A Little Scare In Long Beach
#1
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A Little Scare In Long Beach
My buddy, Jim took me out on his 1995 23’ Wellcraft Nova with 7.4 EFI for my birthday yesterday. We launched out of Newport at about 6 PM and ran up to Long Beach. We tied up and ate which took about an hour. Cast off and idled out past the Queen Mary when the engine quit. Started it back up and it fired, then sputtered and died. Sounded like it was out of gas. Gauge showed ¾ tank of fuel and Jim said he just filled up so gauge should be correct. I said it sounds like clogged fuel filter or fuel pump gave out.
We flagged down a passing fishing boat and they towed us back to the dock. We pulled the fuel filter off which made a sucking sound when the seal was broken, and it looked fine but was not full of fuel. It only had a little fuel in the bottom. We put it back on and then loosened the fuel line fitting on the output side of the fuel pump and tried to start the motor. It actually fired and was pumping fuel. We put the line back on and fired it up again with no problems. After running the engine for about a half hour at dock and around the harbor we headed back out to Newport. I was a little nervous as it was now dark and didn’t like the thought of the engine quitting out in the middle of the ocean at night. Well it ran great all the way back and it was actually a great ride. The moon was at ¾’s, clear and warm with about 2 foot swells. We ran about 40 MPH all the way back and it took about 45 minutes. The boat cuts through the waves very nicely and is very solid. It weighs quite a bit more than mine and runs strong. I gotta get a bigger boat!
Sorry, I forgot my camera so I didn't get any photos.
Anybody have any ideas on what could have caused this? The engine temp was normal and it was probably about 70 degrees out so I don’t think it was a vapor lock problem.
We flagged down a passing fishing boat and they towed us back to the dock. We pulled the fuel filter off which made a sucking sound when the seal was broken, and it looked fine but was not full of fuel. It only had a little fuel in the bottom. We put it back on and then loosened the fuel line fitting on the output side of the fuel pump and tried to start the motor. It actually fired and was pumping fuel. We put the line back on and fired it up again with no problems. After running the engine for about a half hour at dock and around the harbor we headed back out to Newport. I was a little nervous as it was now dark and didn’t like the thought of the engine quitting out in the middle of the ocean at night. Well it ran great all the way back and it was actually a great ride. The moon was at ¾’s, clear and warm with about 2 foot swells. We ran about 40 MPH all the way back and it took about 45 minutes. The boat cuts through the waves very nicely and is very solid. It weighs quite a bit more than mine and runs strong. I gotta get a bigger boat!
Sorry, I forgot my camera so I didn't get any photos.
Anybody have any ideas on what could have caused this? The engine temp was normal and it was probably about 70 degrees out so I don’t think it was a vapor lock problem.
#4
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Thanks Tank. It actually turned out okay and really enjoyed the run back to Newport.
Looks like I'm not making Havasu this weekend. I have a meeting tomorrow that I can't get out of and am flying to Vegas on Monday for a meeting. I guess I'll be at the Rat Fink reunion hot rod run on Saturday and am taking my Vette to Pomona on Sunday to try to sell.
I'll be at the Avi in Laughlin the following weekend.
Maybe another ocean run July 26/27? I sure would like to try to make Santa Barbera. .....and I want to enroll in the Tank OffShore Driving school!
Looks like I'm not making Havasu this weekend. I have a meeting tomorrow that I can't get out of and am flying to Vegas on Monday for a meeting. I guess I'll be at the Rat Fink reunion hot rod run on Saturday and am taking my Vette to Pomona on Sunday to try to sell.
I'll be at the Avi in Laughlin the following weekend.
Maybe another ocean run July 26/27? I sure would like to try to make Santa Barbera. .....and I want to enroll in the Tank OffShore Driving school!
#7
It sounds to me like you may have something floating arround in your fuel tank and it blocked off the fuel inlet. When you removed the filter that is between the pump and the tank it had negative pressure. The suction was holding what ever it was to the fuel pickup. When you broke the suction the blockage fell off the pickup but it may return when you least expect it.
#9
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Something in the tank blocking the line sounds possible. I wonder how you could check that. The tank is inder the deck so you would have to pull the boat apart to get to it. You can't exactly shake the boat to see if something rattles!???