😂 Zach, you forgot to mention you have to put the ignition module into base timing. You do this by connecting the two white wires on the shunt of the distributor together and bypassing the stall, pivot wires together the pink and the white wire just behind the carburetor between the valve cover and carburetor then you set your timing to 2° before top dead center on any 3 L mercury.
Hello Zach this was the best video I could find on adjusting the timing on my 4.3 mercruiser. I followed every step and I still couldn't get me engine to fire up. It was working perfectly when I bought the boat. I had the carburator rebuilt and had someone help me install. It didn't crank over so he messed with the distributor because he said the timing was off. My boat never started after that.
Hi Michael, I don't know how the timing would be off until "someone" touches the distributor. Seems like the timing is definitely off now. Try figuring out the actual timing of the pistons, crankshaft, camshaft/valves, and distributor. Mine did not fire up even when I thought my distributor was really close, then I adjusted it several times till it fired up.
stick a camera in the spark plug holes so you can see when piston 1 is top dead center. and make sure that lines up with the timing mark on the harmonic balancer
I just bought an '86 19' aluminum Sylvan with a 3.0 mercruiser. The owner fired it up on land and it ran well from what I could tell, he had also replaced many parts too. I'm an automotive tech but don't know all the intricacies of marine engines even though the 3.0 is pretty close to an automotive engine. I'll be going over the boat this winter (hopefully I can get it in the water ONCE before things freeze up at least), but if not I'm going to dig into it and check over everything. I'm glad I found your channel as you have already answered so many of my questions in your videos! Thanks for sharing this stuff.
I'm chasing an upper engine level tapping noise in a 2003 3.0 Mercruiser fixer-upper I bought. Previous owner had fuel pump changed out and I adjusted tappets to no avail. I'm going to check timing to make sure firing order is 1342 with rotor on #1 TDC. Very good video you made!
Thank you for taking the time to post this video! I never knew about the mark at the base of the distributor that has put on when the engine was first assembled. That information alone was worth the time to watch your video!
I am working on exactly the same engine right now and let me tell you! I've purchased two manuals from two different companies for reference but I prefer to check your videos and I keep coming back! I have mentioned your channel to a couple of friends and I hope that your channel continues to grow and last but not least. I've subscribed to your channel a couple of weeks ago and want to say thank you! great job!
I had actually tried later connecting the wires to put it in base timing mode but the timing reading still came back the same. So I think you're right! 😂
Such great video and how did you get so smart so young!!! My boat won’t start and I had placed the spark plug wires in the wrong order by mistake. After trying unsuccessfully to start it, got the service manual and realized my problem but now that I fixed it I have no spark, changed cap n rotor, wires n spark plugs again. Nada!! Watching ur video I realized I had no clue about the timing. Thank you so much for making such a quality video! I had watched others and was about to take the boat in for service cus I felt like I couldn’t do it. Now I’m gonna charge on!!!
Great video! Clear and concise. I’ve been wanting to set the timing on my 3.0 for a while but never found a good video on it until this one. A million thanks!!!
Zach don't even know you aside from a few videos but just wanted to say nice job, keep up with the positive attitude and I hope you and your family are doing well during these crazy times. Stay safe!
Zach, thanks for these great videos. Question for your: I have a 1986 Mercruiser 170, with a pretty similar distributor setup. I am getting strong spark coming out of my ignition coil, with no spark going to the spark plugs. Could this be due to the timing being off? Thanks.
Hello. My name is Pedro and I am writing to you from Spain I have no idea of English, I have seen all the restoration of your boat, very good job! I wonder if you could send me an explanation of how to set up the distributor with the engine to make the tune up. I personally keep the boat but this is a subject that I do not understand. Thank you very much in advance. Greetings
My 3.0 would spark knock at full throttle, I had to put the engine in base timing to get it to factory spec which was 2 degrees BTDC. I had trouble finding this video on TH-cam and had to learn by trial and error.
Hi Zach, great video. I just have one question. I purchased a new distributor for the same 3.0 litre engine. Is it possible to pull the old distributor and just drop the new one in if I have all the markings in the same position?
I follow all your videos on mercruiser, do you have the route for shift cable coming from transom to the boat on mercruiser alpha one gen1 , rely i apreciate all step by step instructions , excellent as usual
How fast did this boat end up Going with the 130 in it? I’m trying to determine if mine is tuned properly. BTW I am grateful to you for this series you created.
Zach, Im so thankful for all your awesome movies regarding the rebuild of your Mercruiser! Been waiting a long time for this video! :) Best regards from Sweden
@@barry.anderberg You are correct, I do not show it in the video. I have tried both ways off-camera. Ultimately the calibration is whatever works best for your engine. The check with the timing guns helps you get close to 5 to 10 degrees BTC. Without the shunt (base timing mode), the timing advance will increase at higher RPMS. at 750 rpms you should see a reading pretty close to what you would see in base timing mode.
i have a mercrusier 3.0 and after i run it for about 15 min or so and try to turn it off its doesn't want to shut all the way like it want to but it dont so i have to choke it out with fuel to ahut it off ....do you have any ideas of what it could be
So I’ve got a 1986 sea ray seville with a mercruiser 170hp engine and the 3.0 stern drive I believe. I have to do a full rebuild on both of them. Is it the same as yours? I’m having trouble finding the rebuild kit.
Ok so if u are just replacing the cap and rotor… do you still have to do the timing? And would having the spark plugs out of sequence and attempting to start it repeatedly, ruin anything? Cus I still don’t have spark… 🤦🏻♀️
Really great video , Also have a 3.0 mercruiser but from 2006. I think I have the same problem . I can never start it if I don't give it some throttle. But today when I put it back in water after being on land for almost 6 month , it runs great on neutral, engine won't shut down and it runs fine but suddenly it started to backfire a couple of times and when I put in gear I won't let me speed up I can only run it on forward /reverse on minimum speed . 😣 It feels like it want to go but something is holding it back , I can put gear in with no problem , and run it in neutral with higher rpm all that seems fine.
hmmm, I wonder if the choke gets stuck. Have you tried removing the flame arrestor to see if the choke flap is opening all the way up when you begin to throttle in gear?
