1998 176 Wont start in Neutral

[LouShaw]

Hello all!

Just purchased my 1998 176 Correct Craft in July.

Bought with 205 hours. The thing runs like a beast on the open water however putting into gear to load or idle speed it cuts off. Wont start in N position I have to give it some gas in N then it starts right up. However, when I put I back into N to put in gear it dies. The only way I can get it in gear is to slowly bring the RPM's down in small stages then put in N (pray) and then shift in to gear with quite a bit of power.

Just had a tune up --- new plugs, Cap, rotor I was hopeful that this would fix the issue but it didn't. I actually believe it made it worse.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[jpwhit]

Which engine is in the boat? Fuel injected or Carb ?

[LouShaw]

Hi thanks for the response

Holley Carb 351 Windsor

[jpwhit]

Most likely the carb needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Pretty hard to find someone these days that is good at rebuilding carbs, hence a lot of people just end up getting a new one. But if you can find a good rebuilder, it'll be much cheaper.

My grandfather owned a garage, and carbs were his personal speciality, he's who taught me the intricacies of rebuilding and readjusting them reliably. But without carbs being common on cars since the 70s, there's just not much demand for many people to learn how to do it these days.

[LouShaw]

Okay. Thank you for the input. What type/brand do you recommend?

[Jonny Quest]

If you decide to replace the carb, I recommend the Quick Fuel M-600 (first choice) or the Holley 4160 marine (second choice). The Quick Fuel is a Holley 4160 "on steroids".

JQ

[LouShaw]

Thank you both for the advise.

- Jonny when you say "on steroids" does that mean my fuel consumption will increase? I feel the boat has plenty of power with the Holley. If I buy a new one do they come ready to roll or will I need to be able to adjust it?

[jpwhit]

I'm actually not a Holley carb fan. If it were my boat, I'd put on a Edelbrock Marine carb. Much less finicky and easier to tune than a Holley IMO. And by easier to tune, I've never really had to tune one out of the box. They typically just bolt on and work flawlessly, which is often not the case with the Holley.

[Scooter G]

Ageed with jpwhit, Holleys can be finicky.
Do you have good throttle response when you nail it, no stall or hesitation between RPM's when in gear?
What is your tach reading when it is running while in Neutral? It may be as simple as a slight idle adjustment, easy to do on a Holley.
Before I starting looking at a rebuild or replacement, try hosing it down inside & out with a can of carb cleaner. Any orifices and openings that you can get the straw in. Let it set for a bit, probably won't start on the 1st bump after the douching. There is a lot of info out there on DIY rebuilding, and it's not that difficult. Your wife will probably leave you when you open up the bucket of carb cleaner (mine did, but she came back, pheew). Nothing gained from the process, then whoop out the credit card...

[LouShaw]

Took off the carb cleaned it blew out holes. Put back on and adjusted idle. Runs like top now!! Thanks for the tips

[Scooter G]

It's amazing what an air compressor and a can of carb cleaner can do, good work.