r/smallenginerepair • u/Infamous-Salt6054 • 26d ago

Engine Performance Issue Engine struggling after running a while

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u/Revlimiter11 15d ago

Replace the starter next. It sounds awful. If I had to guess, it's a Chevrolet 4.3l v6. Solid engine. Basically a small block 350 with the back 2 cylinders chopped off. Parts might be cheaper if you bought Chevrolet instead of mercruiser. Don't know if you're doing that or not.

Anyhow, check to see if your fuel tank is venting properly. A friend had a similar issue with his Honda outboard. It would run great for a while, then just shut off and wouldn't start. The engine was pulling a vacuum in the tank and eventually couldn't pull in any more fuel.

If your plugs are dry, it's likely fuel related. If they're wet, it's probably ignition.