O.K. here's one for you guy's. I posted a problem with my motor, wouldn't start and had white smoke coming from the engine. I checked the plugs and they looked ok, fuel filter looks unclogged. Just for the heck of it I try to start the motor again and it fires right up. I put it in forward/reverse/idle for aout 15 min.'s and no problem. I take the boat out the next day... Great sail, then as the sun and wind are going down I try to fire it up and the damn motor won't start. I pull the cover off to try and see stuff...nothing looks wrong...I pull and the motor fires right up. I go to put the cover back on and it starts to die off...I take hood off and it reves right back up...repeat for same results. So I imagine it has something to do with air getting to the gas? What could make a motor run fine with the cover off, but bogg down and stop with the cover on?!?
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Possible...
...air starvation. You don't say what kind of engine you have. Sounds like a gas/carburetor. Is your engine sitting in an airtight space? Gasoline engines need 15 parts air to 1 part fuel in order to run. You should also check to make sure that the cover is not shorting out something electrical either primary or secondary ignition.
...air starvation. You don't say what kind of engine you have. Sounds like a gas/carburetor. Is your engine sitting in an airtight space? Gasoline engines need 15 parts air to 1 part fuel in order to run. You should also check to make sure that the cover is not shorting out something electrical either primary or secondary ignition.
1994 Nissan 8.8
cover isn't airtight. It is pretty tight though, except for the rectangular slot for the rubber pull handle.
cover isn't airtight. It is pretty tight though, except for the rectangular slot for the rubber pull handle.
Possible short?
Could it be that the spark plug wire is frayed, and touching the cover? Is the cover metal?
Could it be that the spark plug wire is frayed, and touching the cover? Is the cover metal?
Can't be air
unless you changed the arrangement in the engine compartment in some way. She ran before and should still be getting air. My guess is a wire getting bumped or moved as you put the cover on and it is then shorting out the ignition system. The old saw of "what did you do to the engine before this started to happen?" still applies. OR it could be a bonified case of demon infestation in which case a generous mittenfull of holy water may do the trick.
unless you changed the arrangement in the engine compartment in some way. She ran before and should still be getting air. My guess is a wire getting bumped or moved as you put the cover on and it is then shorting out the ignition system. The old saw of "what did you do to the engine before this started to happen?" still applies. OR it could be a bonified case of demon infestation in which case a generous mittenfull of holy water may do the trick.
Are these engines built with solid state ignition
systems? Could the cover be changing the alignment of the pick-up module? I would make certain that everything that was supposed to be tight, was tight. Is there a crack in the mounting plate?
systems? Could the cover be changing the alignment of the pick-up module? I would make certain that everything that was supposed to be tight, was tight. Is there a crack in the mounting plate?
I'll check for stuff possibly touching the cover..
after reading to you guy's, seems like the most likely thing. It did give me some fits..."fixing" it by taking the cover off only to have it "break" when the thing was back on. I hate to say it but it took a few days of "what the hell!" before I saw the cause and effect....be interesting to see if it is something simple like a loose wire or something!
after reading to you guy's, seems like the most likely thing. It did give me some fits..."fixing" it by taking the cover off only to have it "break" when the thing was back on. I hate to say it but it took a few days of "what the hell!" before I saw the cause and effect....be interesting to see if it is something simple like a loose wire or something!
Does the cover make the spark plug wires
touch or come close together? Sounds like the insulation on the plug wires is starting to go. Start the motor at night and with a stick (wood not metal) push the wires towards each other. If the insulation is going bad you should see some nice sparks jumping between the plug wires. Hope the find the problem. r.w.landau
touch or come close together? Sounds like the insulation on the plug wires is starting to go. Start the motor at night and with a stick (wood not metal) push the wires towards each other. If the insulation is going bad you should see some nice sparks jumping between the plug wires. Hope the find the problem. r.w.landau
Too Much fuel to air...
