250 HP motor quits

[Hopetom]

Suzuki 250HP quits underway, pump the primer bulb and it ran fine again. Happened once so far

[Moonlighter]

Could be a number of things, but most likely ones and the simplest to check include:

1. Blocked fuel filter. I assume you have one of those Racor type water separating fuel filters? If so, may have picked up a bad load of fuel and it is clogged. change the element. If you dont have one, then get one on there pronto!

2. And if you haven't had such a filter on there, good chance the the engine filters are blocked up and you will have to replace them all and also clean the filter screen on the vapor separator.

3. Anti-syphon valve on the fuel tank is faulty. We just had this on our Striper. The engine would stall after we came off the plane, running along at speed it was OK but as soon as we slowed down it would stall, not all the time though. Unscrewed the fitting off the tank and punched out the ball and seat inside the valve and reinstalled it in the tank - problem solved.

4. If the fuel primer bulb is flat when the engine stalls, it could be an obstruction in the tank vent line. Check that there are no kinks or blockages in the vent line or that mud wasps haven't made a nest in the vent outlet.

Just a suggestion : It would generally help people to offer relevant suggestions if you were to offer a more full explanation of the issue you are having. A description of when the problem happens, engine speed at the time, whether its hot or cold etc will help. The two lines that you gave don't give us much to go on!

[Hopetom]

More detail

Thank you for the response, we were at approx 5k on plane and the motor sputtered once than died. It's a ACB boat 130 gal fuel tank approx half full. Took me awhile to find the fuel line and primer bulb. I pumped it till it got hard then it started and was fine. It was about 78 degrees water temp is about 55. Boat had been parked for about and hour since it last ran.

[Moonlighter]

Alright, that helps a bit. Is it fair to say that this boat is new to you? I have assumed this based on your comment that it took you some time to find the fuel primer bulb.....

Was the primer bulb flat when the motor stalled? That would point to either a blocked fuel filter or a blocked vent. Or, it could be a fuel line has deteriorated on the inside, causing a blockage at higher revs as the engine tries to draw more fuel through. Ethanol fuels tend to cause that kind of deterioration. The only way to check is to pull the fuel line off a fitting and look inside. If in doubt, replace the fuel line with new, proper marine fuel line that is ethanol resistant.

Less likely to be the anti-syphon valve in those circumstances.

Id recommend you change the fuel filter element. For a few dollars even if it is not the problem, it is a smart thing to do.

These motors with their EFI systems really need clean fuel, and it is absolutely critical that you have a good quality water separating fuel filter fitted and that the element is replaced annually. Racor are a popular choice. Clear bowl at the bottom allows you to visually check for the presence of water.

If the boat is new to you it would be a good idea to give it a thorough service by changing the oil and oil filter, plugs and fuel filters and drop the leg and change the gearbox oil and water pump impeller. That way, you know exactly the state it is in and can set up your own servicing schedule from a known starting point.