@@ZachsGarage1 thank you sir. I'm going to try this today after work. I'll start with removing the flame arrestor and look if it's open all the way when I throttle in gear. If it seems fine I'll try to adjust the distributor. I'll let you know how it went . All the oils are changed , And filters. I changed fuel , and fuel hose. I also bought new spark plugs and changed them. The belts were not tight enough so tighten them . I removed the propeller during winter and cleaned the under part. I've put new grease and changed the anode sitting behind the propeller to a new one .
@@ZachsGarage1 I removed the flame arrestor and opened and closed the flap by hand and I noticed it's out of adjustment. It would not open all the way up. And if its open all the way up it never closes in any gear . I adjusted it a little and went out for a ride. I could hit 30 knots in no time , the acceleration was amazing . 2600 rpm on 12 knots 400 rpm on neutral /idle . I took some picture so I remember to write it. 30 knots is max for my boat I think . I never passed 30-32 knots . I am really grateful man ! Thank so much for your help . It amazing how you helped me through the comments . Wish the best for you ! And keep the good videos coming !
Super video ... i understan more . i juste buy a Larson 18.5 with volvo penta (but gm 3,0l motor) same as your`s and turn bad ! i will check this thanks
One of the very few “mystical” folks some of us only hear about 😂, that have 3.0 engines that can run @750rpms, AND run so smoothly that it can sit on pieces of wood without shaking right off! I dream of an engine that smooth. 🇨🇦👍🏼😂
If I'm being honest, with it in the boat with the added load of the outdrive (even in neutral) I honestly have to idle up more like 900 to 1,000 rpm for it to stay smooth
@@ZachsGarage1 By "idle up" you just mean throttle up, correct? As in you're not adjusting your idle screw so that it just idles in neutral that quickly. I believe idling too quickly is bad for the gear box is that right? Thanks again!
@@FfirePlug there's always a notch, your mechanic will need to scrape around the harmonic Balancer with a wire brush or sandpaper. I bet it's covered in rust, grime or cooked grease, but it's there, it's gotta be cleaned it up completely.
Hi Zach, great videos! I'm currently rebuilding a Merc 3.7 and I'm ready to start it up before I get it back into the boat. Do you have a link that describes the basic setup to run the engine outside of the boat? Seems like the kind of thing I should be able to easily find but I'm coming up empty. Keep the videos coming, they are really helpful! Thanks
I might have to make a video on that in the future! for the wiring, I jumped pins 5 and 6 together, then connected battery (-) to an engine stud, and battery (+) to the starter. the pins are numbered on the wiring harness And then rigged up a switch to engage the starter
If you want to make the timing marks more visible, apply white grease and then wipe it off...the white grease will stay deposited in the numbers and you can read them ; )
Hi zach, i know it's been a while since your video was made but i have a quick question. My mercruiser isn't advancing or retarding when i accelerate. I am unable to find what unit does the electronic advancement. Do you know if it's the distributor module that does this ? I suspect mine may be faulty.
Zach thanks so much for the great video extremely informative and easy to follow. I have a question my Bayliner is stalling out and only starts when I put it in neutral and throttle it up. When I back off to Idol it’s stalls. It runs fine when the ravens are up but anytime my back off it stalls. I suspect it is a faulty IACV. Can you show me how to diagnose fix or replace this valve?
Should the notch on the harmonic balancer be lined up with 0deg on tab or with (in my case) the 6 ? I ask because my engine says 6BTDC on the timing reference found on the valve cover spec sticker.
Hei Zach. I have loved watching your videos. I have a 1999 Bayliner Capri here in Norway which I am working on. I have a question regarding base timing mode. I read that I should bypass the shift interrupt switch, connect the harness together at and link the two white sockets coming off the distrubutor to put the engine in base timing mode. I did that and then I set the timing to 2 deg atdc. Having done that i reconnected the bypass and the connection between the white cables. I went out tonight, the engine ran lovely all the way out but started misfiring and backfiring on the way back. So much so that I had to run home verry slowly. Any idea what i have done wrong? Olaf
Thanks for the comment, Olaf! It's interesting it was only misfiring on your way back. If the timing was off I would have expected it to misfire on your way out as well. Was the misfiring only at low idle? or was it misfiring at higher rpm's?
@@ZachsGarage1 I fould the problem. There was an intermittent fault in the harness between the coil and the distributor. When I touched the wire the motor died, when I released the wire the motor sprang pact to life. I have made a temporary fix and ordered a replacement. All smooth sailing tonight. Fingers crossed...
I've been trying to start my freshly rebuilt 2.5 120 HP Mercruiser. It's turning over and firing occasionally through the carb. I wouldn't call it backfiring more like a hoarse hose snort if you can picture that. My distributor rotor is at about 4 Oclock at TDC. Is it possible it should be pointing directly to cylinder 1 which would be 1 oclock (on the 8cyl 350 I built, you point that at cylinder 1) or does this sound more like I'm at TDC on the exhaust stroke and I should try flipping it around. Meaning getting to TDC as is, pulling the dist. rotating to the next TDC and reinstalling. Also is it possible that there is kill switch or wire I should be looking for that just wont let it start? I've jumped the 5&6 female pin connectors. I am also trying to start mine on a stand to check for leaks etc., before installing back into this project. Thanks in advance I know this is a 2 year old post so It may fall on deaf ears :)
Hi Steven, Could be that it needs to be flipped, you can turn over by hand to see when each piston is coming up and when each valve is opening to know for sure and then as the check the rotor arm position as you do that to make sure everything appears to be synced correctly
@@ZachsGarage1 the fact that you replied to me on a post I found from 2 years ago makes you an absolute ROCKSTAR! What I did find with these motors is that there are some differences between the 2.5 and 3.0 that are actually a bit more significant than I would have expected. There is another poster who has the 2.5 and the distributer rotor is more at the 1 - 2 O'clock position. So before I went to flip the timing 180 deg. I tried resetting (aka re-stabbing - re-installing) the whole distributer to align with rotor that way. .... and it f'n fired up!!! Now it didn't stay on, and I attribute this to 1) I'm still upside down on my TDC 2) Carb is getting either too much air or too much fuel 3) fuel pump is not pumping enough PSI. While all 4cyliders are not the same, your video series on this was extremely helpful for our family project! If anyone has any questions specific to the 1987 2.5 send them my way. I'll try and post a video once I get her humming. Thank you again!
