

What's the name of this incredibly awesome place . 

Marina is owned by friends of our family on Muskoka. They are not doing well so my dad insists on giving them business when he can.  

On June 6, 2016 at 6:36 PM, Skidood said:

Are you running with last years gas? 

 

no fresh gas in it. Also it is a mystery how I dropped it off at the marina with over 3/4 full tank and it was almost bone dry when we picked it up...but thats a whole other can of worms.

37 minutes ago, Sedz said:

yeah no kidding. There is an easy resolution to this which is just taking it to our tige dealer, port sandalled marina would have this fixed in 5 mins I'm sure. 

Only 120k short of that being an option

Marina is owned by friends of our family on Muskoka. They are not doing well so my dad insists on giving them business when he can.  

no fresh gas in it. Also it is a mystery how I dropped it off at the marina with over 3/4 full tank and it was almost bone dry when we picked it up...but thats a whole other can of worms.

Maybe they used it for ice fishing

Sounds like a fuel pump issue to me.

Swapped out the cap but not the rotor?

There is also a screen on top of the distributor shaft housing that would get clogged/rusted up after moisture intrusion on the Vortec's. Check it, you can punch it out

or replace the housing.

 

3 hours ago, Sedz said:

yeah no kidding. There is an easy resolution to this which is just taking it to our tige dealer, port sandalled marina would have this fixed in 5 mins I'm sure. 

Only 120k short of that being an option

Marina is owned by friends of our family on Muskoka. They are not doing well so my dad insists on giving them business when he can.  

no fresh gas in it. Also it is a mystery how I dropped it off at the marina with over 3/4 full tank and it was almost bone dry when we picked it up...but thats a whole other can of worms.

What a nightmare.....for the record, I assume it ran fine last summer??  However, now after sitting exposed to rain and snow.......not to mention the fuel system was found empty the boat now runs like shit......

3 hours ago, Sedz said:

yeah no kidding. There is an easy resolution to this which is just taking it to our tige dealer, port sandalled marina would have this fixed in 5 mins I'm sure. 

Only 120k short of that being an option

Marina is owned by friends of our family on Muskoka. They are not doing well so my dad insists on giving them business when he can.  

no fresh gas in it. Also it is a mystery how I dropped it off at the marina with over 3/4 full tank and it was almost bone dry when we picked it up...but thats a whole other can of worms.

Does anyone there have an actual license or are they just "hands on"?

3 hours ago, smokin george said:

1 hour ago, Poncho said:

What a nightmare.....for the record, I assume it ran fine last summer??  However, now after sitting exposed to rain and snow.......not to mention the fuel system was found empty the boat now runs like shit......

it ran perfect. They said there was a cooling system leak and both batteries were toast. $1700 later we were ready to pick up a boat that didn't actually drive in the water. It went exposed to snow, it just clearly sat out uncovered in the rain and rather than letting it dry they just covered it and said fuck it. Its literally black with mould inside. They did the same last year but also tracked muddy boots in and out of it and didn't clean anything, they said they would send someone over to clean it but were still waiting on that

3 hours ago, smokin george said:

Maybe they used it for ice fishing

haha yeah until about mid jan they could have open water fished.

2 hours ago, DAVE said:

Sounds like a fuel pump issue to me.

 

1 hour ago, lastzrt said:

Swapped out the cap but not the rotor?

There is also a screen on top of the distributor shaft housing that would get clogged/rusted up after moisture intrusion on the Vortec's. Check it, you can punch it out

or replace the housing.

 

good call, will have to check what they did as i wasn't around when it was done.

54 minutes ago, ArcticCrusher said:

Does anyone there have an actual license or are they just "hands on"?

Maybe they used it for ice fishing

 

vacuum leak maybe?

Then clearly they dropped the ball.  They owe you the better part of 1700 dollars and an operational boat.  Go after them or bill them for work done. They know exactly what happened with your boat, it was in their hands.

Been a few years since I have looked at a Merc engine. Does the distributor have mechanical advance for timing? Maybe seized from the deluxe storage package. 

1 hour ago, Poncho said:

Then clearly they dropped the ball.  They owe you the better part of 1700 dollars and an operational boat.  Go after them or bill them for work done. They know exactly what happened with your boat, it was in their hands.

Doubt that will happen. Talked to a lot of friends and everyone says that they guy running the marina has just given up and doesn't care anymore. 

They didn't pay to fix the damage their roof collapsing on the tower of the boat cause. They tried to blame a prop that was folded in half on us as well. When that didn't fly they put a shitty used prop on it in place. 

2 minutes ago, Sedz said:

Doubt that will happen. Talked to a lot of friends and everyone says that they guy running the marina has just given up and doesn't care anymore. 

They didn't pay to fix the damage their roof collapsing on the tower of the boat cause. They tried to blame a prop that was folded in half on us as well. When that didn't fly they put a shitty used prop on it in place. 

Wow different prop too?  

You should list everything that changed since last fall and work backwards.  There is no amount of speculation that can help your problem until you know what you have now.

4 minutes ago, Sedz said:

Doubt that will happen. Talked to a lot of friends and everyone says that they guy running the marina has just given up and doesn't care anymore. 

They didn't pay to fix the damage their roof collapsing on the tower of the boat cause. They tried to blame a prop that was folded in half on us as well. When that didn't fly they put a shitty used prop on it in place. 

Any damage to your boat should have been handled by your insurance company, a marina is not responsible if a roof collapses while in their care 

That prop was probably a variable pitch prop. The more power you applied the more the blades folded.

 

 

 

54 minutes ago, bladefever said:

That prop was probably a variable pitch prop. The more power you applied the more the blades folded.

 

 

 

That explains 13 mph top end....

2 hours ago, bladefever said:

That prop was probably a variable pitch prop. The more power you applied the more the blades folded.

 

 

 

It's an inboard wakeboard boat. The prop is close to $1000 new. 2 seasons ago we went to pick it up and right away you could tell by the insane vibration that the prop was fucked. They tried to say that we probably did it and didn't notice. When that got shot down they magically happened to have a used/repaired prop that they put on it in stock. This marina doesn't even have gas in stock some seasons lol.