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I had parked my boat with the Bearcat on the back as the last time I had her out, she was acting a little like she may have had a burnt intake valve, or, needed adjusting. She was spitting a little in the bottom carb (#2 and #3 cyl)
Dick came down with the shims and we pulled the power head and up on the bench she went.
Checked the valves. All were right in the middle of the spec's. Checked them again, same thing, no need for the shims.
We did find the Cam shaft end play was 8 thousands when it should have been 2, shimmed that.
Then got to thinking (And, this is the most Important thing one can do to start out with!) Hell, I didn't run a compression test....What a dummy.
So we remount the power head and pull the plugs, #2 plug was dark. The others Coffee with Cream looking like they should be.
We started on #4 and worked our way down..195, 200, 195, 200. Really.....Lets check that again, same thing.....Huh....
When we put the valve cover back on, we had just Marked the distributor with a scratch awl so it was back were it should have been.
Then during the week days, I took her out to Fern Ridge lake (tags were two years old, figured I had a better chance of the water cops not being around) and ran her around. Started just find, idled at around 500rpm, kicked her up and I could hear her struggling, but then up she came on plane.
Idled around the lake as I got myself into the flats with 3 and 4 feet of water and thinking, I know they didn't pull all the stumps so idled out to a point I could kick her up again.
Again struggle struggle struggle but this time she would not come up on plane.
That is when I found I forgot the damn bag with the timing light and some other tools in it.
So, I did have a small tool box up in the cabin and found a wrench to loosen the distributor.
I had Cindy at the helm and had her try to run the engine up, same thing, struggling.
I moved the distributor all the way in the slot adjustment and I could here the RPM being higher. Oh, the Tach had quit so I was guessing on RPM's. I remember that at WOT, she would run up past 4500 rpms.
Then, I took a small screw driver and went to loosen the screw that holds the distributor to its slotted mounting bracket. The damn screw was loose....!!
I was able to hold the distributor and turn the mount to get more slot adjustment. Tightened the distributor screw.
I had Cindy fire the engine and give it another try. It damn near through me out of the boat !!.
She jumped up on plane with a increadable hole shot like she would always do.
So, setting for two years, a little huffing or almost spitting in the carb seemed to be she was just so far advanced that the intake valve was not all the way closed when she was firing.
Why did I not run a compression test and why did I not check the timing before parking her....Norwegian maybe, not sure.
So now, she is setting in front of the shop, got a new water barrel to dip the engine in (I do Not force water though the motor, I dip the engine in a barrel to make sure she picks and pumps water before I tow her 150 plus miles.
I will fire her off again and check to see where the timing is on her as now she is back to no hesitation on run up and back to full power plus idles right around 500 rpms.
Now if I can get the lower unit sealed up as so I am not changing gear oil every time I take her out..
Dick came down with the shims and we pulled the power head and up on the bench she went.
Checked the valves. All were right in the middle of the spec's. Checked them again, same thing, no need for the shims.
We did find the Cam shaft end play was 8 thousands when it should have been 2, shimmed that.
Then got to thinking (And, this is the most Important thing one can do to start out with!) Hell, I didn't run a compression test....What a dummy.
So we remount the power head and pull the plugs, #2 plug was dark. The others Coffee with Cream looking like they should be.
We started on #4 and worked our way down..195, 200, 195, 200. Really.....Lets check that again, same thing.....Huh....
When we put the valve cover back on, we had just Marked the distributor with a scratch awl so it was back were it should have been.
Then during the week days, I took her out to Fern Ridge lake (tags were two years old, figured I had a better chance of the water cops not being around) and ran her around. Started just find, idled at around 500rpm, kicked her up and I could hear her struggling, but then up she came on plane.
Idled around the lake as I got myself into the flats with 3 and 4 feet of water and thinking, I know they didn't pull all the stumps so idled out to a point I could kick her up again.
Again struggle struggle struggle but this time she would not come up on plane.
That is when I found I forgot the damn bag with the timing light and some other tools in it.
So, I did have a small tool box up in the cabin and found a wrench to loosen the distributor.
I had Cindy at the helm and had her try to run the engine up, same thing, struggling.
I moved the distributor all the way in the slot adjustment and I could here the RPM being higher. Oh, the Tach had quit so I was guessing on RPM's. I remember that at WOT, she would run up past 4500 rpms.
Then, I took a small screw driver and went to loosen the screw that holds the distributor to its slotted mounting bracket. The damn screw was loose....!!
I was able to hold the distributor and turn the mount to get more slot adjustment. Tightened the distributor screw.
I had Cindy fire the engine and give it another try. It damn near through me out of the boat !!.
She jumped up on plane with a increadable hole shot like she would always do.
So, setting for two years, a little huffing or almost spitting in the carb seemed to be she was just so far advanced that the intake valve was not all the way closed when she was firing.
Why did I not run a compression test and why did I not check the timing before parking her....Norwegian maybe, not sure.
So now, she is setting in front of the shop, got a new water barrel to dip the engine in (I do Not force water though the motor, I dip the engine in a barrel to make sure she picks and pumps water before I tow her 150 plus miles.
I will fire her off again and check to see where the timing is on her as now she is back to no hesitation on run up and back to full power plus idles right around 500 rpms.
Now if I can get the lower unit sealed up as so I am not changing gear oil every time I take her out..
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