Actually incorrectly done with this type of ignition system he should have set in base timing mode. Should have installed jumper between white leads coming off distributor and bypassed shift interrupter switch.and then used timing light.
It appears you are one cylinder off. Mine was set similar to yours and it would run, but not great. Nearest the front/block should be cylinder 1.. your set up is similar to the distributorless ddis system. But the EST system has the same firing order, but cylinder 1 is at 2oclock facing the front/ flat side of the distributor cap.
After I had troubles with mine, I had wondered if it was one cylinder off. I had taken the rod / lifter cover off, and when through rotating by hand checking when each intake and exhaust valve was opening and closing and when the rotor arm would spark each cylinder. I found that I did indeed have it on the correct cylinder firing order, but just needed ~8 degree advance adjustment on the distributor
@@ZachsGarage1 must just possibly be the year difference. Mine was an early 3.0. DDIS was not around when my engine was made. I used compression tester and turned engine over by hand and with cylinder 1 making compression, crank pulley timing marks lined up, my distrib was pointing at the same location as yours, wired the same as yours. Motor ran ok, idled "good" was stubborn to start though. I pulled distributor and rewired as mercruiser manual for the EST ignition, and now I don't even have to pump the throttle to get it started. No off idle bog, and revs way quicker than it ever did. If it worked for you, then that's great. I was convinced when I had compression on cylinder 1 and it was not pointing where mercruiser said it should be.
Just seeing this. So I might be right about the rotor should be pointing at cylinder/plug number 1 ? this is what I asked : I've been trying to start my freshly rebuilt 2.5 120 HP Mercruiser. It's turning over and firing occasionally through the carb. I wouldn't call it backfiring more like a hoarse hose snort if you can picture that. My distributor rotor is at about 4 Oclock at TDC. Is it possible it should be pointing directly to cylinder 1 which would be 1 oclock (on the 8cyl 350 I built, you point that at cylinder 1) or does this sound more like I'm at TDC on the exhaust stroke and I should try flipping it around. Meaning getting to TDC as is, pulling the dist. rotating to the next TDC and reinstalling. Also is it possible that there is kill switch or wire I should be looking for that just wont let it start? I've jumped the 5&6 female pin connectors. I am also trying to start mine on a stand to check for leaks etc., before installing back into this project. Thanks in advance I know this is a 2 year old post so It may fall on deaf ears :)
@@ZachsGarage1 thank you for your reply. I have not touched the distributor at all. I am willing to work on it this evening but I honestly do not know very much about it bro, If only i could find a picture of how the cap is out and how the wires are done
I found out that I have no gas in the cyl heads!! I do have gas in the little intake under the carb though. and I can see the carb shooting gas down. do you have any idea why the cyl are not getting any gas? they bone dry :/. thank you again Zack
@@yacinedreamer as the engine rototes, if the timing of everything is correct, as the intake valve to a cylinder opens, the piston should be moving down to suck air into it, so if the carb is shooting a most of gas down, it should be sucked into the cylinder. How are you looking to see the cylinder is dry? If you are peaking in the spark plug hole I would expect it to be dry. Because if the spark plug hole is open, air will be sucked in more from that hole rather than the intake valve
@@ZachsGarage1 first, you are the only one who ever replied to any of my messages man. I really appreciate this. I do check the spark plug and it had no trace of gas. maybe I should remove the head cover and turn the engine over to see if the lifters are moving?
Hola amigo disculpa yo te go un stingray 190RS pero ase a prender pero no prende pero no se como arreglarlo ase a prender pero no prende pienso que los cables de las bujías están mal pero no se como arreglarlo me podrías ayudar please
Do you happen to know if this would fix my problem on my boat. It has a 3.0 mercruiser and will start but after warm will no longer start. Could this be the timing ?
Hmm, interesting issue. If it were do to timing I would think you'd have the issue all the time, not just after warming up. If you give it 50% throttle for when cranking will that help it start? Trying that for at least 10 seconds. Reason why is I wonder if after you've been running it, if the carb is flooding gas in the intake after the engine shuts off
@@ZachsGarage1 could be the carb actually. I’m Not very familiar with boat motors or motors in general as I’m only 17 and this is my second boat! The previous owner seemed to think it was the carb that needed adjusting because he said he put rebuilt the carb but never got it tuned correctly after that. How do I adjust the carb? Thanks for your help !
Hey zack, I have the same engine and have oil leak from behind the crankshaft pulley/pan/ oil seal. I wonder if you think it would be possible to fix without getting motor out of the boat ? Love you videos, watched a bunch 🐵
Thanks! That's a tough one. You could remove the outdrive and then hoist or jack the front of the engine an inch to get that front motor mount piece off. But that would allow you to keep the rest of the engine hooked up and bolted in
Hi I have a mercury Mercruiser 3.0 4 cilínders 190RS , I need help it won’t start up I don’t know the position or order of the spark plugs in the distributor, some body can help me please
Hi! Thank you dor the videos. I have a question. I will change my ıgnition coil but how can I make sure that the engine has thunderbolt system or Mallory?
That's a good question! There is some info about it on this forum forums.iboats.com/forum/engine-repair-and-maintenance/mercruiser-i-o-inboard-engines-outdrives/572280-thunderbolt-4-to-mallory-marine hope that helps!
Hey Zach so I’m currently working on my 3.0 merCruiser. Well i ended up cleaning the carb put a new kit in it and now it seems as if it’s hard starting takes a couple of minutes of turning it over and it sounding like it’s gonna break the fly wheel it will start and after it starts it runs great but it’s just getting it to that point do you think it could be a timing problem?
If the distributor, crankshaft, and camshaft have never been removed then the timing should still be set correctly from the factory. Does giving it more throttle help with starting? That helps for mine
Hello I just bought 2005 Maxum the engine model 2004 5.0L- V 8 we running 1 hours and suddenly stop not working and I just change new coil ignition but still can’t start can you give me some ideas please thank you
Hi, thanks for commenting, I'm happy to help! Could you give more info on how it stops working? if it is hard to put in to words, feel free to upload a TH-cam video to share
There are a variety of root causes. Timing usually doesn't change unless you have disassembled the engine. I would suspect much more likely is one of the cyclinders is not firing as well causing an out of balance kind of shake.
