www.iFourWinns.com

My boat: 1996 Sundowner 205 DLX
Engine: Ford 351 Fuel Injected
Volvo Penta Drive

I am not fluent in Fuel Pumps for this boat/engine, but i understand it has TWO fuel pumps, correct? The High and Low fuel pump?

Anyone have experience with these on a Four WInns boat. My Low end pump went out 2 years ago, and may be going out again, or it's the High end pump.

Symptom: Twice the boat simply stalled and would not restart (fuel starved). After sitting for a long period, both times, it restarted.

This DID happen after the first fill-up of the boating season. Perhaps bad gas, or water in the fuel?

It has not happened in two outings since, but is it a sign that the fuel pump is going again? (When the low end went out 2 years ago, the engine stalled while underway. never could restart it. Lucky we were close to marine)

Thanks!

Mark1190

First things first: Have you changed your fuel filters yet?? Check your fuel seperator, if equipped. Dump the gasoline into a safe container and let it sit for a while. If water is in the filter/seperator assembly the drained gas will look cloudy and you should be able to see the water seperate. It doesnt take much to start causing problems!

And if you dont have a water seperator, change your fuel filters. You are correct on the 2 fuel pumps on fuel injected marine engines - most have 2 pumps, one electric that "pushes" gas and one mounted on the engine block with a diaphram that "pulls" the gas. When you turn the key on just to the "run" position without starting it, can you hear the electric fuel pump energize? should give a short "bzzzz" and you would probably at that time see the fuel lines move very slightly indicating pressure.

Of course, this sounds intermittent which is the most annoying problem, in my opinion. What you might have to do is wait until the problem happens again - the no start problem - then check to see if the pumps are being energized and are operating. Sometimes a faulty fuel pump relay can cause these problems too.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Thanks, I will check these this weekend (july 4). I don't recall the 'buzz' when I turned the key -- this is all occurring after an engine rebuild -- and I *was* listening for that buzz. But as I recall before my rebuild it was ever so slight, so I thought I might have missed it this time out. When the engine started I thought I had indeed just missed the buzz. But would the engine start without the 'energize' in the first place?

I would imagine that if the electric fuel pump stopped working, it would work as a blockage and the engine mounted fuel pump wouldnt be able to "pull" the gas easily. So it might start and stall or barely start, or... and so on.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Tech - thank you for your expertise on the topic, I appreciate the feedback.

At this point I did check for the 'energizing' of the line and I heard it just fine. In fact, just to keep tabs on it I tried it numerous times this weekend and heard it every time.

The engine started each time and ran for:
2 hours
5 hours
2 hours
...with numerous starts and stops in between. It ran extremely well, I must say. Short of declaring it 'better than new,' I must conclude the engine rebuild a success.

I still an curious about what might have caused the two previous stalls. My only guess is water.

I have a trip to the San Juan Islands in 3 weeks. I'll post an update after that.

Mark