496HO Engine performance issue.... opinions needed

[Mcob25rg]

I can’t wait to hear the outcome. I’ve had 4 of these - present one with 475 hours, no troubles

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

her



HERE AGAIN

Thought you'd get a kick out of hearing what the bill I just got from my earlier Yelp located mechanic.... the one I basically had change my oil/ filter on Friday and rode with me for diagnostics ..... the invoice his wife just emailed me is $1003.00. I just spent an hour cleaning up all his grime vinyl prints and basic sloppiness after he departed Friday. Didn't even turn off batteries or place cover back on. I'm not calling these two clowns today for sure.... gonna cool down before I have one of my grown ass man talks with them. Shady. Only in Newport.

 

[Lavey 29]

Hell I need to move west then cause everything in Cali is way over priced and expensive. And I actually can fix this stuff hourly - daily - weekly - yearly

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Hell I need to move west then cause everything in Cali is way over priced and expensive. And I actually can fix this stuff hourly - daily - weekly - yearly

I'll hang that invoice on a PM for ya in morning... unbelievable.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Hell I need to move west then cause everything in Cali is way over priced and expensive. And I actually can fix this stuff hourly - daily - weekly - yearly

Little update for you.... the new mechanic just found this while inspecting fuel system this morning.....paint, just like you said my friend. Impressive advice! Now he's calling around for a new fuel pump. Thinks that should take care of issue. He'll also do some checking on whether this Gen 3 engine is still able to get the Merc warranty on this paint chip stuff as a couple of you tech guys had mentioned.

 

[Singleton]

Little update for you.... the new mechanic just found this while inspecting fuel system this morning.....paint, just like you said my friend. Impressive advice! Now he's calling around for a new fuel pump. Thinks that should take care of issue. He'll also do some checking on whether this Gen 3 engine is still able to get the Merc warranty on this paint chip stuff as a couple of you tech guys had mentioned.

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more then fuel pump.
if under warranty, pump and injectors gets replaced. You pay Labor.
if not under warranty, make sure you clear that entire fuel system and check injectors

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

more then fuel pump.
if under warranty, pump and injectors gets replaced. You pay Labor.
if not under warranty, make sure you clear that entire fuel system and check injectors

Appreciate that... I am forwarding all these comments onto my tech. He is open to feedback which is promising from my perspective. Good dude.

 

[Lavey 29]

the injectors will be packed with paint. promise do this everyday

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

the injectors will be packed with paint. promise do this everyday

Thank man... just let him know.

 

[Shlbyntro]

Yes. Should absolutely qualify for warranty with that picture. Dont let him tell you any different.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Yes. Should absolutely qualify for warranty with that picture. Dont let him tell you any different.

Very cool thanks. Circle back when I get more info.

 

[707dog]

the mercruiser gen 3 cool fuel is in many mercruiser apps not just the 496. -- the gen 3 cool fuel was installed on all 2006 model year and up. 2005 and back the Merc did not even have a GEN 3 cool fuel.

For many who do not know --- all marine OEM stock engines go by engine serial numbers per how they are set up -- per how a tech services and repair procedure -- per what service manuals are used and related parts per that engine serial number to buy and install.

All Boaters need to know their engine serial number. So why would I stress this so much. Lets use the 496 Mercruiser for an example. a 2001 496 is not the same as 2002 / 2003 model year nor is a 2004 model year the same nor is a 2006 model year the same nor is the 2008 California CARB EMISSION CONTROLED 496 engine the same -- barely anything is the same here for that engine. Then we have the 2010 496 totally different again not the same as any past 496 s. The 496 has many changes per engine serial number runs thru out its life 2001 - 2010 marine world. Just saying