I read about that. No, I did not, if I understand it correctly it locks the timing into base timing, as opposed to it advancing more the higher the rpm
Your engine might spark knock at full throttle. 93 octane will fix it, but if run into this, you will have to put the engine into a base timing mode to get it dead on. I would recommend you do this procedure first, then try the base timing and see how far it will be off.
Except thats not correct per the mercruiser service manual?? I cant get mine to run no matter WHAT position i put the wires in. Not even a single ignition. Im about to set fire to this thing an dig a hole for the whole boat
You were 18º off; the first marks that were there, were probably right, maybe you just had the distributor one tooth off? ps: this was correct if the gear had 20 teeth, but by looking at google pics, now i saw it has 13; .
I'm a Mercruiser tech this is not the way you set the timing on a 3L with electronic ignition system Timing needs to be locked into base mode before you make any adjustments
My question is this. My reverse rotation engine has the timing mark gradients set up same as standard rotation if i set at advance side is that actually retarded side , when i st it there it runs like crap when i set to retarded side it runs good. I think this is correct., however previous owner has a paint mark at the advance side of both motors, thats why i have this confusion, i believe the paint mark on counter rotation engine is in wrong location. Hope this explanation makes sense.
Thank you for this vid. That might be my current situation th-cam.com/video/lfRD0cNLuA4/w-d-xo.html So when it initially wouldn’t start, did you keep making adjustment until it started? Or, were you also using the timing light while cranking in the beginning and that’s how you figured out which direction to adjust? TIA! This has taken me a long while to get this back together. I had a spun bearing on #3 th-cam.com/video/8qV83mHauHw/w-d-xo.html
Is this before or after the timing failure? Where the engine wouldn’t start? I’m having the same trouble it sounds like it wants to crank but just no fire, same 3.0 engine any tips,
@@ZachsGarage1 so just look for the two indentings on the distributor, line them up, an turn the crank an pistons to top dead center “0” an adjust distributors rotor to the 4 o’clock nearest 1 cylinder compression stroke, an I should be able to at least get fire right I worked all day today trying to get it to fire, an as I seen in all your videos you can relate
@@christianspry1518 yeah, the trick that got me is my distributor was one tooth off. It's tricky because when you put it in it twists because the gear teeth are at an angle. So lining up the notch won't work if it's a tooth off. You'll need to verify with a timing 😂 ght, that's how I found out
Okay well today I got a little further The 3.0 was trying to fire but backfiring out the carb , which is more than it was doing yesterday, but still no luck to fire, I did just set to one notch on the gear, this was a completely seized engine an regardless of you know it or not you’ve walked me all the way through it with zero questions asked on any other vid but this timing deal is really a nerve racker
I did just now see this will try this in the am any other pointers just by what the carb is doing it’s burning the fuel but expelling it out the carb it’s due to the piston shoving up as the firings happing right? An not going down
zach, this video saved me after an entire day and a half following the SELCO repair manual’s bad wiring diagram 🙄. thanks Zach!
😂 Zach, you forgot to mention you have to put the ignition module into base timing. You do this by connecting the two white wires on the shunt of the distributor together and bypassing the stall, pivot wires together the pink and the white wire just behind the carburetor between the valve cover and carburetor then you set your timing to 2° before top dead center on any 3 L mercury.
Hello Zach this was the best video I could find on adjusting the timing on my 4.3 mercruiser. I followed every step and I still couldn't get me engine to fire up. It was working perfectly when I bought the boat. I had the carburator rebuilt and had someone help me install. It didn't crank over so he messed with the distributor because he said the timing was off. My boat never started after that.
Hi Michael, I don't know how the timing would be off until "someone" touches the distributor. Seems like the timing is definitely off now.
Try figuring out the actual timing of the pistons, crankshaft, camshaft/valves, and distributor.
Mine did not fire up even when I thought my distributor was really close, then I adjusted it several times till it fired up.
stick a camera in the spark plug holes so you can see when piston 1 is top dead center. and make sure that lines up with the timing mark on the harmonic balancer
I just bought an '86 19' aluminum Sylvan with a 3.0 mercruiser. The owner fired it up on land and it ran well from what I could tell, he had also replaced many parts too. I'm an automotive tech but don't know all the intricacies of marine engines even though the 3.0 is pretty close to an automotive engine. I'll be going over the boat this winter (hopefully I can get it in the water ONCE before things freeze up at least), but if not I'm going to dig into it and check over everything. I'm glad I found your channel as you have already answered so many of my questions in your videos! Thanks for sharing this stuff.
I'm chasing an upper engine level tapping noise in a 2003 3.0 Mercruiser fixer-upper I bought. Previous owner had fuel pump changed out and I adjusted tappets to no avail. I'm going to check timing to make sure firing order is 1342 with rotor on #1 TDC. Very good video you made!
Thanks! Feel free to upload a video of the tapping sound to share 👍
Thank you for taking the time to post this video! I never knew about the mark at the base of the distributor that has put on when the engine was first assembled. That information alone was worth the time to watch your video!
I am working on exactly the same engine right now and let me tell you! I've purchased two manuals from two different companies for reference but I prefer to check your videos and I keep coming back! I have mentioned your channel to a couple of friends and I hope that your channel continues to grow and last but not least. I've subscribed to your channel a couple of weeks ago and want to say thank you! great job!
Really appreciate your comment! Keep them coming, And I'll keep the videos coming 😉 let me know if you have any requests
Actually correctly done. it's not ecm supported (mpi) to need to set in timing mode . GOOD JOB ZACH.
I had actually tried later connecting the wires to put it in base timing mode but the timing reading still came back the same. So I think you're right! 😂
Such great video and how did you get so smart so young!!! My boat won’t start and I had placed the spark plug wires in the wrong order by mistake. After trying unsuccessfully to start it, got the service manual and realized my problem but now that I fixed it I have no spark, changed cap n rotor, wires n spark plugs again. Nada!! Watching ur video I realized I had no clue about the timing. Thank you so much for making such a quality video! I had watched others and was about to take the boat in for service cus I felt like I couldn’t do it. Now I’m gonna charge on!!!
Great video! Clear and concise. I’ve been wanting to set the timing on my 3.0 for a while but never found a good video on it until this one. A million thanks!!!
Thank you! and you're welcome, glad you liked it :)
Best explanation I've ever watched on timing Thanks Jake.
