martynwhiteley
Active member
V8 Wouldn\'t Start Again - but thank God !!
Many may remember me posting a few weeks ago regarding the inability to start my 5.7 V8 in the Rinker on a cold damp day, with the main culprit likely being drained batteries and/or problems on the HT side.
After charging the batts and leaving a heater on in the engine bay, it started, and did so the next couple of times I went to the boat. Problem solved I thought....
Then came last Sunday morning, a lovely bright day, I got there early, but the damn thing wouldn't start again.
Single handed, it was difficult to do enfine checks whilst cranking, but after removing the air filter, following numerous abortive attempts, the lack of a strong petrol smell did suggest the problem may be more fuel related.
I was always a bit wary of the mods I'd had to do to the fuel line to fit the obligatory easy to reach fuel shut off valve to meet the BSS needs, adding a meter or more of length to the supply line, and a swan neck type loop to bring the valve up the an accessible position. Pulling the inlet hose off the engine fuel filter revealed a dry line, so I ripped it all out and returned it to the way Rinker built it and satisfied the US Coastguards.
I had much confidence it would now start, but no.
I tried to unscrew the cartridge type fuel filter, but couldn't and had no special tool with me, so I felt about to see if I could disconnect a line on the discharge side of the pump to check flow and.......!!
A heavilly corroded fuel line linking the filter to the pump broke away in my hand!!
Good job it was the suction side of the pump, so the effect was just to draw air in, so no fuel getting through. If it had been the discharge side ??? !!! Boom !!!
The discharge line was also heavilly corroded, but not leaking, so neadless to say, I replaced both lines with new. (and the engine started first crank!)
So who was a very lucky boy then /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Makes you wonder though, so much for the BSS examination only 2 months ago, they don't check solid fuel lines on the engine it seems. So much for the vendors Essex Boatyards, I'm sure that the fuel line couldn't have become so corroded since I bought it this August. So much for the Mercruiser Approved service engineer that servived it a couple of months ago - he didn't spot it. So much for my own concerns of having a big gas guzzler under my feet - despite my engineering expertise I didn't bother to think to check the condition of the fixed engine fuel lines when I modified the flexible supply to the engine.
Just grateful it wouldn't start.....!!!
Many may remember me posting a few weeks ago regarding the inability to start my 5.7 V8 in the Rinker on a cold damp day, with the main culprit likely being drained batteries and/or problems on the HT side.
After charging the batts and leaving a heater on in the engine bay, it started, and did so the next couple of times I went to the boat. Problem solved I thought....
Then came last Sunday morning, a lovely bright day, I got there early, but the damn thing wouldn't start again.
Single handed, it was difficult to do enfine checks whilst cranking, but after removing the air filter, following numerous abortive attempts, the lack of a strong petrol smell did suggest the problem may be more fuel related.
I was always a bit wary of the mods I'd had to do to the fuel line to fit the obligatory easy to reach fuel shut off valve to meet the BSS needs, adding a meter or more of length to the supply line, and a swan neck type loop to bring the valve up the an accessible position. Pulling the inlet hose off the engine fuel filter revealed a dry line, so I ripped it all out and returned it to the way Rinker built it and satisfied the US Coastguards.
I had much confidence it would now start, but no.
I tried to unscrew the cartridge type fuel filter, but couldn't and had no special tool with me, so I felt about to see if I could disconnect a line on the discharge side of the pump to check flow and.......!!
A heavilly corroded fuel line linking the filter to the pump broke away in my hand!!
Good job it was the suction side of the pump, so the effect was just to draw air in, so no fuel getting through. If it had been the discharge side ??? !!! Boom !!!
The discharge line was also heavilly corroded, but not leaking, so neadless to say, I replaced both lines with new. (and the engine started first crank!)
So who was a very lucky boy then /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Makes you wonder though, so much for the BSS examination only 2 months ago, they don't check solid fuel lines on the engine it seems. So much for the vendors Essex Boatyards, I'm sure that the fuel line couldn't have become so corroded since I bought it this August. So much for the Mercruiser Approved service engineer that servived it a couple of months ago - he didn't spot it. So much for my own concerns of having a big gas guzzler under my feet - despite my engineering expertise I didn't bother to think to check the condition of the fixed engine fuel lines when I modified the flexible supply to the engine.
Just grateful it wouldn't start.....!!!