If you have a GEN 3 cool fuel -- you will have issues 1000 percent with paint peeling in the upper portion of the cool fuel gen 3 - it will be all around the fuel pressure regulator and all in the injectors. ( the black shedding paint ). This issue has taken place from model years 2006 thru 2018 for all gen 3 cool fuels. Back in 2007 and unheard of --- but finding this issue out because I serviced fuel injectors for 15 years now. Anyways in 2007 on a Merc 496 - spring commission - poor running engine for a jist - I pulled the fuel injectors out to examine. I found black paint in the fuel injectors. To my surprise I called around to other techs and including you know who to ask how in the hell is large black paint flakes getting in the fuel injectors. Short story was in spring 2007 --- basically deer in the headlites was the answers I was getting at that timeframe. Low and behold as we all know --- all gen 3 cool fuels sheds paint like no tomorrow.

any distinctive marking on the module that would tell you GEN 2 vs GEN 3 or is it based off serial #s? if serial #s is there a database that would give me that info say a serial # (55555 and up) has the issue or vise versa

 

[Shlbyntro]

The gen2 cool fuel is the pump that is mounted under the port motor mount and the engine will still have a spin on fuel filter.

The gen 3 cool fuel is the entire pump assembly that is mounted on the stbd side of the motor towards the front and has a handle on the fuel filter housing that is removable with 3x 10mm bolts.

As far as the gen3 fuel pumps go, it's not a perfect system but works for the most part. If you have a blue drain plug on the front of the fuel pump housing then you have the updated fuel pump already. The top cap that has the fuel pump wires coming from it will be a dull grey. If it is a glossy black top cap then it is painted and this is the one that will shed paint into the fuel system

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Yes. Should absolutely qualify for warranty with that picture. Dont let him tell you any different.

These fuel modules aren't cheap either..... $1900

 

[Shlbyntro]

These fuel modules aren't cheap either..... $1900

The fuel injectors are $300-$400 a pop times 8 as well.

 

[Singleton]

These fuel modules aren't cheap either..... $1900

that Is the cheap part.
i was at 2k for all the labor, excluding the parts.
then again, I had a full Service done when all this was completed to start fresh with everything

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

that Is the cheap part.
i was at 2k for all the labor, excluding the parts.
then again, I had a full Service done when all this was completed to start fresh with everything

Oh joy.... ouch... I think I might unfollow my own thread for a few days, lol. Boats right.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Yes. Should absolutely qualify for warranty with that picture. Dont let him tell you any different.

Here's response when I pushed for warrantee consideration..... I'm bent over with no lube it appears.... After fuel injectors cleaned and new parts on and sea trial I figure best case @ appx $3500-4K.

Bill,

Again we can get your boat running if you will pay us for the time and parts but we are not a Mercruiser dealer and cannot do warranty work. Your boat is also out of the Mercruiser warranty period

Cost for the fuel module needed cost $1919.03. They are on back order with Mercruiser but should be released on 7/31/2020. Parts will need to be paid for first. If you would like to pay for the fuel module first then I will order it and wait for its release. The labor will be charged after the work is finished Please let me know your thoughts, Thanks

 

[Singleton]

Here's response when I pushed for warrantee consideration..... I'm bent over with no lube it appears.... After fuel injectors cleaned and new parts on and sea trial I figure best case @ appx $3500-4K.

Bill,

Again we can get your boat running if you will pay us for the time and parts but we are not a Mercruiser dealer and cannot do warranty work. Your boat is also out of the Mercruiser warranty period

Cost for the fuel module needed cost $1919.03. They are on back order with Mercruiser but should be released on 7/31/2020. Parts will need to be paid for first. If you would like to pay for the fuel module first then I will order it and wait for its release. The labor will be charged after the work is finished Please let me know your thoughts, Thanks

time to find another shop and verify if your fuel pump is out of warranty. A certified merc shop should be able to tell you.

Also, the all shops I have used have never made me pay for parts upfront. Parts ordered after I signed quote and payment for all parts / labor issued at pick-up.

 

[Shlbyntro]

Here's response when I pushed for warrantee consideration..... I'm bent over with no lube it appears.... After fuel injectors cleaned and new parts on and sea trial I figure best case @ appx $3500-4K.