I knew I’d find what I was looking for on your channel ! Thanks , bro!
You never mentioned in the video shorting the wires in the ignition system so the timing maps reset to the proper timing
Zach don't even know you aside from a few videos but just wanted to say nice job, keep up with the positive attitude and I hope you and your family are doing well during these crazy times. Stay safe!
Thanks! You stay safe too!
Please put a demonstration video about sensors and wiring connectors if you can. Really appreciate
Hola saludos desde España, ha cuantos grados de avance va un mercruiser 3.0 lx gracias.
Great vid, this is exactly what I was looking for - nicely done
Great video! Strangely my factory mark was also way off almost exactly like yours was.
Really clear instructions and good information!
Hello Zak.Great job u did on your boat.Can u tell me pls.do i need to adjust basic timing on my 3.0 lx digital electric ignition?
Nice video and great job. I wish you do a new video on how to clean a carburetor of mercruiser. Thank you
Zach, thanks for these great videos. Question for your: I have a 1986 Mercruiser 170, with a pretty similar distributor setup. I am getting strong spark coming out of my ignition coil, with no spark going to the spark plugs. Could this be due to the timing being off? Thanks.
Hi Clint, could be, but I would think maybe it's the spark plug wires
Hello. My name is Pedro and I am writing to you from Spain I have no idea of English, I have seen all the restoration of your boat, very good job! I wonder if you could send me an explanation of how to set up the distributor with the engine to make the tune up. I personally keep the boat but this is a subject that I do not understand. Thank you very much in advance. Greetings
My 3.0 would spark knock at full throttle, I had to put the engine in base timing to get it to factory spec which was 2 degrees BTDC. I had trouble finding this video on TH-cam and had to learn by trial and error.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
You did it the right way! Jeremy
Hi Zach, great video. I just have one question. I purchased a new distributor for the same 3.0 litre engine. Is it possible to pull the old distributor and just drop the new one in if I have all the markings in the same position?
I follow all your videos on mercruiser, do you have the route for shift cable coming from transom to the boat on mercruiser alpha one gen1 , rely i apreciate all step by step instructions , excellent as usual
I don't think I do for gen 1, sorry
How fast did this boat end up
Going with the 130 in it? I’m trying to determine if mine is tuned properly. BTW I am grateful to you for this series you created.
Around 35mph
@@ZachsGarage1 oh mines a 17 foot fibreglass bow rider and I’m only getting 25 mph
@@squrvevidz8052 could be prop pitch. designed for low speed faster acceleration
@@squrvevidz8052 my propeller is 1918P21 (14.25” diameter x 21” per revolution through the water)
Wow, I'll probably do this next
Is there always a Notch to provide a starting point? Any advice on what to do if you can't find a notch?
Awesome video.....thank you for sharing !!!.
Thank you!
The video was very helpful for sure .so thank you
Zach, Im so thankful for all your awesome movies regarding the rebuild of your Mercruiser! Been waiting a long time for this video! :) Best regards from Sweden
Thanks! I Appreciate your comment!
Zach you are smart mate. Keep going 👏 👏 👏
Great videos man
Your awesome 🙏
I've seen other procedures where they use a shunt plugged in to the distributor to create a short and then set timing to zero?
Yes, that is correct
@@ZachsGarage1 I'm confused b/c you don't do that in the video that I can tell. It appears that the shunt wires are not connected.
@@barry.anderberg You are correct, I do not show it in the video. I have tried both ways off-camera. Ultimately the calibration is whatever works best for your engine. The check with the timing guns helps you get close to 5 to 10 degrees BTC. Without the shunt (base timing mode), the timing advance will increase at higher RPMS. at 750 rpms you should see a reading pretty close to what you would see in base timing mode.
@@ZachsGarage1 thank you, I have the merc 3.0L. Thanks for your help and this excellent series of videos
i have a mercrusier 3.0 and after i run it for about 15 min or so and try to turn it off its doesn't want to shut all the way like it want to but it dont so i have to choke it out with fuel to ahut it off ....do you have any ideas of what it could be
Also does RPM matter a lot? The boat will idle lower in the water vs just hooked up to a hose..
The higher the rpm the more advanced the timing will show on the light
So I’ve got a 1986 sea ray seville with a mercruiser 170hp engine and the 3.0 stern drive I believe. I have to do a full rebuild on both of them. Is it the same as yours? I’m having trouble finding the rebuild kit.
Ok so if u are just replacing the cap and rotor… do you still have to do the timing? And would having the spark plugs out of sequence and attempting to start it repeatedly, ruin anything? Cus I still don’t have spark… 🤦🏻♀️
Yes, you'd probably still need to check timing, if the engine runs it is probably very close to correct timing, otherwise it will struggle to run
Really great video , Also have a 3.0 mercruiser but from 2006. I think I have the same problem . I can never start it if I don't give it some throttle.
But today when I put it back in water after being on land for almost 6 month , it runs great on neutral, engine won't shut down and it runs fine but suddenly it started to backfire a couple of times and when I put in gear I won't let me speed up I can only run it on forward /reverse on minimum speed . 😣
It feels like it want to go but something is holding it back , I can put gear in with no problem , and run it in neutral with higher rpm all that seems fine.
hmmm, I wonder if the choke gets stuck.
Have you tried removing the flame arrestor to see if the choke flap is opening all the way up when you begin to throttle in gear?
you could try adjusting the distributor I tiny bit either way to see if it gets better or worse
@@ZachsGarage1 thank you sir.
I'm going to try this today after work.
I'll start with removing the flame arrestor and look if it's open all the way when I throttle in gear.
If it seems fine I'll try to adjust the distributor.
I'll let you know how it went .
All the oils are changed , And filters.
I changed fuel , and fuel hose.
I also bought new spark plugs and changed them.
The belts were not tight enough so tighten them .
I removed the propeller during winter and cleaned the under part. I've put new grease and changed the anode sitting behind the propeller to a new one .
@@ZachsGarage1 I removed the flame arrestor and opened and closed the flap by hand and I noticed it's out of adjustment. It would not open all the way up. And if its open all the way up it never closes in any gear .
I adjusted it a little and went out for a ride.
I could hit 30 knots in no time , the acceleration was amazing .
