motor scars the crap out of me df115

[k9kodi]

new to me boat. 2006 df 115 tk5

my brother and i went in on the boat 1/2-1/2. 2006 carolina skiff 2180.
he brought it back and i went and picked it up. left key on trailer and lost the key.
i took apart the remote throttle controls to access the back of the ignition switch to order a new key.
had a hell of a time getting it all back together. i also located the key later that night.
at that junction, i had only turned over and heard the motor run 5 min on muffs. my brother picked it up out of area.
after my messing w throttle control and installing vhf radio, it fired up like normal, quick and snappy. idled for about 5 minutes on muffs beautifully then sounded like it was out of gas. would not restart.
injnow there's gas in it. after 20 min i go to restart and i get the 4-2 code, cam/crank sensor. give it a couple hours, do the reset (key in on position, pull kill switch lanyard and pull the switch 2 more times in 10 sec). it reset, it started beautifully, idled on muffs again and at about 600 rpm. sounded smooth. idled up, idled down, put it in gear, beautiful. 5 -10 min later, just sounded like it ran out of gas.

aftaid to continue messing w it unless i know what to do. the motor head in me says, it sat for a couple weeks and just needs to be run

[Moonlighter]

Simple stuff first.

The primer bulb - we see quite a number of cases here where the check valve inside fails and allows fuel to run back, starving the engine. This seems more prevalent with cheaper non OEM bulbs. This is also associated with difficulty in getting the bulb to prime up nice and firm.

Second - voltage. These engines DEMAND good voltage supply to the ecu. Without it they can play up and do all sorts of weird things. So - batteries that are poor condition or need to be charged up, or terminal connections that need to be undone, cleaned and tightened up, all contribute. So attend to that, it is good to do anyway.

Anti-syphon valves on fuel tanks are another issue that cause fuel supply issues especially at low revs. Personally I would remove then from any outboard powered boat I owned.

[k9kodi]

can you elaborate on the anti siphon valve. i know when the motor was off i was able to squeeze the bulb pretty easily

[Moonlighter]

Anti-syphon valve is on the boats fuel tank, its inside the barb fitting where the fuel line attaches. As I understand it, pretty much a standard fitting on US built boats.

You can unscrew it and replace with a standard right angle takeoff tank fitting. Or, you can unscrew it, take it to the workbench, and punch out the internals which are just a ball, spring and seat. Reinstall.

They can fail or get gummed up = fuel flow is restricted because flow at low engine revs is not sufficient to force the valve to stay open. At high revs the flow is strong enough to keep them open. Symptoms of this issue = engine starts OK when primed, but after a few minutes stalls. Or, if you get going and then come off the plane and back to idle, it stalls. Have to pump the primer bulb up again.

IMO they’re just a “problem waiting to happen”. Pre-emptive surgery to remove them is recommended LOL!

[k9kodi]

should the primer ball be hard when engine is off?

[catacom225]

yes, It has a one way valve in it, only takes the tiniest piece of crap to cause the to not seal. Try to use a branded replacement if you choose to, or try taking it of and submerge it in a bucket of water and try and flash it clean

[k9kodi]

so, i know i'm asking simple questions, but seriously i appreciate the help. this is my first boat, but motors in general are not foreign to me.

so, the boat off, sitting over night or cold motor, if i go to squeeze the bulb, it should be hard. i distinctly remember squeezing the bulb the other day continually and it not really getting hard. somewhat firm, but def not hard. i could hear fluid transfer i think

[Moonlighter]

The bulb should get firm.

If you pump it up to firm it should stay similar to that overnight.

It should not go real soft.

Ideally the bulb should be positioned so its vertical or at least upright so the arrow (points towards the engine) points upwards.

Check the hose clamps on either side of the bulb to make sure they are tight. If in any doubt undo them, take the fuel lines off, cut off the end bit thats all squashed and reattach the fuel lines nice and tight. Dont want any air or fuel leaks.

[k9kodi]

thanks i'll try that today. what's the time limit to to running with muffs on? is there one as long as it's pissing good

[k9kodi]

went out this morning. could squeeze the bulb so opposite sides touched. again, heard fluid transfer. motor started up no problem, after running the bulb got more firm i could probably squeeze it half way.

[k9kodi]

fixed it!!!!!!!!!!
the primer bulb never got solid. it always had some play but no matter engine running or off it would still feel like it's pushing the same.

i just hooked the boat up to the garden hose and she turned right over. check.

idled it up....check

put it in gear and ran up to 1500-200 rpm....smooth ...check.

dropped it into neutral and it idled beautifully ....check

so now i'm baffled. the motor was trimmed down vs up in the past.
my neighbor comes over and i ask about the primer bulb. as i squeeze it under the console he says whoa, stop.......you have a fuel leak.

where the fuel line goes into the motor it's cracked halfway though. with the motor down you can't see it. motor up, the crack was allowing air in not letting it start i assume. i assume the lack of proper air flow and fuel mix caused the 4-2 trip.

it's cracked right where the line bends from motor trimming up and down.

ida never thought to check the bulb if it wasn't for you.