Offshoreonly.com - Weird starting issue.

Offshoreonly.com (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/)

- Do It Yourself, Boating on a Budget (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/do-yourself-boating-budget-249/)

- - Weird starting issue. (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/do-yourself-boating-budget/282214-weird-starting-issue.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by f_inscreenname (Post 3748826)

Hey fixx
No I didn't degree the cam but did use a dial indicator to make sure #1 was at the top of its stroke before went on putting the motor together and the timing mark was on 0*. With the cam I used there was no reason to advance or retard the timing set so everything went in straight up. A bit crude but it works. I also tried dropping the timing back to the point the motor would stumble and always had the same results.
The new 3hp 4 gear reduction starter seems to be doing the trick at the moment. Went up to Baltimore tonight. A good 25 miles round trip. Ran up hard, did some 6mph for a couple miles, shut it off, give it 5 or 10 mins and hit the key. Started right up. Ran harder coming home. Blasted right up to the ramp. Tie up, shut down, unlock gates and back the truck up (now i want it to do it so I can try a couple of the suggestions) maybe 5mins and it started right up again. The only difference then the times before is that it was cooler (80's) compared to the 100*+ weather that seems to have been here all summer.
Now to get my confidence back in the boat. It's never left me stranded. Maybe with a total piece of useless junk under the motor box cover when I got to the ramp but it would give it dieing breath getting me there.

thats all fine and dandy that you used a dial indicator to check for tdc but it dont tell you where the cam is in relation to that..you could have a gear machined 1*off or the chain could be slightly loose and knock off another degree so you will never know where the cam is at in relation with TDC..look at your cam card,,see the readings at .050? install your degree wheel,,find tdc,turn your crank to .050 on the dial indicator,if the cam card reads 228* @ .050 then thats where your cam should be after reading the degree wheel..

This is why im saying your cam could be off a few degrees,if thats the case and it was off 2* on the cam then being the cam turns 1/2 of what the crank doed that 2* could vary or maybe even double...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrfixxall (Post 3748845)

look at your cam card,,see the readings at .050? install your degree wheel,,find tdc,turn your crank to .050 on the dial indicator,if the cam card reads 228* @ .050 then thats where your cam should be after reading the degree wheel..

??????????????
I think there's a little more to it.

To start with mount the degree wheel and pointer. Get it set perfectly to display the exact TDC. If heads are on use a piston stop and turn crank both directions till it hits the stop and use the point half way between on the degree wheel. Mount your dial indicator to read directly off the cam lobe or use a solid lifter. Turn the crank till the indicator is on the base circle of the lobe and zero it out. Always turn the crank in the normal rotation and don't back it up while taking your readings. Turn the crank untill the dial indicator raises to .050" lift. Read the degrees on the wheel BTDC and notate. Continue turning crank until the dial indicator reaches it's highest point and notate the lift on the dial indicator. Continue turning the crank until the indicator comes back down to .050" again and notate the degrees ABDC. The cam card will tell you the open degree BTDC at .050" lift and the close degree ABDC at .050" lift. It will also tell you the total degrees measured at .050" after opening and .050" before closing. Example:
12* BTDC after opening .050".......Plus
42*ABDC .050" before closed....Plus
180* one stroke of the piston from TDC to BDC
For a total of 234* duration as measured from .050"

Quote:

Originally Posted by picklenjim (Post 3748889)

yes theirs more to it,,look art what time i wrote it....just giving the basic's..