2600 rpm on 12 knots
400 rpm on neutral /idle .
I took some picture so I remember to write it.
30 knots is max for my boat I think .
I never passed 30-32 knots .
I am really grateful man !
Thank so much for your help .
It amazing how you helped me through the comments .
Wish the best for you ! And keep the good videos coming !
@@d2clutches885 Really glad to hear that man! Glad I was able to help
Super video ... i understan more . i juste buy a Larson 18.5 with volvo penta (but gm 3,0l motor) same as your`s and turn bad ! i will check this thanks
One of the very few “mystical” folks some of us only hear about 😂, that have 3.0 engines that can run @750rpms, AND run so smoothly that it can sit on pieces of wood without shaking right off! I dream of an engine that smooth. 🇨🇦👍🏼😂
If I'm being honest, with it in the boat with the added load of the outdrive (even in neutral) I honestly have to idle up more like 900 to 1,000 rpm for it to stay smooth
@@ZachsGarage1 Ohh. Ya, me too. Same.
@@ZachsGarage1 By "idle up" you just mean throttle up, correct? As in you're not adjusting your idle screw so that it just idles in neutral that quickly. I believe idling too quickly is bad for the gear box is that right? Thanks again!
@@barry.anderberg yes, the faster the idle rpm the more wear on the gears when shifting
Could something like this cause my 4.3 engine to start bogging under old after 30 minutes of cruising at full speed?
Question, Nothing to do with timing but what size prop that you used for the 3.0 mercruiser?
If you want to see the notch on harmonic Balance, put a bit of white out on it and take a bristle brush to the degree marks.
My Mechanic says he can't find a notch, is that possible? Is there "Always" a notch?
@@FfirePlug there's always a notch, your mechanic will need to scrape around the harmonic Balancer with a wire brush or sandpaper. I bet it's covered in rust, grime or cooked grease, but it's there, it's gotta be cleaned it up completely.
As someone that can't figure out why his 3.0 won't fire and idle I have faith after seeing this one wouldn't either because of timing being off a bit.
I just joined your page, thanks for the videos, I hope some day I will be using them.
Hi Zach, great videos! I'm currently rebuilding a Merc 3.7 and I'm ready to start it up before I get it back into the boat. Do you have a link that describes the basic setup to run the engine outside of the boat? Seems like the kind of thing I should be able to easily find but I'm coming up empty. Keep the videos coming, they are really helpful! Thanks
I might have to make a video on that in the future!
for the wiring, I jumped pins 5 and 6 together,
then connected battery (-) to an engine stud, and battery (+) to the starter. the pins are numbered on the wiring harness
And then rigged up a switch to engage the starter
Thanks so much for the speedy reply. Looks like tomorrow will be the big day, I’ll let you know how it goes!
If you want to make the timing marks more visible, apply white grease and then wipe it off...the white grease will stay deposited in the numbers and you can read them ; )
Good tip!
Liked the vid , one question where u get parts for mercruiser?
Thanks! I was able to get most of the part on Amazon, here is a link to my spread sheet of parts I bought with links: bit.ly/2DStj5A
Great video
Hi zach, i know it's been a while since your video was made but i have a quick question. My mercruiser isn't advancing or retarding when i accelerate. I am unable to find what unit does the electronic advancement. Do you know if it's the distributor module that does this ? I suspect mine may be faulty.
I believe the advancement occurs from the distributor itself, or some part of it
Genial. Muchas gracias!!!
Zach thanks so much for the great video extremely informative and easy to follow. I have a question my Bayliner is stalling out and only starts when I put it in neutral and throttle it up. When I back off to Idol it’s stalls. It runs fine when the ravens are up but anytime my back off it stalls. I suspect it is a faulty IACV. Can you show me how to diagnose fix or replace this valve?
I would if I could! But I don't believe I have a intake air control valve (IACV) on my carberated mercruiser 3.0
The engine cranks but seems to have no spark spark plugs and distributor is good what else could I check?
thank you body video is owesome.
Great video thank you
Should the notch on the harmonic balancer be lined up with 0deg on tab or with (in my case) the 6 ? I ask because my engine says 6BTDC on the timing reference found on the valve cover spec sticker.
0 degree
Hei Zach. I have loved watching your videos. I have a 1999 Bayliner Capri here in Norway which I am working on.
I have a question regarding base timing mode. I read that I should bypass the shift interrupt switch, connect the harness together at and link the two white sockets coming off the distrubutor to put the engine in base timing mode.
I did that and then I set the timing to 2 deg atdc. Having done that i reconnected the bypass and the connection between the white cables.
I went out tonight, the engine ran lovely all the way out but started misfiring and backfiring on the way back. So much so that I had to run home verry slowly. Any idea what i have done wrong?
Olaf
Thanks for the comment, Olaf! It's interesting it was only misfiring on your way back. If the timing was off I would have expected it to misfire on your way out as well. Was the misfiring only at low idle? or was it misfiring at higher rpm's?
@@ZachsGarage1 I fould the problem. There was an intermittent fault in the harness between the coil and the distributor. When I touched the wire the motor died, when I released the wire the motor sprang pact to life. I have made a temporary fix and ordered a replacement. All smooth sailing tonight. Fingers crossed...
Hard to understand how to adjust the right time to spark up. Would you define more. Please
I've been trying to start my freshly rebuilt 2.5 120 HP Mercruiser. It's turning over and firing occasionally through the carb. I wouldn't call it backfiring more like a hoarse hose snort if you can picture that. My distributor rotor is at about 4 Oclock at TDC. Is it possible it should be pointing directly to cylinder 1 which would be 1 oclock (on the 8cyl 350 I built, you point that at cylinder 1) or does this sound more like I'm at TDC on the exhaust stroke and I should try flipping it around. Meaning getting to TDC as is, pulling the dist. rotating to the next TDC and reinstalling. Also is it possible that there is kill switch or wire I should be looking for that just wont let it start? I've jumped the 5&6 female pin connectors. I am also trying to start mine on a stand to check for leaks etc., before installing back into this project. Thanks in advance I know this is a 2 year old post so It may fall on deaf ears :)
Hi Steven, Could be that it needs to be flipped, you can turn over by hand to see when each piston is coming up and when each valve is opening to know for sure and then as the check the rotor arm position as you do that to make sure everything appears to be synced correctly
@@ZachsGarage1 the fact that you replied to me on a post I found from 2 years ago makes you an absolute ROCKSTAR! What I did find with these motors is that there are some differences between the 2.5 and 3.0 that are actually a bit more significant than I would have expected. There is another poster who has the 2.5 and the distributer rotor is more at the 1 - 2 O'clock position. So before I went to flip the timing 180 deg. I tried resetting (aka re-stabbing - re-installing) the whole distributer to align with rotor that way. .... and it f'n fired up!!! Now it didn't stay on, and I attribute this to 1) I'm still upside down on my TDC 2) Carb is getting either too much air or too much fuel 3) fuel pump is not pumping enough PSI.