Bill,

Again we can get your boat running if you will pay us for the time and parts but we are not a Mercruiser dealer and cannot do warranty work. Your boat is also out of the Mercruiser warranty period

Cost for the fuel module needed cost $1919.03. They are on back order with Mercruiser but should be released on 7/31/2020. Parts will need to be paid for first. If you would like to pay for the fuel module first then I will order it and wait for its release. The labor will be charged after the work is finished Please let me know your thoughts, Thanks

The fuel pumps are "gifted" to you by Mercruiser as part of a customer loyalty program,It is technically not a warranty. However, the work must be performed by a Mercruiser dealer and they must apply for you with Mercruiser on your behalf.

There is no age restriction to be able to qualify for this program so long as you engine serial number falls into the serial range that had these earlier gen3 pumps (I know yours does by the picture of the pressure regulator) and you are experiencing performance issues.

It sounds to me like you are between a rock and a hard place. On one hand you have finally found what appears to me to be a descent mechanic, which we know you have been struggling with. On the other hand, your good mechanic you have found is not a Mercruiser dealer so they can not help when it comes to this particular customer loyalty program.

It does sound to me like their prices are about in line considering with them you would have to purchase the fuel pump module vs Mercruiser gifting it to you.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

The fuel pumps are "gifted" to you by Mercruiser as part of a customer loyalty program,It is technically not a warranty. However, the work must be performed by a Mercruiser dealer and they must apply for you with Mercruiser on your behalf.

There is no age restriction to be able to qualify for this program so long as you engine serial number falls into the serial range that had these earlier gen3 pumps (I know yours does by the picture of the pressure regulator) and you are experiencing performance issues.

It sounds to me like you are between a rock and a hard place. On one hand you have finally found what appears to me to be a descent mechanic, which we know you have been struggling with. On the other hand, your good mechanic you have found is not a Mercruiser dealer so they can not help when it comes to this particular customer loyalty program.

It does sound to me like their prices are about in line considering with them you would have to purchase the fuel pump module vs Mercruiser gifting it to you.

Spot on my friend.... they've got me. I've already given into this negative situation and surrendered due to several challenges I've mentioned on the thread. Shortage of available quality mechanics is one and my rusted trailer prohibits me feeling safe about towing it around OC/ IE in search of a certified Merc dealer. Added to all of this is I've already located a buyer and taken a deposit so I'm basically just seeing this as my boats way of giving me a little fuck you send off. I've had it for 4 summers and had a blast and she didn't cost me much in repairs till now. One other key piece of this saga when I think it through is this.... If I'd sold the boat before these symptoms arouse and the new owner called me after all this occurred to him I'd feel badly. He's getting a new trailer built and is excited to be upgrading from Jet Skis so I think its a better ending to bite the bullet and hear later about how much fun he and his family are having on my old boat. Its coming out to Havasu where she belongs.... this ocean isn't really her cup of tea.... too small. Cheers and thanks again for all the sound advice. I'll post here after everything mechanically is finished.

 

[Singleton]

Spot on my friend.... they've got me. I've already given into this negative situation and surrendered due to several challenges I've mentioned on the thread. Shortage of available quality mechanics is one and my rusted trailer prohibits me feeling safe about towing it around OC/ IE in search of a certified Merc dealer. Added to all of this is I've already located a buyer and taken a deposit so I'm basically just seeing this as my boats way of giving me a little fuck you send off. I've had it for 4 summers and had a blast and she didn't cost me much in repairs till now. One other key piece of this saga when I think it through is this.... If I'd sold the boat before these symptoms arouse and the new owner called me after all this occurred to him I'd feel badly. He's getting a new trailer built and is excited to be upgrading from Jet Skis so I think its a better ending to bite the bullet and hear later about how much fun he and his family are having on my old boat. Its coming out to Havasu where she belongs.... this ocean isn't really her cup of tea.... too small. Cheers and thanks again for all the sound advice. I'll post here after everything mechanically is finished.

WOT Marine in Vista Ca did mine. If your trailer can make it to North County SD, might be worth it

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

WOT Marine in Vista Ca did mine. If your trailer can make it to North County SD, might be worth it

Appreciate that info but I'm fine with my course of action. I know I'll pay more this way but my instinct is to leave it in these guys hands doing the mobile service. I'm in too deep to reverse course.

