J
John
For many years my 1GM10 has had problems during the hotter months (July/August). When in gear and at or near idle, it boggs down and rpm falls to around 500. It runs quite rough at that speed. It produces a little sooty exhaust when running rough (high vibration, low rpm, varying rpm)and has no noticeable ehxhaust at any other time. At the high end, it seems to run a little slower (around 2800) than normal (around 3000). When it is in neutral, the problem seldom occurs and the idle speed remains at specs. The rest of the year there is no problem with the engine.I have checked each year for water in the fuel, bacteria, air in the lines, replaced fuel filters (primary and secondary), cleaned the vent, checked the injectors, changed the oil, replaced air filters, etc. I have never located the problem, but it has been persistent. I have used 20, 30 and 40 wt oil at various times. The fuel supply seems clear of obstructions and it is easy to pump by hand or siphon through the fuel line. I have not drained the tank and filtered the fuel since it seems quite clean from the fuel line and the filters are consistently clean and new looking on removal. As best I can tell, the timing is OK since there is no problem for most of the year. I have not checked the fuel tank itself, but would not expect any internal problems that it could have to be so consistently tied to the weather. I have tried cetane boosters, bug killers, water treatments, and other things as well. The engine tends to get regular workouts (not just for getting out of the marina). Any ideas would be appreciated. The engine is cared for rather well, but by a person who has little mechanical knowledge (me).