While all 4cyliders are not the same, your video series on this was extremely helpful for our family project! If anyone has any questions specific to the 1987 2.5 send them my way. I'll try and post a video once I get her humming. Thank you again!
@@stevenulbrich4969 interesting, great to hear you At least got her fired up! I'll be looking forward to your video!
Actually incorrectly done with this type of ignition system he should have set in base timing mode. Should have installed jumper between white leads coming off distributor and bypassed shift interrupter switch.and then used timing light.
You are 100% correct, off the top of my head I don’t think I’m correct but you run engine at 3400 and should be at 28° Before tdc
Can you do a vid on doing it the correct way
Hi brother my distributor won’t spin when I crank my boat on
It appears you are one cylinder off. Mine was set similar to yours and it would run, but not great. Nearest the front/block should be cylinder 1.. your set up is similar to the distributorless ddis system. But the EST system has the same firing order, but cylinder 1 is at 2oclock facing the front/ flat side of the distributor cap.
After I had troubles with mine, I had wondered if it was one cylinder off. I had taken the rod / lifter cover off, and when through rotating by hand checking when each intake and exhaust valve was opening and closing and when the rotor arm would spark each cylinder. I found that I did indeed have it on the correct cylinder firing order, but just needed ~8 degree advance adjustment on the distributor
@@ZachsGarage1 must just possibly be the year difference. Mine was an early 3.0. DDIS was not around when my engine was made. I used compression tester and turned engine over by hand and with cylinder 1 making compression, crank pulley timing marks lined up, my distrib was pointing at the same location as yours, wired the same as yours. Motor ran ok, idled "good" was stubborn to start though. I pulled distributor and rewired as mercruiser manual for the EST ignition, and now I don't even have to pump the throttle to get it started. No off idle bog, and revs way quicker than it ever did. If it worked for you, then that's great. I was convinced when I had compression on cylinder 1 and it was not pointing where mercruiser said it should be.
Just seeing this. So I might be right about the rotor should be pointing at cylinder/plug number 1 ? this is what I asked : I've been trying to start my freshly rebuilt 2.5 120 HP Mercruiser. It's turning over and firing occasionally through the carb. I wouldn't call it backfiring more like a hoarse hose snort if you can picture that. My distributor rotor is at about 4 Oclock at TDC. Is it possible it should be pointing directly to cylinder 1 which would be 1 oclock (on the 8cyl 350 I built, you point that at cylinder 1) or does this sound more like I'm at TDC on the exhaust stroke and I should try flipping it around. Meaning getting to TDC as is, pulling the dist. rotating to the next TDC and reinstalling. Also is it possible that there is kill switch or wire I should be looking for that just wont let it start? I've jumped the 5&6 female pin connectors. I am also trying to start mine on a stand to check for leaks etc., before installing back into this project. Thanks in advance I know this is a 2 year old post so It may fall on deaf ears :)
Great video Man :). I am having an issue with my MCM470 and I cannot figure the timing. I am wondering if you have any ideas about that? thank you
Have you already tried adjusting the timing?
@@ZachsGarage1 thank you for your reply. I have not touched the distributor at all. I am willing to work on it this evening but I honestly do not know very much about it bro, If only i could find a picture of how the cap is out and how the wires are done
I found out that I have no gas in the cyl heads!! I do have gas in the little intake under the carb though. and I can see the carb shooting gas down. do you have any idea why the cyl are not getting any gas? they bone dry :/. thank you again Zack
@@yacinedreamer as the engine rototes, if the timing of everything is correct, as the intake valve to a cylinder opens, the piston should be moving down to suck air into it, so if the carb is shooting a most of gas down, it should be sucked into the cylinder.
How are you looking to see the cylinder is dry? If you are peaking in the spark plug hole I would expect it to be dry. Because if the spark plug hole is open, air will be sucked in more from that hole rather than the intake valve
@@ZachsGarage1 first, you are the only one who ever replied to any of my messages man. I really appreciate this. I do check the spark plug and it had no trace of gas. maybe I should remove the head cover and turn the engine over to see if the lifters are moving?
Good video man
Thanks!
Hola amigo disculpa yo te go un stingray 190RS pero ase a prender pero no prende pero no se como arreglarlo ase a prender pero no prende pienso que los cables de las bujías están mal pero no se como arreglarlo me podrías ayudar please
Do you happen to know if this would fix my problem on my boat. It has a 3.0 mercruiser and will start but after warm will no longer start. Could this be the timing ?
Hmm, interesting issue. If it were do to timing I would think you'd have the issue all the time, not just after warming up.
If you give it 50% throttle for when cranking will that help it start? Trying that for at least 10 seconds. Reason why is I wonder if after you've been running it, if the carb is flooding gas in the intake after the engine shuts off
@@ZachsGarage1 could be the carb actually. I’m Not very familiar with boat motors or motors in general as I’m only 17 and this is my second boat! The previous owner seemed to think it was the carb that needed adjusting because he said he put rebuilt the carb but never got it tuned correctly after that. How do I adjust the carb? Thanks for your help !
Hey zack, I have the same engine and have oil leak from behind the crankshaft pulley/pan/ oil seal.
I wonder if you think it would be possible to fix without getting motor out of the boat ?
Love you videos, watched a bunch 🐵
Thanks! That's a tough one. You could remove the outdrive and then hoist or jack the front of the engine an inch to get that front motor mount piece off. But that would allow you to keep the rest of the engine hooked up and bolted in
Zachs Garage do I have to remove the outdrive so I can lift the motor an inch ?
