Donman

Just started this last weekend and seemed to be worse yesterday. The lake was rough / windy.

If I hit a fairly good sized wake, the engine will cut out. It acts as if I have a loose wire on the coil, but they are tight.

When the engine cuts out, the tach flickers to zero.

Engine is a 502 carb with a Merc ignition, all stock.

I`m going to look at it after work today. All wires appear tight and plugged in good. I even checked behind dash to look at wires going to lanyard. Could lanyard have an internal problem ?

What other things should I look for ?

Anyone else ever have this problem ?

ThruHull

I would start with looking at the ground connections on the back of the engine. Also you may try disconnecting the main harness plug on the engine and give it a good cleaning.

dagah2x

I agree with above, try the ground wire on the back of the block and then pull the battery cables off and clean/tighten. I had something similar happen due to a battery cable being dirty. Ive heard of many people having the wiring harness come loose also.

ThruHull

I usually put a hose clamp around the wiring harness plug to make sure it doesn't come loose.

Plane Silly

Might check the float level on the carb, I have seen fuel splash out of the vent tubes and cause this problem.

Donman

I will look at the battery cables and ground connections. I already pulled the main harness connector apart. It is very clean and plugged in good. It does have a clamp on it.

Thanks

Brad Zastrow

Does not sound fuel related. It is a connection. Also pull the harness plug and seperate the terminals slightly. I once had a kill switch that had loose connections do the same thing.

Donman

I am about 99.9% sure that it is not fuel related.

My experience tells me that a bad connection is the problem. I just need to find it.

Here`s something that keeps popping up in my head : A bad lanyard / kill switch ??? Can one of these have an internal problem ? Mine looks like it`s several years old. I might just replace it anyway.....

Ideas ?

ThruHull

Anything is possible but I have never seen it. The ones I have worked on have always tied back to grounds, ignition switch or harness plug. These things will usually make you pull your hair out and then end up being something so simple. Do all your gauges cut out or just your tach?

Donman

Just the tach.


That`s why my initial thought was a coil connection.


Also --- My lanyard is only tied into my ignition. The gauges work and starter spins when lanyard is disconnected.