 

[Paradox]

As mentioned before, try fresh spark plugs and changing both the disc and cartridge fuel filters. I recommend acdelco 41-983 plugs.

Pay careful attention to the spark plugs to see if there is any kind of uneven burning between different cylinders, I also always so a compression test with my tune ups for piece of mind.


That being said there is a service bulletin on your motor where paint likes to come loose from the inside of the fuel pump after the filters and gets sent down the line on the fuel system causing higher fuel pressure by clogging the fuel pressure regulator and sometimes causes erratic fuel injector behavior to where some injectors can be dumping fuel and others can not be giving enough fuel. All of which can cause the running issues you're describing

I have 350 MPI Mags with exactly this problem. Paint on the cool fuel modules has come loose on the inside making a mess. The shop is assisting with mitigating the issue which includes removing the paint and cleaning out the units (as well as the fuel lines and injectors) however, they are recommending replacing both of the units with the latest iteration of them.

While this makes sense, The units are back ordered nation wide. In addition, Mercuruser gets almost $1,300 a piece for them. Hoping I qualify for the Mercruiser part replacement program.

 

[Shlbyntro]

I have 350 MPI Mags with exactly this problem. Paint on the cool fuel modules has come loose on the inside making a mess. The shop is assisting with mitigating the issue which includes removing the paint and cleaning out the units (as well as the fuel lines and injectors) however, they are recommending replacing both of the units with the latest iteration of them.

While this makes sense, The units are back ordered nation wide. In addition, Mercuruser gets almost $1,300 a piece for them. Hoping I qualify for the Mercruiser part replacement program.

Its sounds to me like you will. The part replacement program applies to ALL mercruiser gen3 cool fuel equipped engines that have the painted caps, not just the 496s. That being said, getting these parts this summer has been terrible. Everything has been back ordered at least 3 or 4 times over. I have had some marginal luck in getting mercruiser to approve whole pumps vs just caps when only entire pumps have been available though. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help as far as questions or what not.

 

[Paradox]

Its sounds to me like you will. The part replacement program applies to ALL mercruiser gen3 cool fuel equipped engines that have the painted caps. That being said, getting these parts this summer has been terrible. Everything has been back ordered at least 3 or 4 times over. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help as far as questions or what not.

thank you.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

I have 350 MPI Mags with exactly this problem. Paint on the cool fuel modules has come loose on the inside making a mess. The shop is assisting with mitigating the issue which includes removing the paint and cleaning out the units (as well as the fuel lines and injectors) however, they are recommending replacing both of the units with the latest iteration of them.

While this makes sense, The units are back ordered nation wide. In addition, Mercuruser gets almost $1,300 a piece for them. Hoping I qualify for the Mercruiser part replacement program.

Just an fyi.... the fuel "modulator" or pump on my 496HO costs $1900.00 and was on back order from Mercury 2 weeks. Due to arrive tomorrow.

 

[Paradox]

Just an fyi.... the fuel "modulator" or pump on my 496HO costs $1900.00 and was on back order from Mercury 2 weeks. Due to arrive tomorrow.

Wow. Big block = bigger bucks. Good to hear you’re actually receiving one though. I recently heard that the small block ones have been back ordered for more than a month.

I need two so my potential exposure for the parts is $2600 plus tax. Hope it doesn’t come to that.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Wow. Big block = bigger bucks. Good to hear you’re actually receiving one though. I recently heard that the small block ones have been back ordered for more than a month.

I need two so my potential exposure for the parts is $2600 plus tax. Hope it doesn’t come to that.