Hi I have a mercury Mercruiser 3.0 4 cilínders 190RS , I need help it won’t start up I don’t know the position or order of the spark plugs in the distributor, some body can help me please
Hi! Thank you dor the videos. I have a question. I will change my ıgnition coil but how can I make sure that the engine has thunderbolt system or Mallory?
That's a good question! There is some info about it on this forum forums.iboats.com/forum/engine-repair-and-maintenance/mercruiser-i-o-inboard-engines-outdrives/572280-thunderbolt-4-to-mallory-marine
hope that helps!
the flame arrestor probably says set the timning at 1 degree for the 3.0L and youy never went to base timing
How do you get to base timing?
Can you tell me the order of the cables to the distributor helmet?
You can find this by Googling the firing order of your engine. For mine, a 4-cylinder, it is 1-3-4-2
Hey Zach so I’m currently working on my 3.0 merCruiser. Well i ended up cleaning the carb put a new kit in it and now it seems as if it’s hard starting takes a couple of minutes of turning it over and it sounding like it’s gonna break the fly wheel it will start and after it starts it runs great but it’s just getting it to that point do you think it could be a timing problem?
If the distributor, crankshaft, and camshaft have never been removed then the timing should still be set correctly from the factory. Does giving it more throttle help with starting? That helps for mine
@@ZachsGarage1 no it doesn’t i checked the timing marks and put it top dead center the button was between 4 and 2
@@ZachsGarage1 i think someone was in it before i pulled the motor thanks to your help and and found a old distributor locker thing in the bottom
Hey buddy so funny story lol i can pull my distributor cap off and it’s like the boat still tries to fire any clue what would cause that?
Hello I just bought 2005 Maxum the engine model 2004 5.0L- V 8 we running 1 hours and suddenly stop not working and I just change new coil ignition but still can’t start can you give me some ideas please thank you
Hi, thanks for commenting, I'm happy to help! Could you give more info on how it stops working? if it is hard to put in to words, feel free to upload a TH-cam video to share
Thank you i did like you said and it fired right off oh yeah
Glad to hear!
Paint the notch white. With some white out
Good idea!
Can you take a close up of the carburetor linkage?
Sorry for the late reply! If you still need that close up, send me an email at zachsgarage1@gmail.com and I'll shoots you some pictures back
I have a 3.0 that shakes like a rattlesnake is it a timing issue or does it need a tune up
There are a variety of root causes. Timing usually doesn't change unless you have disassembled the engine. I would suspect much more likely is one of the cyclinders is not firing as well causing an out of balance kind of shake.
Did you have to make a jumper wire?? By the distributor?
I read about that. No, I did not, if I understand it correctly it locks the timing into base timing, as opposed to it advancing more the higher the rpm
Cool thanks!!
Your engine might spark knock at full throttle. 93 octane will fix it, but if run into this, you will have to put the engine into a base timing mode to get it dead on. I would recommend you do this procedure first, then try the base timing and see how far it will be off.
@@jeremyrowe4339 Thanks for the heads up!
@@jeremyrowe4339 how do I set to base timing?
You really should find a service manual to see how to set the timing on that Delco EST system. You set the "base timing" not the corrected timing.
Except thats not correct per the mercruiser service manual??
I cant get mine to run no matter WHAT position i put the wires in. Not even a single ignition.
Im about to set fire to this thing an dig a hole for the whole boat
You were 18º off; the first marks that were there, were probably right, maybe you just had the distributor one tooth off?
ps: this was correct if the gear had 20 teeth, but by looking at google pics, now i saw it has 13; .
Good catch, I agree, I think I was a gear tooth off
I'm a Mercruiser tech this is not the way you set the timing on a 3L with electronic ignition system Timing needs to be locked into base mode before you make any adjustments
My question is this.
My reverse rotation engine has the timing mark gradients set up same as standard rotation if i set at advance side is that actually retarded side , when i st it there it runs like crap when i set to retarded side it runs good. I think this is correct., however previous owner has a paint mark at the advance side of both motors, thats why i have this confusion, i believe the paint mark on counter rotation engine is in wrong location. Hope this explanation makes sense.
You didnt show if u need to jump the wire on the distributor. .
I did not jump the wire on mine to out it in base timing mode changes your timing degree readings slightly
I NEED HELP PLEASE
Come and help us out with our boat that’s a video idea
Send me an email at zachsgarage1@gmail.com to talk more about what you're wanting to do 🤠
lol Zach
Your wrong on timing you have to hook a jumper up to set it correctly
Thank you for this vid. That might be my current situation th-cam.com/video/lfRD0cNLuA4/w-d-xo.html So when it initially wouldn’t start, did you keep making adjustment until it started? Or, were you also using the timing light while cranking in the beginning and that’s how you figured out which direction to adjust? TIA!
This has taken me a long while to get this back together. I had a spun bearing on #3 th-cam.com/video/8qV83mHauHw/w-d-xo.html
This isn't accurate. You have to jump the wires coming out of the distributor and the shift kill switch or the timing will not be accurate
Incorrectly done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Must set base timing first!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not how to set the timing on a 3.0 mercruiser
Is this before or after the timing failure? Where the engine wouldn’t start? I’m having the same trouble it sounds like it wants to crank but just no fire, same 3.0 engine any tips,
😎 tip 1: correct timing
@@ZachsGarage1 so just look for the two indentings on the distributor, line them up, an turn the crank an pistons to top dead center “0” an adjust distributors rotor to the 4 o’clock nearest 1 cylinder compression stroke, an I should be able to at least get fire right I worked all day today trying to get it to fire, an as I seen in all your videos you can relate
@@christianspry1518 yeah, the trick that got me is my distributor was one tooth off. It's tricky because when you put it in it twists because the gear teeth are at an angle. So lining up the notch won't work if it's a tooth off. You'll need to verify with a timing 😂 ght, that's how I found out
Okay well today I got a little further The 3.0 was trying to fire but backfiring out the carb , which is more than it was doing yesterday, but still no luck to fire, I did just set to one notch on the gear, this was a completely seized engine an regardless of you know it or not you’ve walked me all the way through it with zero questions asked on any other vid but this timing deal is really a nerve racker
I did just now see this will try this in the am any other pointers just by what the carb is doing it’s burning the fuel but expelling it out the carb it’s due to the piston shoving up as the firings happing right? An not going down