Home › Forum › Ask A Member › 1985 evinrude 9.9 ignition problem
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fleetwin.
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October 4, 2017 at 3:29 am #8385
Hello all I just started a new project a 1985 evinrude 9.9 I rebuilt carb,new plugs and water pump. It starts easily and idles great but seams to be sluggish. I checked the spark and it jumps my tester gap but when i do a drop test i pull the top wire off and the motor dies, when i pull the bottom off it continues to run. Bad coil? Thanks guys, Dave
October 4, 2017 at 5:27 am #65721It could be a bad coil but it could also be something else. If all of the wire connections to the coils are clean and snug, including the ground strap which is under the coil, try switching the spark plug wires around from the top to bottom coil and vice versa. If the bottom cylinder still has no spark, I’d suspect the coil or the plug lead. The terminals inside the ends of the plug wire, especially at the spark plug end, can become loose or corroded causing a weak or no spark situation.
October 4, 2017 at 11:20 am #65725Does this engine have the coils with the removable/plug in primary leads? If so, performing Mumbles’ tests is easier. Keep in mind that those primary connections are a big source of trouble, especially in salt water. Clean off the primary coil terminals, then pinch down the primary lead connector with needle nose pliers so it fits tightly on the coil terminal.
I am assuming this engine ran OK when you water tested it the other day, and this problem has just developed.October 4, 2017 at 12:45 pm #65728Hi Fleetwin, this is another motor that I just started going over. The other 9.9 runs perfect. This does have the removable wires. It runs and idles great but didn’t seem responsive so I checked the spark again and it jumps my tester great but when I do a drop test it shuts off when top wire is pulled but continues to run the same when bottom is pulled. I will try what you guys suggest and report back. Once again thanks guys. Dave
October 4, 2017 at 1:09 pm #65732If not all ready checked, I’d say do a compression test
before going any further.Prepare to be boarded!
October 4, 2017 at 2:11 pm #65735Compression 120/121
October 4, 2017 at 5:19 pm #65740OK, so this is NOT the engine you were asking about cooling performance…
Like others have said, let’s not skip the basics so we can avoid confusion…
Well, the compression seems good…
You say it runs and idles great, but didn’t seem responsive….Seems like a bit of a contradiction….
You report no drop in RPM when pulling one of the plug wires, which would indicate a dead cylinder….You say the spark jumps your tester great, am assuming this is while cranking, not while running, is this assumption correct?
Do you have one of the peak reading voltmeters, so you can do running output tests?
If not, you could try those inline spark neon testers or a timing light to monitor spark while the engine is running. There may in fact be one dead cylinder, but the problem might not be spark related…I am assuming you have replaced the plugs, try different ones even if the plugs are new…Just because the plugs are new, doesn’t mean they (one of them) isn’t defective….
I just don’t want to lead you down the wrong path….DonOctober 4, 2017 at 6:56 pm #65743Thanks Don, When I say runs I mean in a barrel at idle, no noticable miss. Idles well but when throttled up it just seamed sluggish compared to the other 9.9s I have done, which is what prompted me to recheck the spark and do a drop test as well as another set of new plugs. When I get home I will check all the coil connections and try again, I do have another coil that I’m going to try as well. I don’t have a peak reading voltmeter but think I probably should get one as most of the 50 motors I received from my friend are “newer” motors and they have been making me question my mechanical abilities. Gotta love the old ones. I feel competent with the old ones but not so much with the newer ones. Thanks for your time, Dave
October 4, 2017 at 8:46 pm #65745Don’t be afraid of this newer stuff, most times it can be diagnosed without fancy meters such as the PRV.
Again, you claim the engine sparks on both cylinders while doing your cranking test, is this correct? Did you have the spark tester set to about 7/16-.5" gap? You have replaced the plugs twice, so that rules them out…
Is this one a fresh or salt water engine? Check the coil and pack grounds using an ohm meter on the low ohms scale, anything over 1.0 ohms indicates a bad ground. Check those coil primary connections as well. Does the engine look as if is has overheated? If so, does the ignition wiring that lays on the block look melted or repaired? If so, perhaps there is a faulty splice/connection/repair that occurs as the mag plate moves the wiring during spark advance. It is a good idea to do the stop switch elimination test as well. Although a partially shorted stop switch would most likely affect both cylinders, never say never with electrical stuff. For this test, you will need the amphenol tools to push the black stop switch lead out of its rubber connector, please do not cut the leads to do this test.
If no problems are found during the spark test, grounds, stop switch elimination, visual wiring inspection, then I would use either a timing light or those inline neon spark indicators to see if you are losing spark to either cylinder when the throttle is advanced. Just be careful when using those inline neon testers, they can short to the block easily causing inaccurate conclusions. We can go on from there using Mumble’s simple testing procedures if you conclude that spark is actually dropping on one cylinder.
Finally, the only thing I didn’t mention was the removable spark plug leads themselves. Perhaps one of the plug leads is chafed, or has a lousy boot terminal connection, which is very common. I would pull apart that 5 pin amphenol connector and inspect the pins/sockets, sometimes they back out of the boots causing a lousy connection, or perhaps the pin/socket crimp has broken off, it is best to push all the leads out of both sides for a complete inspection. Use only alcohol to lubricate the boots/pins/sockets to easy disassembly. Using WD40 or other spray lubes will create a partial short circuit that will cause trouble down the road…..D -
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