boat wont start

[JETBOY03]

ok guys i need some help today i went to the lake to go out and play alittle, well the boat had other ideas. boat started great idled out of the no wake zone and started to hit the gas and she just died. would not restart. i did get it to backfire out of the carb but that is about it. i have not changed anything since the last time out where it ran the best it ever had. any ideas?

[Infomaniac]

pull the coil wire off and see if it is getting spark is my first step when trouble shooting.

[JETBOY03]

yea i cheak the coil that is what i thought, also thought it was time and it was i pulled the dist. off and found that i snaped the pin hold the gear on.

[GofastRacer]

Well that was a quick and easy problem solved!..:D

[Moneypitt]

Can you say THICK OIL!......or is the dist frozen up? Something had to overload the pin, they don't just break for no reason.....MP

[JETBOY03]

i was doing some research since i found the problem and seems to be a common problem on fords, and mallory also. i have a ford with mallory.

[Fiat48]

Drill it out for a chevy size pin. Problem solved.
This happens even on stockers. Like in the Middle of Nowhere, Texas. Fixed that one with a nail...till I found the next town.

[adsala]

Fiat48 beat me to the punch. Fiat48 has been so much help to me in the past. But I will say it anyway and give back some to this forum.
Don't put the stock replacement pin back in. Been there done this. Put an oversized pin in it's place(chevy size) or else you will keep breaking them. Also if the shaft is scored clean up a little. I used blue lock tite as well on the shaft. Make sure that you get the gear back at the correct position on the shaft too. The bottom of the gear runs against a flat boss in the engine. Hopefully your power valve/s are ok if you are running a Holley without back fire protection. It'll just run rough at idle if the power valve bad. You'll know.
I'm running a 460 Ford in my boat with Mallory distributor. Of corse this advice is all wrong if you have a Chevy.

[Rexone]

I agree, stock Ford pins and Mallory too are notorious for breaking. Fairly common problem. Glad you found it easily. :)

[JETBOY03]

what is the size of a chevy pin? i will drill it out so it doesnt happen again. thanks everyone.

[adsala]

Originally posted by JETBOY03
what is the size of a chevy pin? i will drill it out so it doesnt happen again. thanks everyone.
I used a 3/16" roll pin in mine.