OK, this may not be the "hands down winner" I think it is, but I am sure it is in the top 5.
The other day I was on Tadpole with a good friend of mine from the sailing club who owns a Cape Dory 27. My friend shall remain nameless because I am confident he would be embarrassed to be associated with me on this particular day and this "issue".
Our plan was to motor around Biscayne Bay in Tadpole, look for some "hurricane holes" and possibly raise sails, depending upon wind conditions. A very experienced sailor, he offered to act as back up only and let me do everything alone so I could learn but with the confidence of having him to bail me out. It was not meant to be.
We took the club launch out to Tadpole and climbed aboard. Cockpit bone dry - good news. Opened cabin - bone dry, more good news. Got all our gear settled. I lowered the O/B, set the choke and fired up the Suzuki. Started on second pull - more good news. Water coming out the "P hole" - good.
While I was in the cabin arranging some gear, etc., the O/B conked out. Hmm. Strange. Has not done that before. I went back to the O/B and started her up again. She ran for about 5-6 seconds and then died again. Hmm. This is not good. However, having worked on automobile engines with my Dad when I was a kid and many times tuned up the 1964 Chevy Belair, I was confident I would diagnose the problem quickly. Having worked on lawn mower motors was also a big plus in my mind. When one is really stupid, one can be overly confident.
Removed the cowling. My first thought was she died out because she was not getting any gas. Everything seemed to be in its place. As we will see in a few minutes, if only I had a brain. No gas leaks that I could detect. All the hose lines seemed to be in place. There was one line that I was not familiar with but did not pay it any attention since it was connected OK.
We tried several times to start her making various choke adjustments, etc. Then we stared at her for a while and tried to start her again, making more adjustments. I thought she might be flooded but I could not smell any gas at all so this did not seem reasonable. I then thought of my checklist for this O/B. I have checklists for just about everything. Even after 30+ years of diving, I have a checklist routine for dive gear, etc. I quickly ran through in my mind (or at least thought I did) the checklist and dismissed it. The motor had started. I had done everything correctly or it would not have started.
We stared at the motor some more and finally decided it was not meant to be. We called for the club launch and with much effort we were able to get the 65 lb. motor and bracket off Tadpole and into the launch without dropping into the Atlantic Ocean. I put it in my truck thinking I would probably try to work on it at home and, if not successful, bring it to a Suzuki dealer. Dollar signs danced through my head at this thought.
My friend graciously offered to explore some hurricane holes in his CD 27. It was a great outing. However, during the entire excursion I kept pondering the O/B motor. What could it be
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I had done everything correctly. She started right up and then just died out after a few minutes. Was it bad fuel I had put into her tank
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No, it was the same fuel I use in my truck. Truck runs great. Near the end of the trip, as we were motoring back into the mooring field I had my "Eureka" moment. "Bad fuel" was not the problem. "No fuel" was the problem
I am sure most of you have already figured out what I did wrong, probably beginning at paragraph 5 above. What an embarrassing moment for me. Should I tell my friend what I had done
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Or should I not say anything and pretend like it was some complicated new onboard electronic "gizmo" that went haywire
Honestly prevailed. I told my friend that I was confident I had solved the problem. This particular Suzuki O/B has an onboard fuel tank (about 1.5 liters) as well as the standard hose fittings for an external tank. There is a small lever on the left side of the O/B that allows you switch from the onboard tank fuel line to the external tank fuel line. This unfamiliar onboard line is the line I had looked at earlier and dismissed as "unimportant" since it was connected and no fuel leaking.
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The owner’s manual recommends that you move the lever to the external fuel line position when storing the O/B on the motor bracket so as to prevent any fuel leaking from the onboard tank. I had faithfully done this when I had last shut down the motor and stored it in its "upright and locked" position.
In failing to get out my checklist and follow it religiously (Checklist Item 1 - "Switch lever to onboard fuel tank line"), I had broken a cardinal rule of mine. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE $#@^&* CHECKLIST
At home, I easily set up the saw horse for the motor, filled a garbage can with water, set the lever to on board fuel tank line, set the choke, and started her up on the first pull. Ran her for 10-12 minutes. No problem.
Now, my only problem is figuring out how I am going to reinstall this 65 lb. O/B onto Tadpole while she is on her mooring. I originally installed it while she was on the hard. That was easy. The overhang of the motor bracket is significant. The last thing I want to do is best my own stupidity level by falling face forward overboard while holding onto the O/B
Any suggestions
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