Well, the service mgr informed me yesterday that they expect it tomorrow but who the hell knows frankly.... ya know how these things can go.... I figure my tab will end up just shy of $5K all in. I think they get about $150/ hr around here. I think of other things as much as possible lol. Boatings not for the meek.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Update fellas.... part finally arrived and today mechanic is at boat bolting it in and firing her up. Now I'm just hopeful there's no paint that got down stream to injectors. Waiting for his call at wash deck to hear results so far.... we'll most likely take boat out to increase load and test Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

 

[Crazyhippy]

For the future, Call Kyle @ WOT. He does mobile stuff too, and may be up to Newport on occasion.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

For the future, Call Kyle @ WOT. He does mobile stuff too, and may be up to Newport on occasion.

Appreciate that .... good techs in demand this year for sure. Lot of shenanigans going on.

Kyle has some excellent Yelp reviews so I'll hold onto his info. Thx

 

[Crazyhippy]

Appreciate that .... good techs in demand this year for sure. Lot of shenanigans going on.

Kyle has some excellent Yelp reviews so I'll hold onto his info. Thx

Fuck Yelp, he has several excellent RDP reviews!

 

[Lavey 29]

jimmy christmas cause its almost that time of year for that. This started back in April.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

jimmy christmas cause its almost that time of year for that. This started back in April.

I know.... crazy situation huh.... It took me some effort to first locate a mobile tech back in April due to covid I guess... I got a loser tech off Yelp who after 4 hours finally let me know he's really more of a diesel specialist....[you probably recall all this from thread earlier] .... then I found a suitable tech at a local yacht dealer who after speaking about all the fuel line/ paint clogging issues you shared knew what I was talking about... so his service mgr ordered Mercruiser fuel module Gen 3 on 7/30 and it arrived 8/28 and today tech is down at boat testing it at wash deck. I guess its been around 5 months since engine first began symptoms.... lol... time flies.... I'm not too twisted about it frankly.... the water I play in is so much better in fall as things cool down. I'm already putting together a Catalina run once crowds depart over this holiday weekend. Go mid week for an overnighter.

 

[02HoWaRd26]

So question, are you just swapping the cool fuel you have then running it?
I’d really saw send the injectors to someone to have cleaned inspected flowed and replace filters in them, clear all fuel lines first. Also why couldn’t the old pump be cleaned real well and reused as I thought it worked fine just plugged with paint!

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

So question, are you just swapping the cool fuel you have then running it?
I’d really saw send the injectors to someone to have cleaned inspected flowed and replace filters in them, clear all fuel lines first. Also why couldn’t the old pump be cleaned real well and reused as I thought it worked fine just plugged with paint!

These are the kind of comments that scare me lol..... I've got no idea to be frank.... when one is not tech savvy one relies on the mechanics to be their advocate. So I've already paid $2K for the part plus a couple other items needed.... fingers crossed and deep breaths at this stage. I asked him about the possibility of paint getting down stream in fuel system into injectors and he stated he's relatively confident this swap out will resolve issue but we won't know till I take it out and create the load around 3-4K rpm.... I'll be curious to hear what he learns today just firing it up at wash deck.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

So question, are you just swapping the cool fuel you have then running it?
I’d really saw send the injectors to someone to have cleaned inspected flowed and replace filters in them, clear all fuel lines first. Also why couldn’t the old pump be cleaned real well and reused as I thought it worked fine just plugged with paint!

Additionally.... the tech just called after I read your comments so I asked him about injectors etc..... He said he got good pressure off system @ 40psi and he also gave injectors a listen and they all appear to be operating fine. He was aware of what you mentioned about pulling injectors and sending them out however he is hopeful mine are running well and aren't clogged. He says they charge an awful lot for that [$300/ per] and he'd rather see if we're ok at this stage. I also asked about why the fuel pump couldn't simply have been cleaned out... he said given the age of original being 14 years old he felt best to replace. He has taken the hours to take them apart before and felt best replacing this one. He did comment that if Mercruiser was picking up the tab on parts they'd have pulled everything we're talking about and had Mercruiser pay to replace. But the warranty dealer here wanted nothing to do with my situation when I asked at the start of this all. I'll be revisiting the Mercruiser parts warranty issue after this is over with that dealer.... I'll take paper work to them and hopefully won't need my pit bull atty to handle.... but we'll see. I haven't had to use him for a while on shenanigan moves so he's most likely eager to get on someones petty ass. Thanks for your engagement on all this.

