Help with Fuel Issues

[Dax McDavid]

I have a 76 x-18 with a 350 w/ Edlebrock 4 bbl. carb w/ Edlebrock intake manifold. I think I have two different things going on water in fuel, and carb issues. What do yall think? My boat runs great for about 30 minutes. Then it starts to backfire and sputter real bad in mid range during take off. Once I get past that critical point it runs fine once i give it enough throttle. However, after about another 30 minutes it will start to sputter even at almost full throttle. It will eventually die and come to a stop. I will turn the key and it will start right up but die again if i put it in gear and speed up out of idle. I can put it in neutral and rev it all day long and runs fine on trailer attached to water hose. (this is no fun) It is only when I put it under some load. It also seems to "load up" real bad when just "putting" around. Any suggestions on what is wrong and how to fix?? :confused:
thanks
dax

[Marlin275]

I just recently had the same problem, it was the distributer.
The weights in the distributor that advance the timing were rusted
and caused the same symptoms.
New unit and no problem.

[txtaz]

Hey Dax,
Haven't seen you around for a while. You should try to make it to TR4. It's going to be the biggest yet.
As for your fuel issues:
Drain the old gas if it has water in it. Put in fresh high octane and carb cleaner. Replace the fuel filter/water seperator and plugs and hope that does it. If not you might have gummed up the carb jets and require a carb soaking and/or rebuild. What happens is the gas sits in the carb and creates a varnish which is tough to get out some times. A carb shop will have a vat of cleaner (not sure what kind) that they just let it soak for hours to break it up.
Hope this helps, good luck and get your tail to TR4.
Wes

[Dax McDavid]

Would love to make TR and was planning on it but I went back to grad school and anything after aug 15th I really cant do. It sounds like fun I have never been on that lake. thanks for the fuel advice. do you think it sounds like fuel?? Marlin, I was thinking about the dist. and I know my engine has electronic ignition can that mess up and do the same thing????

[Marlin275]

Marlin, I was thinking about the dist. and I know my engine has electronic ignition can that mess up and do the same thing????

My distributer is partial electronic, just replaces the points, not full electronic.
The advance is done with spinning weights that rust over time.
Thats about all I know about distributers.

Had the same exact symptoms as you mention.
Boat would run fine with no load, rev all you want but in the water is another story. My mechanic thought it was the carb, had it rebuilt and still same problem. Then he wanted me to buy a new carb.
I took it to another mechanic for a second opinion, he found the distributer rust, replaced and that solved the problem.