Electronic Shift Assist Mod Analysis-gctid341627

[Guest]

Guys,

I've searched all the threads on here about rough running engines and any thing related. I am writing this so no one makes the mistake I did. :mushroom:

My boat was running rough through most of the summer. Then it got worse. It would run great cold, then rough after it warmed up, Always ran great cold. I even noticed that when it would run like crap the volt meter would read low. Then started stalling when trying to shift into gear after it was warmed up. I did all the home work I could for two years on the ESA Mod, all the micro switches and adjustments. I unhooked the micro switches, thinking I was eliminating the thing totally. I learned everything on how those things worked and was sure it wasn't the mod itself. Even got the marina involved and they were looking at the carb. I was looking everywhere else, carb, alternator, bad wires to the gauges, tach, -then one day it hit me. The ESA Mod is still hard wired to the Coil. Unhooked the ESA from the coil - and wham. Never stalled again. After it would warm up it would still spit and sputter a bit at idle. Talking to a mechanic one day at the tiki bar and he suggested a fouled plug. Changed the sparkplugs and never ran rough again, at any speed, any time, ever. It runs so good at a low enough idle that I don't think I'm even going to hook up a new one.

I just wanted to let people know so they don't waste 6 weeks of their summer like I did.

Hope this helps someone,

jb

[88fourwinns]

One issue with the OMC ESA system, is that for it to work, you need to do two things. One, the transom shift cable must be adjusted properly, in good shape and not sticky and binding. If it binds/sticks, it will keep the ESA engaged (low engine revs) longer than needed (only when shifting out of gear). Two, the ESA when engaged lowers the engine idle speed from about 600 to 450 or so. 450 is very low and for the engine to run at all at that speed, it has to be in good tune, with properly functioning ignition system and a clean and properly adjusted carb and clean flame arrestor. I have been in the habit of doing a thorough tune up and making sure the engine will idle at 450 as part of my spring prep before launching the boat. It has made a big difference to start with a fresh set of spark plugs and making sure the dwell, timing and idle are just right. No different than the cars I learned to work on 40 years ago.

I had a stalling problem one year when it was in neutral but not in gear. Turned out to be a bad set of points. They need to be changed every so often.

Do you mean that your ESA is not hooked up at all, or you wired it like a Merc Alpha? Because you need some kind of shift assist, to get it to shift out of gear smoothly. I will say when you have a Cobra adjusted right, they shift great.

[2850Bounty]

Add to this list, a concise, quick, deliberate shift from gear into neutral.

If you poke around with this shift, a good proper adjustment will not be as effective..... if at all!

.

[Iproff]

That shift assist is very important, I am surprised you can get it out of gear without it. That module has two grounds, one is the wire and the second is the housing it's self, called a case ground. Before you put the two screws back in for mounting the switch make sure the plate has a nice clean spot and there is no rust. Also look at the harness, the connections need to be cleaned and inspected for proper contact. What you described above sounds like a stuck micro switch on all the time but all you had to do was unplug the module and it would have been taken out of the circuit then and the engine should no longer stumble.

Ken

[Chief_Alen]

Wire it like a merc all you need to do is run one wire to the neg side of the coil and the other to a good ground and leave the overstroke disconnected.

Here is a older post:

http://baylinerownersclub.org/forum/...757#post592757

[Guest]

Chief Alen wrote:
Wire it like a merc all you need to do is run one wire to the neg side of the coil and the other to a good ground and leave the overstroke disconnected.

Here is a older post:

http://baylinerownersclub.org/forum/...757#post592757

I guess folks do this and apparantly it works. Does it work for a long period? I would be suprised since you will then be putting 6 - 10 amps though a microswitch that is probably rated for 250 milliamps.

[Guest]

Although I can shift the from Gear to Neutral with ease, I have no problem putting another ESA Mod back on, but the one the marina suggests and sold me is a 0987738. I believe that's the one that I had put on it a few seasons back. I even had another one that didn't work at all. If the thing keeps causing problems and doesn't last very long, I'd just assume leave it off, However I know I read on here somewhere that there was another Mod suggested for the 350 (different No. than I have) but I can't find which one it was. Any suggestions here?

I'll try a different one but am hessitant to put on the same one that I took off that was fried..

jb

[Chief_Alen]

Going on seven years for my modification.

[Guest]

I know you are thinking it is the shift interupter but do a compression test on each cylinder and see if you have a low cylinder. I'm thinking you have a burnt or bent valve in one cylinder. I have had this problem with the government mandated ethanol fuels we have to burn. If your timing is a little bit to high your going to burn a valve and have a ruff running boat once it warms up, almost like a skip in the motor while under way at slow speeds....