 

[Shlbyntro]

In theory, the old fuel pump can be taken apart, cleaned, and reused. But you would be opening yourself to having it happen again as it is the fuel pump itself that is shedding the paint that it is getting clogged with.

The new pumps use anodized parts rather than painted ones so that you don't have a reoccurance.

I would personally pull the injectors and have them cleaned, nobody charges $300 to go though a standard style fuel injector. A full set cleaned and bench tested for $300, that I would believe. You don't want to take the chance of leaving paint inside your fuel system. If one injector is/becomes partially blocked off by a single fleck of paint that came from your old fuel pump, you won't always notice an immediate performance issue and it is something that the engine is incapable of monitoring itself. This is the exact scenario that causes individual lean cylinders and catastrophically kills so many 496s in the boat world.

Don't chance it, pull em and clean em.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

In theory, the old fuel pump can be taken apart, cleaned, and reused. But you would be opening yourself to having it happen again as it is the fuel pump itself that is shedding the paint that it is getting clogged with.

The new pumps use anodized parts rather than painted ones so that you don't have a reoccurance.

I would personally pull the injectors and have them cleaned, nobody charges $300 to go though a standard style fuel injector. A full set cleaned and bench tested for $300, that I would believe. You don't want to take the chance of leaving paint inside your fuel system. If one injector is/becomes partially blocked off by a single fleck of paint that came from your old fuel pump, you won't always notice an immediate performance issue and it is something that the engine is incapable of monitoring itself. This is the exact scenario that causes individual lean cylinders and catastrophically kills so many 496s in the boat world.

Don't chance it, pull em and clean em.

This. Injector cleaning is very cheap insurance.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

In theory, the old fuel pump can be taken apart, cleaned, and reused. But you would be opening yourself to having it happen again as it is the fuel pump itself that is shedding the paint that it is getting clogged with.

The new pumps use anodized parts rather than painted ones so that you don't have a reoccurance.

I would personally pull the injectors and have them cleaned, nobody charges $300 to go though a standard style fuel injector. A full set cleaned and bench tested for $300, that I would believe. You don't want to take the chance of leaving paint inside your fuel system. If one injector is/becomes partially blocked off by a single fleck of paint that came from your old fuel pump, you won't always notice an immediate performance issue and it is something that the engine is incapable of monitoring itself. This is the exact scenario that causes individual lean cylinders and catastrophically kills so many 496s in the boat world.

Don't chance it, pull em and clean em.

Oh I get it..... I'm on it then. Thanks.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

... additionally, you guys were correct .... there is an open Mercuiser warrantee situation pertaining to this fuel system issue with paint peeling and clogging system. I have a Gen 3 ..... I am now identifying a means to collect the ~$2K fuel module part cost.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Ran boat today after fuel pump install.... was hoping for a break but alas..... two beeps alarm every 2-5 minutes.... water temp stayed at normal [ish] 165.... but under load she still ain't all there.... turned her around and headed to dock rather than cause issues. Guessing next is to pull injectors like you guys indicated. Feedback always appreciated fellas..... thanks. I obviously am still not dealing with a top Merc tech here ... but he's coachable. He did say after replacing fuel pump he'd recommend pulling injectors as an insurance policy.
I'll get his estimate this week and let ya know what it is.....

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Maybe I missed it when thumbing through your post but a leak down test will be much more complete to insure full seal. Checks valve seal, ring seal, headgasket, cracked cylinder or head, etc.

Second a member friend here had a 496 with an injector issue and had similarsymptoms. sending them out after 500hrs of ethanol fuel for cleaning and flow bench is not very expensive. Think last 8 I sent out was around $300

Good luck

Looks like after several mths dicking with Mercruiser parts delivery we've now arrived at getting fuel rail/ injectors cleaned. Another three weeks wait for his schedule but whatever ... just wanna get boat running again. Blew most of summer.

