ignition probs

[taylorjet37]

i have a 460 in my jet boat. i have a problem need some help. i will be cruising or just idleing and it will loose all power like someone reached up and turned the key off. turn the key off and let it sit for a sec. it might or might not come back on when you turn the key back on. i replaced the ignition switch cuz it seemed wore out plus a wire broke when i was changing it. took it back out again and it did the same thing. im wondering if it is the solenoid. this is my first ford. the way it goes is from the battery to the solenoid then to the key so it has to be something in between there. the power to everything (fuel pump, bilge pump and power) comes thru the key. any suggestions would help.

 

[460rogers]

Sounds like your coil is going bad.
Runs for a bit then dies.Let it sit for a minute coil cools and will fire up again.
Try another ignition coil.

 

[jetboatperformance]

Coils a possibility like said , also the ignition ballast resistor may "open" under heat conditions and I'd still scour around to see if someone has put in a odd relay somewhere under the dash or at the motor wiring Tom

 

[CHARLIE F]

I had a MSD in one of my boats that did the same thing. The board was cracked so it was interimediate issue very frustrating.
I could hit a wave and it would do just what you are talking about.

Not knowing your motor but another thing to check is a low oil pressure cut off swith. (if equipped)
if it is not working right it will kill the power as well. 

 

[taylorjet37]

it does have msd on it i replaced a bunch of wire connectors at the harness at the back of the engine. they where moving in the little connectors. i looked for a relay and coulnt find one. i also looked for a button on the harness to reset it. no button. im gonna check all my grounds again. can the coil be tested? when it dies every bit of power goes away the fuel pump and bilge are all run threw the key when it dies they are all gone that is why i dont think it would be the coil. thank you for the info.

 

[KONA77]

does it have a breaker on the back of the motor where the wire buss connectors are?,  not all have a push button,  i have a breaker and it does not have a red reset button on it

 

[taylorjet37]

i dont believe it does. it is just a board with wires i didnt see anything that looked like a relay. i traced the wires and it goes straight from batt to solenoid to that board then to key. i hope that by replacing all of those connectors will help i think maybe a wire would jar loose. a bad coil would just kill the motor not kill all the power.

 

[KONA77]

i dont believe it does. it is just a board with wires i didnt see anything that looked like a relay. i traced the wires and it goes straight from batt to solenoid to that board then to key. i hope that by replacing all of those connectors will help i think maybe a wire would jar loose. a bad coil would just kill the motor not kill all the power.

Look between the hot wire from the alternator and the buss on the back of the motor

 

[Devilman]

it does have msd on it i replaced a bunch of wire connectors at the harness at the back of the engine. they where moving in the little connectors. i looked for a relay and coulnt find one. i also looked for a button on the harness to reset it. no button. im gonna check all my grounds again. can the coil be tested? when it dies every bit of power goes away the fuel pump and bilge are all run threw the key when it dies they are all gone that is why i dont think it would be the coil. thank you for the info.

Awhile back my boat did something similar to what yours is doing. Some kind of weirdass wiring job, power runs through the amp gauge/ammeter then to the ign. switch. It had an inline fuse connecter & the fuse had gotten hot, blew, & melted the connecter some in the process. It just did it the one time though, when it quit, it just quit & wouldn't do crap no gauges, no fuel pump, no bilge pump, nuthin.... I replaced the fuse connecter cuz I wasn't about to rewire the friggin boat, lol... So you may wanna check around under your dash & stuff for anything like that. May be a shot in the dark, but ya never know what kinda stuff people may have done to the wiring over time.

 

[CHARLIE F]

Coils are cheap, worth the price of a new one just to rule it out.
The MSD can have these issues, they are famous for these kind of issues, I have seen several cases of it.
They are a sealed unit but a board can have a crack in it or it heats up short out and can cause this exact thing.
Intermidant issue.
Is yours the red or the marine blue one? From what I understand the red ones can be rebuilt but the blue ones are sealed with epoxy for marine use and can not.

A great person to ask is Tom (Impatient One) I think he can rebuild the red ones.

If you know someone that has one you could change it out and confirm.
I think you might find that that is your problem.

Are you going to lake Greason for the Taylor meet?

 

[taylorjet37]

well the ignition worked just fine all weekend. after replacing all the connections. but i will never follow a boat that is just your every day boat threw a channel that has shallows all around it except for one way through when i seen him run aground and raise his motor i turn and straight into the shallower water and the rocks just magically go up through grate and into the pump. well after pulling the bowl off i got the rock that was stuck in the impellar. all better now.

 

[FirstjetinMN]

well the ignition worked just fine all weekend. after replacing all the connections. but i will never follow a boat that is just your every day boat threw a channel that has shallows all around it except for one way through when i seen him run aground and raise his motor i turn and straight into the shallower water and the rocks just magically go up through grate and into the pump. well after pulling the bowl off i got the rock that was stuck in the impellar. all better now.

Would love to know if this problem surfaces again. I went through this as well with my 460 Ford…..cruising fine, great power, having fun and then all of sudden the boat dies out like someone shut off the key. Thought my tanks weren’t vented but fuel pressure was constant…. Then I went on the mad wire hunt, tested my Unilite ignition module and it seemed to be working fine, ballast resistor could have been toast? Mallory coil taking a crap on me? Who knows…

I tore out the Mallory dizzy, crappy Unilite, Mallory Coil and the ballast resistor……went all MSD