Have a '96 Baja with a 454 and 400 hours. After started if throttle is at idle for a few minutes the motor will die. This only happens right when I put it in the water. The other day the idle was fine, but when trying to get on plane the engine quit. I'v bypassed the kill switch just for testing purpose.

Only thing replaced has been the bellows, no motor components. Oil changed every 25 hours or so (All I usually put on it in a summer, sorry I know!). Could it be plugs, timing, etc? It usually only happens once and is then fine for the afternoon, but my wife gets all upset when it happens.

Thanks fellas!

I always throw the same possibility at this question because it happened to me. There is a plug that connects the wiring harness to the engine, check it for bad connections/corrosions. the fact it only happens in the water may mean the motion is causing a lost ground.

Do you have a carburetted engine?? If so then your choke and idle mixture need some adjustment.

If it is fuel injected then your idle air control motor may be slightly plugged up with carbon.

That's exactly what happened to me. It would run fine in the 4000 RPM range, but when I make it anymore higher, the starboard engine just stalled. Ended up being a loose ground.

Sounds like water in the fuel to me....

runs great until you try to get up on plane and the bow starts going up and sputter sputter sputter die.

Check your fuel/water separater.
Dump the water out, maybe a couple times.
Using the same old filter...
Then put a new one on.

If your fuel/water separator is full of water (which is heavier) the gas will run over the top until you tip the separator... then the water gets to the carb instead of gas.

Ok... I just re-read the part about then it runs later...

maybe I am wrong.

If you dont tune up every spring. Always start there.

Pugs, cap, rotor, fuel filter/water sep.

It was a b*tch to find - Best way to check would be grab and wiggle the connector with the motor running, it'll sputter / stall.