Just wondering if anyone can put me onto a good two stoke engine mechanic who would be prepared to come and see if my Vire 7 is salvageable. Problem previously with it was that it ran ok but wouldn't idle in neutral. It then seemed to be leaking fuel from around the throttle stop area and also from the bottom of the carby. I replaced the carby, fuel lines and filter and the boat ran ok. Came back 2 weeks later the engine started ok, can get full revs whilst in neutral but when you put it in gear I can only achieve half revs. The engine seems to start easily initially and run ok in neutral but the plug seems to get quite fouled very quickly and is fairly wet with fuel. I have checked at the bottom of the carby where the fuel line connects and the wire strainer there is clean with no sign of blockages. I don't have an ear for engines so have not had any success in trying to adjust the carby. Would just like a mechanic to have a look this what I need to do or tell me its stuffed. Obviously happy to pay a reasonable hourly rate for someone prepared to help.
Sorry, I can't help with recommending a mechanic. But are you say you have a PETROL engine INSIDE your boat? This would scare the crap out of me. You can never ever ever ever afford to have any sort of fuel leak. You can never afford to have any sort of Exhaust leak. I would recommend installing CO monitors and be very aware of ventilation if you are motoring your boat with a tail wind blowing the exhaust fumes back onto to the boat. Or even leaving the motor running when you are at an anchorage with no breeze about. An engine room exhaust blower should be run for a while prior to starting the engine to ensure there is no build up of flammable vapour in the engine bay. Any sparks caused during the engine start process could be detrimental .Sorry to sound a bit grim.
Sorry MrMac, Crusoe's right, petrol leaks inside a boat can lead to disaster. Get it fixed pronto.
Sounds like crankshaft seals to me. These need to be in good condition for the engine to develop power but otherwise the engine might seem OK but hard to start. If you are in Manly Brisbane I'd just be interested to have a look at the engine just to satisfy my curiosity.
Scrubby
+1 for crankcase seals. If a two-stroke starts and runs ok but lacks working power, you've got an air leak. If the fuel system isn't the culprit, it'll be crankshaft seals or the seal joining the two halves of the crank case. While petrol engines are less common, less popular in Oz, they're still widely utilised and more accepted in the USA and Europe. Other comments about use of bilge blowers etc are very relevant.
