Engine stalls out at 3000rpm

[Doug]

A friend of mine has a boat with a big block chevy that runs up to 3000rpm then bogs down.It recently overheated due to failed impeller.Due to the overheat it blew a head gasket and got water in oil. He took heads and intake off, had heads checked,repaired.he is getting fuel to carb(4bbl).The bogging down happens just as the 4bbl open.He has adjusted carb per factory info.It seems to me the ignition is not advancing which is where i am going brain dead.How does the electronic distributor advance? I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have the centrifugal weights like they used to have and there is no computer like in a car and i probably know the answer but like i said I’m going brain dead.The boat is about a 2000(yr). Any help with cause of bog and how dist. advances will be appreciated.Thanks
ps.I had to leave before we could put a timing light on it and he was pretty fed up so i am hoping to get a solution so he can have some boating on his last week of vacation.

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[EricTheCarGuy]

Electronic ignition is just that, electronic. It doesn’t use any mechanical means for advance. It’s programmed into the PCM. Many people go for timing in a situation like this but I would look elsewhere for starters. In particular with the work that was done. Anytime you have an issue after work like that it’s always a good idea to go back over that work to make sure everything is connected correctly. Next make sure the engine is mechanically sound by performing a compression test. If the engine is not mechanically sound, it won’t be able to produce power properly. Lastly, carburetor adjustments can be tricky. If not done correctly, the engine won’t run right. More info on solving performance problems here.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Author]

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