I am speaking in general terms; white smoke on a 2 or 4 stroke gas engine usually indicates a "choked" engine. That is a very high fuel to air ratio... I would begin by looking closely at the engine cover near the carburetor to see if any insulation is blocking the air intake or carburetor.... Good luck Garner
I am speaking in general terms; white smoke on a 2 or 4 stroke gas engine usually indicates a "choked" engine. That is a very high fuel to air ratio... I would begin by looking closely at the engine cover near the carburetor to see if any insulation is blocking the air intake or carburetor.... Good luck Garner
Hmmmmm.....
Quote: "Problem is obvious....you say it's a Nissan..there be the problem..it's not a Mercury.lol" Hmmm.. Nissan's and Mercury's are both made by Tohautsu and are the same exact motors except for the Decals and paint color but even the new Nissan's are black now...
Quote: "Problem is obvious....you say it's a Nissan..there be the problem..it's not a Mercury.lol" Hmmm.. Nissan's and Mercury's are both made by Tohautsu and are the same exact motors except for the Decals and paint color but even the new Nissan's are black now...
I can't check out the motor till this weekend 
But I will let you all know what I find. Thanks for all the help!
But I will let you all know what I find. Thanks for all the help!
Tohatsu
You are corrrect Maine Sail, same engine made by tohatsu just different decals. I just had to take my Tohatsu in to teh short last week-end....wouldn't start. shop took it apart and asked how all that "stuff" got into the cardorator....not gunk but stuff. since it is onlyy one season old, I'm guess it came that way from the tohatsu. The fuel I used was "clean" but they found pieces of plastic and metal in teh carb. Admiral is retrieving iot today from the shop.....
You are corrrect Maine Sail, same engine made by tohatsu just different decals. I just had to take my Tohatsu in to teh short last week-end....wouldn't start. shop took it apart and asked how all that "stuff" got into the cardorator....not gunk but stuff. since it is onlyy one season old, I'm guess it came that way from the tohatsu. The fuel I used was "clean" but they found pieces of plastic and metal in teh carb. Admiral is retrieving iot today from the shop.....
Mercury = Tohatsu = Nissan
The Mercury and Nissan cost more so they must be better, right? (just kidding) p.s. I love my Tohatsu.
The Mercury and Nissan cost more so they must be better, right? (just kidding) p.s. I love my Tohatsu.
Ever unpack one of them?
All the Nissan, Mercury, Tohatsu etc. engines are test run at the factory in Japan before shipment. They drain the engine oil out and pack the motors into individual big styrofoam boxes with the motor shape etc. hollowed out. This does a great job of protecting the motor during shipment, but those little styrofoam beads that break off inside the packing while in transit cause a lot of problems. I still find them in my garage where I unpacked the motor back in April, and continue to find the odd foam bead when I take the cover off to check the oil dipstick. They were everywhere. I'll bet that could be part of the problem.
All the Nissan, Mercury, Tohatsu etc. engines are test run at the factory in Japan before shipment. They drain the engine oil out and pack the motors into individual big styrofoam boxes with the motor shape etc. hollowed out. This does a great job of protecting the motor during shipment, but those little styrofoam beads that break off inside the packing while in transit cause a lot of problems. I still find them in my garage where I unpacked the motor back in April, and continue to find the odd foam bead when I take the cover off to check the oil dipstick. They were everywhere. I'll bet that could be part of the problem.
Sounds like a fuel issue.
You said: "I go to put the cover back on and it starts to die off...I take hood off and it reves right back up...repeat for same results." If it started to stutter and stall, but didn't actually die cause you got the cover off in time, then the likelihood of the cover causing an ignition issue with the plug wires doesn't seem likely to me. If the cover shorted or cut the plug wires it would have died in 2-3 seconds. If it was running fine before, and everything involved with the layout of the boat to allow air to the motor is the same, I'd suspect something clogging the air access thru the cover, or a carb issue. I've had extremely frustrating intermittent issues with outboards that stop running due to a littany of small problems, none of which on its own enough to stop it. It can make it so that the OB will run OK if everything else is fine, but introduce one other weak point (slightly fouled plug, slightly clogged fuel filter, fuel mixture a little off, old gas starting to varnish up), and the whole show comes to a stop. And then to get it reliable again, there's not just one thing to fix, but a whole bunch. Fix one, it'll run OK for awhile, until something else becomes the straw that broke the camel's back. Good luck!
