Boat problem.

[synergyboy10]

it start all fine but once i put it in gear it dies right out. i cant figure out whats it is. any help appreciatted.

[L&M]

Need a little more to go on. Is it an outboard? I/O? Make, hp, year.

Hank

[KING ME]

Hank ia a marine mechanic

[synergyboy10]

IO 87 merc 140

[L&M]

Did this start in the colder weather, or before you pulled it this fall? If you want. Give me a call and I can probably walk you thru it on the phone, or tell you the things to look for. Check your pm's for the number.

Hank

[poverty stricken II]

I had the same problem with my fathers 1985 Thompson I/O. It would run fine in neutral and die out when placed in gear, but only when the engine got to normal operating temp. I found that he had an old style oil filled coil that once the engine got warm that it would short out and stall. Put the gear in neutral it would restart, put in gear and it would stall again. Just a thought of something to check or test, Im not a marine mechanic, but have played with a few boats.

[stinger]

There may be a momentary cut-out switch that is bad or going bad. The switch should break & make the ignition circuit when you shift into gear to take the load off the shift gears. Had that problem on a `86 Mercruiser 140hp IO. Every time I tried to shift into forward or reverse it died. Thank God it was at the dock and not out on the lake :shock: .

Something to check out.

[L&M]

That would the first thing I would check as well.

[waterlogged]

I know this symptom occurs when you have something wrapped around the prop/shaft on an outboard.

I wrapped rigger cable around it on a rough day on Ontario and she would fire up while in neutral and die immediately when put in gear. Thank God for kicker motors as we fot back from the Fairhaven area to the Oswego Harbor without incident. Weighed three browns for the spring derby while we were unwrapping the rigger cable too.

Clarke

[Shellback]

Me too, on a Merc I/O and the cutout switch when shifting into gear. If I remember correctly, it was just when shifting into reverse. I think it was just an adjustment needed. Probably a fast way to check it would to just run a hot wire directly to the coil and see if she stays running when you shift it into gear. Or use a test light and see if you lose power to the coil when you shift it.

[nukeman700]

i had the same problem with my boat,i went thru everything carb,vacuum leaks,etc etc it turned out to be a bad ignition switch.they are not that much

it would be an easy way to elminate that portion of your electrical system.