Holley Cow!

Captain Chaos

The Doc
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
8,288
Would anyone recommend having a low pressure pump for my merc..... just to help prevent possible fuel starvation (that i've had once or twice).

It was recommended to me that i may consider a 7-10psi "red" holley or similar....which are apparantly £50 from a car shop?

thoughts please??
 
I wouldn't bother, they're electric, electric+salt water=agro!

The early XR2 came with an electric holley, which we used to ditch, remove the crankcase vacuum blanking plug and fit a regular crankcase diaphram pump.

+ they really don't like salt water in the fuel, it rusts the steel vanes within the pump into their rotor, then, motor no go.
 
It looks a lot more 'common' when it don't start at all, and you've got it in bits all over the quayside :bang: or better still, getting towed in by a fecker with tooobs coz it stopped workin.:hugegrin:
 
Fuel to a holley HAS to be clean, like you say. I just can't see the point in em
 
clear as mud!

all the boats i was in and around on sunday where rigged for ski-racing & they all had electric fuel pumps.

I cannot vouch for the condition of various bits on my engine. All i can say is that the primer bulb on my fuel hose gets limp very quick (dont repeat that around the ladies:lol:lol: ) and as i said before, i've had it starve of fuel a couple of times.

None of the for mentioned boats had Xr2s, 2 had big rudes, 2 had 2.4's and one had a newer, but otherwise identical 2.5 to mine (although he'd propped it to rev @ 6,500...naughty!). I dont know whether they still had the diaphramatic pumps or not.

what else do you lot suggest.........my pump was new 18 months ago and its done........what?......50 hrs?
 
If your primer is going limp, or gettin sucked flat, there's nowt wrong wit ya poomp, you have a restriction 'upstream' of the primer somewhere.
 
limp bulb

Jon I assure you that there's no blockage.

If the bulb was going soft and the engine started, then i'd agree that its sucking good & propper but it dont unless i get one of passengers to give it a good squeeze.

mind you...........i do think its high time i had the carbs cleaned!

far too many innuendos in this thread............maybe i'm just way too childish!
 
I'm confused, does the primer bulb stay the right shape (bulbous) when you're gunning it? or does it tend to go flat, or miss shaped
 
gunning it!

thats a cool boat name!

Problem (1) when i have engine off for a couple of minutes (i.e whilst one of me plum mates is faffing around putting ski's on or getting back in the boat..........I invariable have to pump bulb otherwise the engine will take an absolute age to pull fuel through, if at all.

Problem (2) The few times i've had flat enough water (and sturdy enough undies on) i WILL get starvation, if i come of the throttle, it tends to all catch up with itself again. but the bulb whilst remaining in shape, will be soft as poo!

Problem (3) as every tom dick n harry seems to highly recommending me removing the oil injection. Lack of fuel at WOT also means no oil and i don't like the sound of that!

:up: Jonny:worthy:
 
Re: gunning it!

Captain Chaos said:
thats a cool boat name!

Problem (1) when i have engine off for a couple of minutes (i.e whilst one of me plum mates is faffing around putting ski's on or getting back in the boat..........I invariable have to pump bulb otherwise the engine will take an absolute age to pull fuel through, if at all.

This isn't right, and isn't as simple as just fuel pump. your float chambers should still be full from running before you turned it off

Problem (2) The few times i've had flat enough water (and sturdy enough undies on) i WILL get starvation, if i come of the throttle, it tends to all catch up with itself again. but the bulb whilst remaining in shape, will be soft as poo!

Again this could be all sorts of stuff, partially blocked jets, wrong float level, or indeed the fuel pump/plumbing

Problem (3) as every tom dick n harry seems to highly recommending me removing the oil injection. Lack of fuel at WOT also means no oil and i don't like the sound of that!

Agree! although if you run petroil mix, when the motor hesitates, or dies, at least you know you haven't got any oil lubing it, if your autolube gives up, you might not even know
:up: Jonny:worthy:
 
OOOH!

Jon,

Do you think that if/when i get it serviced, I get the carbs cleaned and adjusted this will mostly (if not wholey) solve the problem??

Just a thought, Coz the fletchers always been so arse heavy (especially when someones on the platform) sometimes the top exhaust is submerged, would this possible suck water and cause a wee bit of grief when starting?

So who does run a merc on an electric pump on this forum then?
 
No, I wouldn't think so, it should burst into life as soon a s you touch the key
 
Captain Worried!

Jon,

dont sit on the fence, are you trying to imply that i'm the proud owner of one shagged engine??

If this Q&A session gets any longer, i'm gonna lend you me spanners, wheel you round to mine and make you do the phantom!

I'll lure you there with the promiss of endless tea & biccies!

:tea:
 
Sorry, I read the post again, and my answer wasn't intended to sound the way it did.

I suspect you have multiple fuel system faults, ...all small, but together you get what you've got.

quite simply, if your primer bulb goes in any way limp, or sucked at all out of round, you have a restriction somewhere, this could easily cause your problem at top end.

If your carbs are draining down somehow (and I can't imagine how) that'll be your starting problem.

Also, as Matt said, if you have the tinyest air leak, and you idle for a while, the level in the carbs will drop(it's way easier to draw air than fuel, and at tickover it's only taking little gobs of fuel), this could be causing another whole load of symptoms.

Once it's on ya P21. with nice new fuel system (get a nice water separator) then it's time to fix the rest.
 
We do indeed use a pulse or mechanical pump on the race boat having stopped whilst in the lead of the 2 race of the european championships bya fair margin in 2000 in Cowes with Derek Basham (driving) - it wouldn't have been so bad but we had already won the first race and I think 4th place would have been enough to be European Champions :angry:

Some people use electrics - mainlyn red holleys I think although I believe you should run a regulator otherwise it can over power the cut offs and flood the engine.
 
Fuel Pumps

Hi Captain,

Got the new Phantom then? How is she? Any pics? I run a Mercury XR2 with a Holly Electric Fuel Pump. Its a red one! Not sure exactly what it is but could post the part number here if it helps.

My boat came like that and Carly Baby used to race it like that. Personally i have had no problems with the electric pump myself and its a better pose not having to crawl to back of the boat to prime the engine.

However a a couple of friends have also advised me to replace the electric pump with a mechanical one - reasons given have been reliablity and the fact that the ones guys battery went flat whilst he was out, meaning he couldnt start the engine.

They reckon they can manually pull start an XR2 personally I have trouble with a 3 cyclinder 50HP engine! Let alone a V6 on an emergancy strating cord.

Like I say no trouble thus far - if it broke I would way up the cost of a new electric one vs a mechanical one.

Regarding the fuel bulb - Had the same problem on our Susuki 100HP on the phantom 16. Replaced the fuel line from the tank to the engine including the fuel bulb with a pre built new one and the problem was solved.

I can only speak from experience but I dont change the wiring without first changing the (Light) Bulb!

Stewart
 
Phantom

Cheers Jon,

Thats my plan anyhow, so the panic will be delyaed for a couple of weeks!


Stewart,

pics of me picking the phantom up all already on this sight under the thread "Shazzaaamm" or somthing like that.

This fit-out bit will take some time me thinks.......the next 3 weeks are littered with weddings, aniversarys, birthdays blah feckin blah!!!!!


I tried to get a few postboned, but some people can really be awkward!!!:well:
 
Been doing the wedding thang too! everyone seems to be signing their life away! Hence missed the post regarding your new toy. She looks beautiful mate - bet u r well happy :D. They dont fit it out at all then? Reddish Marine delivered our new Phantom 16 with everything installed. R U fitting it out yourself ?
 
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