Timing? Hard Start.

My '80 Nautique has some hard starting issues when the engine is warm. Starts like a champ when putting in and runs like a raped ape out on the water. However, when operating temp is reached, trying to re-start is not happening. No hydro-lock-I pulled the plugs and cranked her over-no H20. What I suspect is happening is the timing is to far advanced, and after about three hard cranks the starter is getting hot and dragging. New starter, cables and battery. New ignition components. This is very fundamental, however it has been forever since I timed an engine. Could someone give me a rudimentary walk-through of this process on the 351 PCM. I have not even bought a light yet, so even recommendations for that would be helpful. Any help I would be very thankful for. Cheers, and many thanks.

Remove the coil lead, if it then spins over well when hot, that you indeed have too much initial; else, if the symptom remains, your starter/cables/battery are still suspect.

i was having the same problem earlier this summer. i had a hard time starting up when warm (but it would crank). i thought the whole time it was a fuel problem, but it turned out an electrical ground problem. mine would sometimes crank when releasing the key. i had a wire missing from the starter relay to the ignition resistor. if your timing comes out okay, you might have a ground problem somewhere.

Bill, how did you solve your ground/ missing wire problem?

bill1 wrote: Poster112, After running engine on trailer after the renew kit was put in, engine was still not cranking immediately when hitting the key. it would crank, but not at the touch of the key. the guy who put the kit in for me noticed that sometimes when releasing the key, the engine would then start. that is when he realized i had an electrical problem and a ground wire missing. he made a wire up and put it from the ground side of my starter relay (solenoid) to the ground side of my ignition resistor(long skinny rectangular box right above the starter relay). now i crank each time i hit the key IMMEDIATELY. this missing wire is probably the reason the guy i bought this boat from sold it since it has been missing for the whole 3 years i had the boat.

there is no ground side to the ignition resistor as you call it. That is the ballast resistor and you have other wiring issue's, five bucks say's that your igintion system is hot even with the key off.

And don't confuse ignition switch/key with an ignition system aka distributor, coil, ballast resitor and so forth.

And lastly please offer advice only when you realy no what the hell your talking about and not some shade tree jack ass BS. Doing what you suggest is very risky and can ruin an ignition system.

79, i am not offering advice. just answereing poster's question. i am not confusing my parts mentoined above. if i don't know what they are called, and most of the time i don't, i will look at skidim.com to find the correct names. i wired the right side of the starter relay to the right side of the ignition resistor. cranks every time. so you're saying there's not supposed to be a wire where i put it?

bill1 wrote: i wired the right side of the starter relay to the right side of the ignition resistor. cranks every time. so you're saying there's not supposed to be a wire where i put it?

Thats correct. The ignition system (ballast resistor, coil, distributor) should be getting 12V when the key is in the start or on positions only. That should be a purple wire (IGN). The wires on the solenoid come from the battery- so I think '79 is right when he guessed that your ignition is hot all the time (not good). FYI, there is no ground lug on the solenoid or ballast resistor.

If the boat would start as you released the ignition switch from the start position, Im betting you need a new switch. You can confirm that by checking to see if you have 12V at the ballast resistor when cranking (remove the jumper from the solenoid first). If you dont, then get a new switch.

This diagram is good for '83-84 and newer PCM's with the internally regulated alt and voltmeter (no ammeter). You can ignore the kill switch: