Randomly Stops

[Barnsworth]

Hello all, it's been awhile since I've posted. Life and all...

Any way '92 Marathon 3pg just randomly stops at any given time. It's as if I turned the key off, just dies. Sometimes it's fine, runs all day, next day it may run 20 feet and stop and just cranks over and over.

I've taken off the start/gen and cleaned it and made sure the brushes are okay. Took apart and cleaned the lugs in the fwd/rev switch. I have checked EVERY connection and cleaned every connection in sight. Both the micro switches are fine and work good. I've check to see if I was getting spark when it would stop by pulling the plug (also tried a different plug regardless) and sure enough it is.

It has to be electrical. After it stops I can put in reverse sometimes and it will start, put it back into fwd and nothing, back to rev then nothing. Leave it sit for awhile and sometimes it starts sometimes it won't. It is so sporadic I can't put my finger on it.

Like I said earlier if it's running it literally just dies as if I turn the key off. I don't have an actual key, just a toggle switch but same thing. It seems like it just stops firing.

Could it be something in the voltage regulator area? Could the spark plug wire be bleeding through it's insulation and grounding out? I'm at a total loss.

Any help or direction in which way to look would be much appreciated.

[cart around]

You say that after it dies.......

It cranks and cranks and cranks. That eliminates the starter, solenoid, switches, and fuse.

You also say that there is spark. That pretty much eliminates the ignition system. (Unless it is a very weak spark).

I think that you need to start looking at a random fuel issue.

[Barnsworth]

That was the track I was on prior to the what I thought became electrical issue. I have check the fuel pump and it's pumping fuel. I actually tried another fuel pump also. I have put a new fuel filter on it, cleaned the carb maybe 3 times and even bought one of the cheapo Chinese carbs and it does the same thing. In fact I tried that again today, putting on the cheap carb, it ran for a bit then stopped.

I'm so lost.

Also checked the siphon tube out of the tank and made sure it was venting okay. It doesn't sputter or anything like it's running out of gas when it stops like I think it would if it was running out of fuel, it just stops and the starter starts cranking obviously because I have my foot on the pedal.

[cart around]

Maybe a chunk of something inside the cross drilled screw moving around to block the main jet

[CP241]

Are you positive you still have a good spark when it stops?

[Barnsworth]

I have spark. I don't know what or how to describe what kind of spark. It sparks is all I can say. I really don't know the difference between good and weak. ???

Maybe I'll get another plug wire and give that a go. At this point I'm at a loss.

[CP241]

Remove the spark plug and put it back in the wire. Hold the threads against a bolt or something metal on the motor. Hit the pedal and spin the engine.

Bright blue spark is good
White is marginal
Yellow is no good at all

[Barnsworth]

Thanks, I'll do that tomorrow and report back.

[Barnsworth]

Originally Posted by CP241

Remove the spark plug and put it back in the wire. Hold the threads against a bolt or something metal on the motor. Hit the pedal and spin the engine.

Bright blue spark is good
White is marginal
Yellow is no good at all

If I had to pick one I'd say it was more white than anything else. It's hard to distinguish between the three.

This morning I obviously checked it with a new plug to come to this conclusion. The cart started right up, I ran it around maybe half a mile checking trail cams and then parked it. No problem.

I've ordered a new plug wire that should be here next week sometime. Until then I'll keep this thread active when I have any further developments.

Thanks for your help, all of you!

[kgsc]

You can also spray some flammable carb cleaner in the intake and see if it tries to start. If yes, fuel issues. If not ignition issues.