Thanks Cheech, and like I said, it fired up and idled on the trailer yesterday fine. Im not real confident in it for the next run around the lake, but is an odd matter. If fuel isnt bad, mechanical fuel pump working, F/W separator doesnt prove to be full of water, PSI reads fine on SmartCraft, is it then a regulator or something else fuel deliver system that could be the matter?

Im not too savvy in all this, so pardon my elementary approach.

Thx
Ian

I should of put in prior post, I'm with F-2, vapor lock for some reason.

Very well could have been vapor lock. The more I read about that, it fits my symptoms and outcome to a T! Now to take steps as mentioned herein to try and avoid in the future!

30-40 min after you shut the boat off is when it gets the hottest, with no fresh water to cool things, hence heat soak, venting the hatch helps getting heat out and air in

If it's vapor lock on the EFI Merc's, do the following.... it worked for me quite a few times with fuel left over in the tanks leaving TX and going to FL, as well as vapor lock:

1. Push throttle all the way forward.
2. Turn key on, let engine prime, but do not start the engine, and then turn key off.
3. Repeat #2 at a minimum of 10-12 times.
4. With throttle still pinned, repeat #2 but try to start engine (it won't start), keeping the ignition button/switch on (starter trying to start the boat) until you hear the engine gargle and try to start.
5. If engine does not gargle and try to start after 15-20 seconds, repeat #2 - #4 (I never had to do this process more than twice).
6. Once it gargles and tries to start, let go of ignition button / switch, pull the throttles back to idle position, turn key off, and start the boat as you normally would.
7. Repeat process for other motors. If you have an OL, which only has one ignition switch, let the first motor run for a bit (at idle), shut off the engine and then repeat for the other engine(s).


*** To prevent this (again, info from Bud), prior to shutting off your engines, let them idle for a couple minutes first.

Hope this helps.

Fun fact: I saw a certain Cig owner at Gilberts in Key Largo who was cracking a fuel line, attempting to release his vapor lock. Out of curiosity, I asked him what he was doing. Needless to say.... he was a bit peeved when I helped him start the boat.

Fun fact #2: The OL comment from above.... I was again trying to get off the dock at Gilberts on different run and the OL guy tied on the outside was vapor locked. I was tied to the dock in the same row. Walked across the boats that were waiting on him to get his started and told him what to do. Needless to say.... the "I'm an upstate guy and my mechanic knows exactly what he's doin'" wasn't interested in a Texan helping him out. So... after threatening to cut his lines and let him figure his problems out in the middle of the channel, he let me start his boat. Took about 2 minutes. His response to his mechanic (with a look on his face) was... wh thu fk gumba? LOL

Re: water in tanks....... run the boat at idle around the lake. Pull the filters every 4-5 minutes and empty them into a suitable bucket, etc... Bring a fuel can and an extra pair of filters (for quicker changing). Fill the filter before screwing it back into the engine sometimes helps, if the engine if finnicky about starting with it empty.

....oh, and yes.... change both the spin-off and in-line often.

Don't get why some dumb A would crack a fuel line when there is a perfectly good shrader valve, but reality doesn't happen in many places

Agree, if you open the hatch, run the blower will help cool things and can stop VL

I had VL and fixed mine by moving the returning fuel filter and moved it to return to tank. My return came from the fuel rail and not the cool fuel Reg as in pic below. Eddie Young did the fix

A easy fix "when it happens", is need a small screw driver, rag and safety glasses. Remove cap off shrader valve, turn key ON. Place rag over valve and use screw driver to press in on valve. Once air is out and you get fuel, replace cap and fire it up.

Wow, wow, wow!!!! Thank you so much for the intel and tips!!!

I'm going to print this thread and keep on the boat. I've chatted with some of the best damn folks via this forum.

Very much appreciated!
ian

Quick update:

So, changed the Fuel Water separators, captured the fuel in a jar, and let sit for the weekend, not a visible drop of water in the fuel, so thats good news..

So,, I take it to ramp, start both engines,, only getting half the recommended 40 fuel psi. After about 5 minutes, both engines sputter out like run out of gas. So, back to the house and I change the fuel filter element. What a job getting the top off (gonna get a tool fabricated to come in from top and spin off). Was only able to get stbd done, port side canister had to be fuly removed and breaker bar used to break the seal and spin cap off. Stbd was cranky, had to prime a bit, but got her started and ran great on trailer at ramp. 40psi fuel pressure.

Im wondering, could all this problem boil down to severely clogged fuel filters? They were damn dirty compared to new. And both engines drink the same fuel, single tank, separate lines, so maybe both got clogged?

Any restrictions/blockage they starve (add 95* weather and you complicate the issue with added symptoms like VL..)

.....As you said they are drinking from the same tank. Hopefully the contamination is limited to the filters and not clogging injectors(which would involve removing and sending out for professional cleaning)