6-71 stalled and won’t start…

[brettportzer]

6-71 stalled and won’t start…

So, I’ve had the boat sitting for awhile, seemed like there was something on the prop or it got dinged because there was some noise coming from basically the stbd prop area in the aft cabin.

Mechanic came by and said it sounded like a cutlass bearing, we’ll be able to check when we haul for the season, which is now.

Drove over yesterday to yard to haul, sitting at slip today planning to change oil, etc before haul out.

Fired up both engines, and decided to put them in gear one at a time to warm up a bit faster.

The was some racket out of the stbd engine (similar though, sounded like it was coming from the prop area and it stalled out and then won’t restart.

No smoke, so, seems like it isn’t getting fuel?

Blower turns? No issues starting at all previously.

It is in neutral, at least as far as the arm on the transmission is concerned.

The air doors are not closed.

Any idea?

Looks like I am going to skip the oil change and consult with the mechanic tomorrow, but he is not a detroit guy.

Thanks!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

For a 2 stroke, it needs two things; fuel and air. You say air doors are not closed, so I'd look at fuel. Pull a filter and see if its full.

 

[brettportzer]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

It is definitely odd. Feels like it had something to do with having it in gear at the dock, but I can’t imagine what.

Does also seem like the filters were low, but it was probably running on what was in them for some reason.

Blower vanes turn so it seems that the fuel pump should be turning also, but it really seems like it is not.

I changed the racor and secondary filters and filled them
up. usually that has done the trick.

I haven’t had any issues with starting this thing in five years, including earlier tonight, except that initially there was an air leak in the priming pump hoses that would let the fuel go back to the tank.

Maybe I have an air leak again, because I did leave the valves open overnight.

But, still seems odd that it won’t fire up and also that there is no smoke and I have filled the secondary.

I got bit by the blower doors thing two years ago, that is definitely not the issue.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

If all of the cylinders are not firing the least bit, not even an errant pop, is the shutdown lever in the correct position?

 

[madhatter1]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

Check that fuel valves are in the right position. Mine are easy to get moved whenever anyone in in the ER so I check them all the time.

 

[SeaEric]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

If you think it's fuel, try a shot of ether.

 

[rsmith]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

If you heard a racket out of the engine when it died I wouldn’t screw with it until the mechanic looks at it.

 

[Pascal]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

The noise at the wheel could be anything incl something wrapped around it. Been there done that

Did it stall as soon as you put it in gear? That could be indicating something caught in the prop but it would restart in neutral.

Sounds like a priming issue to me. Do your self a favor and add priming pumps. Makes life easier.

 

[brettportzer]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

So, my conclusion is that I must have an air leak somewhere that allowed the racor to empty.

It was hard to tell what I was hearing when it died, I had hearing protection in and I believe the racket, so to speak was just that it was stalling.

Refilled the racor and the secondary and still got nothing…

But, being knowing the boat and not seeing any other signs of anything wrong…

And zero smoke when I cranked it, I decided that it should start.

Put a puff of ether in there and it fired right up and is back to normal.

 

[whoover]

Re: 6-71 stalled and won’t start…

My dock neighbor had issues this summer on his searay with cats in it.. I was almost sure it was a prop problem as it was making noise in gear and he had touched some debris in water that summer. He even had it hauled to look at the wheels. Turned out to be needing a racor change. Fuel starvation sure causes strange symptoms.

Walt Hoover