Opti HELP!

[RomerShoal]

Hoping you all can help.

We are a small nonprofit rehabbing a lighthouse. We recently had a boat donated. The engine on the boat is a 2007 Mercury OptiMax 225XL. the only back story we have on the engine is that it may have sat in the yard for up to five years. We did the basics: new oil, new gas, new plugs, new tracker valve, compressions, air pressure. When all stable, the engine started and ran, on the muffs. When we went to dunk the boat it wouldn't make enough power to get up on plane. Got to 3300 RPMs on a 15 P prop and would only barely push about wave out of the way. It seemed to idle evenly for as long as we wanted it to. we been noodling around among our own quasi-experts and getting way too many suggestions. Have started to read many of the things here and I'm very impressed with what I've come across.

Based on some of the suggestions, we ran the engine and pulled the injector plugs and spark plug covers one by one. for all three cylinders on the port side, when the injector plug is pulled, nothing happens. Engine continues to run, at idle, exactly the same. The same thing happens when we pull the spark plug covers. As we pull the spark plugs out, we could see sparks jumping out of the cover seeking ground (Not sure if that's supposed to happen either). In the first 10 minutes of running, any injector plug or spark plug cover pulled, on the starboard side, would stall the engine. After it warmed up, pulling either, on one cylinder, would simply cause the engine to run rough. Seems to us that all three cylinders on the starboard side are not working.

What's the checklist to determine why? Where we begin? Remember that this engine may have been sitting for up to five years.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[NOTGSXR]

You need to add your Serial Number to get proper help.

[lpugh]

Please read Forum Announcement's at top of page

I would recommend the following steps in order:

1. Warm the motor up on the muffs

2. Obtain a stethoscope from any tool supplier and while it is warming up listen to all fuel and direct injectors. You should be able to hear them clicking as they operate. If they are not working at all you will notice right away which ones are not. Compare the clicking sound to the ones on the cylinders that are firing. The direct injectors are a little difficult to get to, but you can get the probe to them between the fuel rails and the cylinder heads. Since they are so close to the fuel injectors there will be some sound heard from them. Again listen and compare to the good ones. This only tells you that they working as quick test.
Check Fuel and air pressure at this time as well.

3. Perform a compression test with all plugs removed and throttle in the wide open position, kill switch pulled and disconnect the quick connection from each coil
Inspect the condition of the plugs

4. If compression is no more than 10% variation and within specs proceed further

5. Pull the VST top off and inspect for corrosion and or foreign particles, esp in the well below the filter

6. replace the pulse pump diaphragm and look carefully for any material that should not be there, May need new lines and bulb

7. Send the complete fuel rails to Don to be checked out. I think in your case this would be of extremely high importance, I would be very surprised if they do not have serious issues

In no way would I put this Motor in service with out doing these things first as well as changing the lower unit oil
At this point you should have some solid evidence of what further test will be required.

[RomerShoal]

You need to add your Serial Number to get proper help.

Of course, sorry. 1B516434

[RomerShoal]

[QUOTE=lpugh;9376954]

Please read Forum Announcement's at top of page

Done. Understood. Will get information suggested Back to the page quickly possible. Smart stuff that.

2. Obtain a stethoscope from any tool supplier and while it is warming up listen to all fuel and direct injectors. You should be able to hear them clicking as they operate. If they are not working at all you will notice right away which ones are not. Compare the clicking sound to the ones on the cylinders that are firing. The direct injectors are a little difficult to get to, but you can get the probe to them between the fuel rails and the cylinder heads. Since they are so close to the fuel injectors there will be some sound heard from them. Again listen and compare to the good ones. This only tells you that they working as quick test.

Will do today

Check Fuel and air pressure at this time as well.

Test kit with another member. Will do, as soon as possible.

3. Perform a compression test with all plugs removed and throttle in the wide open position, kill switch pulled and disconnect the quick connection from each coil
Inspect the condition of the plugs

will do, as soon as possible.

4. If compression is no more than 10% variation and within specs proceed further

Compressions tested out, within 10%, on all cylinders, on arrival. Will check again.

5. Pull the VST top off and inspect for corrosion and or foreign particles, esp in the well below the filter

The VST was cleaned thoroughly and filter changed. We have some concern about the original pumps. But, they were making pressure past the pump. So, we moved on to other issues early on.

6. replace the pulse pump diaphragm and look carefully for any material that should not be there, May need new lines and bulb

Will do.

7. Send the complete fuel rails to Don

Don?

thanks for taking the time to help us, Leon. Greatly appreciated.

[Tim619]

Don is EuropeanAM, moderator of this forum and all-around Mercury expert.

[EuropeanAM]

Sticky: INTEGRITY Injection (by European Marine) offers Injector Service and Calibration!

[RomerShoal]

Thanks, Don. Curious as to turnaround time. But, we will call the office.

Developments: we ran Seafoam top-end through the air intake, to little effect other than moderately quieter running. we also swapped the two top Portside fuel injectors to the starboard side. No difference. Most significantly, we realize that pulling any of the plugs (air, fuel or spark) results in zero change in engine running. No effect. It's as if the whole left side of the engine st is not firing. spark plugs are brand-new and the coils are definitely producing spark, as one of us found out when we tried to pull a cover. We tried to look for "wet" spark plugs, after running on safety, as suggested somewhere else. But, we don't have a ton of experience looking at this. It seemed as if they were dry. When we pulled the top two injectors, fuel did puddle out, as if the rails were full.

Where we go next? Is it possible that fuel is not getting from the VST to the port side rail, if the starboard rail is running well? Could the short hose to the port side from the air compressor not be feeding air, if the starboard side is working?

Attached is a photo of the top two spark plugs offset by port and starboard side.

[lpugh]

I appears from the pictures that the Port side plugs are totally dry of fuel or even sea foam.
Did you hear both the Fuel and Direct injector clicking with a stethoscope?
Maybe consider picking a noid light and checking all port side injectors for a pulsed light when cranking. The common power wire is red with blue tracer I believe on this motor, any rate it will be the one that is the same color to all injectors. Make sure there is battery voltage there when cranking. The noid light will tell you if the ECM is providing a pulse to provide ground to activate the injectors.
Earlier post indicated you had spark to those plugs right.
How did you introduce the seafom into the motor. If ran thru the intake I would have expected to see signs of it on the plugs!
Which brings up something years ago of a motor that was in storage. Shop towels in the intake manifold, does not quite fit your symptoms though as it would cause low compression on the cylinders effected
I would get those fuel rails off to Don ASAP, very high probability of being your problem and even if not the current problem you have a very high risk of severe engine damage if you risk running them.

WARNING: This motor has no way to compensate for a low flowing injector

[Savage]

Need to know the air and fuel pressures.

[EuropeanAM]

Need to know the air and fuel pressures.

+1

Additionally:

- Don't run anything (Seafoam or Otherwise) through the INTAKE on an Optimax Model. Nothing but AIR and OIL are to go through the intake/reeds.

- INSPECT the reeds. A broken reed (on an Optimax) will result in no change when you pull that plug wire or coil connector... you may get a momentary "burst" (only) when you reconnect. If this is the case- REEDS ARE SUSPECT. You will not find this technique in service literature.