 

[Singleton]

Looks like after several mths dicking with Mercruiser parts delivery we've now arrived at getting fuel rail/ injectors cleaned. Another three weeks wait for his schedule but whatever ... just wanna get boat running again. Blew most of summer.

i believe WOT Marine in Vista CA (relocated from Carlsbad) have the equipment, but shop is slammed when I talked to Kyle today

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

I have 350 MPI Mags with exactly this problem. Paint on the cool fuel modules has come loose on the inside making a mess. The shop is assisting with mitigating the issue which includes removing the paint and cleaning out the units (as well as the fuel lines and injectors) however, they are recommending replacing both of the units with the latest iteration of them.

While this makes sense, The units are back ordered nation wide. In addition, Mercuruser gets almost $1,300 a piece for them. Hoping I qualify for the Mercruiser part replacement program.

Update? I'm getting rail & injectors pulled and cleaned in 3 weeks..... new fuel pump finally came from Mercruiser and after installed it still has issues.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

In theory, the old fuel pump can be taken apart, cleaned, and reused. But you would be opening yourself to having it happen again as it is the fuel pump itself that is shedding the paint that it is getting clogged with.

The new pumps use anodized parts rather than painted ones so that you don't have a reoccurance.

I would personally pull the injectors and have them cleaned, nobody charges $300 to go though a standard style fuel injector. A full set cleaned and bench tested for $300, that I would believe. You don't want to take the chance of leaving paint inside your fuel system. If one injector is/becomes partially blocked off by a single fleck of paint that came from your old fuel pump, you won't always notice an immediate performance issue and it is something that the engine is incapable of monitoring itself. This is the exact scenario that causes individual lean cylinders and catastrophically kills so many 496s in the boat world.

Don't chance it, pull em and clean em.

Great info thanks.... so spoke to mechanic and he's handing me off to a 30 year tech who has machine to clean rail & injectors.... spoke to him, he's three weeks out on schedule and will only charge $150 to clean and 2 hours to take off and re install. So basically a cheap fix at ~$500. Gonna sit back and have a Coke and a smile and hope this last effort will have her running strong again by Oct 1st. Appreciate all your input on the madness that was the marine industry this summer. Looking forward to prospect of less people on my local waters this fall on OC coast.

 

[Paradox]

Update? I'm getting rail & injectors pulled and cleaned in 3 weeks..... new fuel pump finally came from Mercruiser and after installed it still has issues.

The shop I used could not get Mercruiser to replace the pumps. That said, the temp. measure they brought to bear (disassemble, media blast off the paint, clean lines/injectors, new o rings and reassemble) is holding and the boat is running extremely well. Just got back from a full week at Havasu and was pleasantly surprised that I had no issues of any kind.

I reached out as well on this matter and am pretty disappointed that Mercruiser wouldn’t replace.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

In theory, the old fuel pump can be taken apart, cleaned, and reused. But you would be opening yourself to having it happen again as it is the fuel pump itself that is shedding the paint that it is getting clogged with.

The new pumps use anodized parts rather than painted ones so that you don't have a reoccurance.

I would personally pull the injectors and have them cleaned, nobody charges $300 to go though a standard style fuel injector. A full set cleaned and bench tested for $300, that I would believe. You don't want to take the chance of leaving paint inside your fuel system. If one injector is/becomes partially blocked off by a single fleck of paint that came from your old fuel pump, you won't always notice an immediate performance issue and it is something that the engine is incapable of monitoring itself. This is the exact scenario that causes individual lean cylinders and catastrophically kills so many 496s in the boat world.

Don't chance it, pull em and clean em.

Spot on... I found a guy who will pull rail & injectors, clean and put back on engine.... all for $450. He's booked three weeks out so I'll be using him if I can't get Merc to send me new ones. Negotiations now in play.... actually thats not right term ..... Merc is gonna let me know if I qualify for their free parts love plan, lol.

 

[Outdrive1]

Your symptoms sound like a water pressure sensor or water pressure issue. Then its going into guardian mode. I don’t see cleaning your injectors making any difference in the alarm or fixing the running issue.


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