You said: "I go to put the cover back on and it starts to die off...I take hood off and it reves right back up...repeat for same results." If it started to stutter and stall, but didn't actually die cause you got the cover off in time, then the likelihood of the cover causing an ignition issue with the plug wires doesn't seem likely to me. If the cover shorted or cut the plug wires it would have died in 2-3 seconds. If it was running fine before, and everything involved with the layout of the boat to allow air to the motor is the same, I'd suspect something clogging the air access thru the cover, or a carb issue. I've had extremely frustrating intermittent issues with outboards that stop running due to a littany of small problems, none of which on its own enough to stop it. It can make it so that the OB will run OK if everything else is fine, but introduce one other weak point (slightly fouled plug, slightly clogged fuel filter, fuel mixture a little off, old gas starting to varnish up), and the whole show comes to a stop. And then to get it reliable again, there's not just one thing to fix, but a whole bunch. Fix one, it'll run OK for awhile, until something else becomes the straw that broke the camel's back. Good luck!
What About Fresh Gas?
Because of the cover governing the amount of air mix to the carb, if you are one of those people that keep gasoline for months on end and expect it to preform when needed you'll find any motor will run sluggest on old gas. It might run as example in lawn mower, chain saw or motorcycle but at lower RPM's. Once you put the cover on, your engine calls for more gas but is getting a lower grade octane and will cause you engine to over heat. Try adjusting the needle jets by first increasing the idle and then the mixture. You should really get a smooth running sound and then back the idle off--cover on and go for it. Let us know the results.
Because of the cover governing the amount of air mix to the carb, if you are one of those people that keep gasoline for months on end and expect it to preform when needed you'll find any motor will run sluggest on old gas. It might run as example in lawn mower, chain saw or motorcycle but at lower RPM's. Once you put the cover on, your engine calls for more gas but is getting a lower grade octane and will cause you engine to over heat. Try adjusting the needle jets by first increasing the idle and then the mixture. You should really get a smooth running sound and then back the idle off--cover on and go for it. Let us know the results.
Gas was a few weeks old...
hard to believe it can go bad so quick! What do people do to prevent this? I have seen additives for extending fuel "life", does this stuff really work? Chris came up with this possibility: "try looking for an exhaust leak at the power head exhaust tube gasket. engines don't run well on exhaust. I had the same problem with a 2002 mercury 9.9." Although a bit frustrating...I have been reading up on outboard engines (I grew up with single mom; never tinkered with engines, etc.) and I am appreciating (with my LIMITED knowledge!) how these things work. Though I have a long way to go...I am starting to see how a basic understanding of the principles and parts can lead to good troubleshooting. So now sailing has recreationally steered me down the path of learning a little of some physics, navigation, astronomy, geography, weather, oceanography, joys of humble exploration and, perhaps, some engine mechanics... I'll let you all know what I find out (hopefully I will fix and not break...) next week.
hard to believe it can go bad so quick! What do people do to prevent this? I have seen additives for extending fuel "life", does this stuff really work? Chris came up with this possibility: "try looking for an exhaust leak at the power head exhaust tube gasket. engines don't run well on exhaust. I had the same problem with a 2002 mercury 9.9." Although a bit frustrating...I have been reading up on outboard engines (I grew up with single mom; never tinkered with engines, etc.) and I am appreciating (with my LIMITED knowledge!) how these things work. Though I have a long way to go...I am starting to see how a basic understanding of the principles and parts can lead to good troubleshooting. So now sailing has recreationally steered me down the path of learning a little of some physics, navigation, astronomy, geography, weather, oceanography, joys of humble exploration and, perhaps, some engine mechanics... I'll let you all know what I find out (hopefully I will fix and not break...) next week.
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