So I was out yesterday and I hit another boat wake pretty hard the motor then kinda missed for a second I figured since it is a carburated engine that it was not that big of deal but for the next 20 min. or so is was acting a little funny almost missing like. Then it just kinda went back to normal and ran fine for the rest of the day. This is the 2nd time this has happened this year. The motor is a PCM 5.8 351.I replaced the spark plugs this year so it's not them. Any ideas on what it may be?

Check your lanyard....mine was doing the same thing because of a faulty lanyard kill switch. Would cut out when hitting wakes and at other times. May not be your problem but it's worth a shot!

There is no laynard on an Excel. <BR> <BR>A miss could be caused by a lean condition or a spark issue. Ohm all the spark plug wires or replace them. Check the distributer. Recheck timing. Replace the distributer cap and rotor. Replace the fuel filter(s). Have the carb rebuilt. That should pretty much cure whatever is the problem.

1st time out this season? Are you sure you don't have bad gas(not from the beans) and or water in the fuel?

When you say lean condition you mean? The gas is not the problem I have gone out several times this season and run several tanks through, so that is not it.

Lean being lack of fuel, Kind of what I was hitting on as well. If you've run a couple tanks through that might not be it. How long since you replaced the fuel filter? Does your's have the fuel/water seperator? If so, is there a lot of water in it?

Just replaced the fuel filter and it doesn't have a fuel/water seperator

but here is the thing it will run fine and if a hit another boats wake really hard that is when it will act up. It will stay that way for a good 20 min and then be back to running fine.

You sure you didn't knock a plug wire off? Maybe the coil wire? Just sounds like a loose wire somewhere to me.