Issue getting on plane and engine turning off under load.

[riverrunner1984]

Good Morning,
Let me start by saying I am not very experienced when it comes to engines and feel that with with my limited knowledge I am vulnerable just going to a mechanic and having them tell me what is wrong with my boat. So all advice/suggestions is very much appreciated.

I have a 1995 19ft commander open bow with a 454 and jet drive.
The boat has not been in the water in 2 yrs as I have has financial hard ship and could not pay for the repairs.
The last time I had it out, it ran fine out of water. As soon as I put it in water, and have it some throttle, it would die.

Prior to that, when it was in the water running, when ever I gave it throttle, it would seriously take a couple min to get up and plane out, like the engine was not producing enough power to get up on plane.

I have heard this could be a Carburetor issue. The boat has an 4 barrel quadra jet carb.
Does the carb sound like the issue? Should I replace the carb since they do not make quadra jet anymore?

Thanks in advance!

[WMC]

Sound like Carb to me as it has been sitting. You could get carb rebuilt or put a holley on. Where's your boat located? We have a lot of good shops on this site that could help you out. Welcome to Hotboat.com

[Menace Marine]

Sounds like carb issues. Obviously can't say for sure without seeing it but the symptoms suggest carb or fuel issues. Nothing wrong with a quadrajet. They can be rebuilt and continue to work for a lot of years.
I understand the hesitancy to take it to a shop and be told you need to spend a bunch of money. I'm not sure where you are located but I would be happy to take a quick look at it for you at no charge. Maybe it will be something simple. Once we know the problem I can fix it for you or would be happy to give you advice on how to do it yourself.

[Menace Marine]

Sound like Carb to me as it has been sitting. You could get carb rebuilt or put a holley on. Where's your boat located? We have a lot of good shops on this site that could help you out. Welcome to Hotboat.com

Like wmc said. There are a lot of good shops on this site. You should be able to find someone you trust. The good shops aren't here to rip anyone off. We just want to see everyone on the water.

[riverrunner1984]

Thank you for the welcome!
The boat is actually being stored in Long Beach but I will be moving it to Rancho Cucamonga in the next couple of weeks.
Menace, that sounds good.Are you in the So Cal area?
In regards to the carb. If I chose to buy a new Holley, would you recommend a 750 or 850 for a stock 454?
Hopefully here, I can slowly learn more about engines and power...Thanks for the advice!

[Menace Marine]

We are in Valencia Ca. As far as a new carb I would say the 750 is plenty but the 850 would work as well. Proper tuning is more important than a 100 cfm difference. If you go with a new carb keep in mind fresh fuel and clean fuel filters are equally important. Also remember at this point without actually witnessing the problem we are all just taking guesses as to the cause. Maybe a plug wire is bad or timing is off. Based on your description I'm betting on carb but I can't make any guarantees without seeing it.

[rschap1]

With all the sitting...how old is the gas???

[riverrunner1984]

I havent put new gas in and it was drained. The issue was prior to storing it. Could gas cause such an issue?

[Cigalert]

I have experience with this exact year, model and motor. The foot throttle drywall screws bent and the top of the pedal was hitting the back of the front open bow seat.

Just curious ....do you have a pic of the boat?

Sent from my hemDROID

[HB Vic]

I have experience with this exact year, model and motor. The foot throttle drywall screws bent and the top of the pedal was hitting the back of the front open bow seat.

Just curious ....do you have a pic of the boat?

Sent from my hemDROID

Now you got me thinking.