Engine has more hot air than my ex-wife

Nov 24, 2014
159
Catalina 310 Staten Island
Yesterday, I took my 2003 Catalina 310 from the boatyard to my mooring at Staten Island's Great kills Harbor. Prior to launching, the boatyard changed the primary and secondary fuel filters and bled the engine. It ran fine for the two hour trip, but died just as soon as I picked up my mooring pennants. I re-started the engine several times, but it would only run at idle. Any attempt to advance the throttle and it would conk out. Out of desperation, I bled the engine again, and it seems to be running fine. Any explanations or suggestions. I don't want to have to pay a mechanic for an unnecessary service call, and I don't want it to happen again when I am motoring off a lee shore in a Jersey Squall
 
May 1, 2011
4,187
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
You may have a small air leak in the fuel system. Happened to me last year. Fix was re-tightening fuel filters.
 

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Check your fuel filters and make sure the gaskets are properly setting. If you don't look close, a racor 500 lid gasket can get twisted and let air into system.
Good Luck!
Greg
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Do you have a Universal engine with the thumb knob on the injection pump instead of the regular bleed screw? If so, you can run the engine with the knob partially open and the engine will continuously self bleed. Doesn't effect running at all. My Kubota D850 engine doesn't have a bleed screw at all, just a small hose barb connected to the return line so it always bleeds off any air that gets into the system. Very convenient.
 

ToddS

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Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
I agree with all who said to check fuel filters and their corresponding seals and connections. Additionally, check any shutoff valves or bleeders, or anything else anywhere along the line all the way from your tank to the engine... I have a shutoff at the tank end of my fuel line that had been shut off (by someone else), which apparently didn't "TOTALLY" shut off fuel flow... so engine would idle fine (drawing just a tiny trickle of fuel) and run at higher RPMs for a while as well until eventually the suction would be too great for the engine to pull fuel against, and it would stall... after waiting a while, and checking/replacing fuel filters... all would work fine again (pressure slowly equalized)... then again... stall after running fine for a while. Everything pointed to fuel filters, but filters looked pretty good. Long story short: Even though the filter is the most LIKELY thing starving your engine of fuel, it isn't the ONLY think that might do it. If someone else was working on your fuel system (as you stated), I'd make sure they didn't inadvertently close a line, or open a bleeder, or vent, or do something else related that left your boat in a different state from how you think everything is flowing. It's unlikely, but possible that you'll find something else out of place along the way if you trace the fuel's path... plus it's a pretty cheap and easy step to check that. I wish I had checked before tossing multiple rounds of fuel filters, and changing them while bobbing around at sea in a state of panic. Just food for thought.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
If you have an electric fuel pump the cylindrical versions also have a filter in the bottom of the pump. It is course like a screen but can get gunned up over time. Might be restricting flow, also pick up tube in tank could be clogged. Pump out a sample of fuel into a mason jar or ziplock bag. If it isn’t clear and looks cloudy or slimey you could have a fuel issue.
 

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
I had a very similar occurrence when I launched my boat. I had installed new fuel lines and filters over the winter.
Started fine when testing on the hard, started easy hanging in the travel lift well. Our yard lets the boats sit in the well for 15 to 20 minutes and checks for leaks before releasing. I ran the throttle up and down, no problem.
Backed out of the well and as I turned and put it in forward the motor stopped. Would restart easily and idle but would die each time in went into gear. I drifted into a vacant slip and opened the bleed valve. I let it fuel pump run for a while, then started it and continued on.

The yard said they've seen it before. A small air bubble is lodged somewhere in the fuel lines. A bump or turn dislodges it and it rides the fuel up until it gets to a point it disrupts the engine.

I haven't had a problem since.

Sounds like your problem except you were able to run much longer before the engine died.