Malibu Wakesetter Engine Problems

I have a 2006 malibu wakesetter with the 383 hammerhead engine. Over the past year we have started having a problem when trying to get on plain. It doesnt happen all the time but every now and then when we go to pull or just get the boat up n go it will get to around 25, start popping and we have to back off the throttle. Sometimes it will let us back off to around 20 and it will run but you can hear it sounding like its getting the fuel in spirts. A trick we have done in the past to fix it is take the fuel filter off under the back seat, blow out any gas in it and then put it back on and it would be good for a hour or so but this summer its gotten worse. We have replaced the filter under the seat, replaced the fuel regulator but still, same issue. Does anyone know what is causing this? Our next step is the fuel pump but before we spend 500 dollars we want to make sure that is what is causing it. Any help would be great, thanks!

I have an LS3 that did that on hard acceleration. It was bad gas from sitting awhile.

Throw a full tank of 91 in There with that fuel stabilizer and run through a whole tank. The next tank of fuel should be good to go.

Might be helpful to add a fuel water separator with a clear drain bowl.

I had symptoms like that a couple years ago with my '03 wakesetter with the monsoon 335 engine. Took it to 3 different guys and all just cleaning the fuel strains and changed the fuel filter and the problem went away...temporarily. Started out at 1/4 tank, then whenever I filled it up problem went away, that went to 1/3, 1/2, etc until it got to a put where a full tanks of gas wouldn't matter. I tried 3-4 different types of fuel cleaners and no luck. Took it to my dealers who cleaned out corroded filter or strain parts that clogged up the fuel rail lines. Since, then it's been working great. But dealer "working" on it for 2 days sent me back a couple grand.

I agree sounds like bad gas maybe water in the gas. Get some heet and add that to a tank full of real gas.

Thanks for all the great advice everyone! We burned out most the gas we had in it last weekend and going to start burning 93 in it this weekend and add something to dry up any water that may be in. We were told by a malibu mechanic that a fuel water seperator could not be added to the fuel line for our engine. We had the same idea last summer but after calling our malibu guys and hearing that it shut that idea down. They didnt say why, just saidnit isnt set up to have one. Next step if the fuel doesnt work after a couple weekends is to start replacung gas lines and check the whole fuel ststem from the tank back. Really appreciate all the help, at least we know where to start looking and checking now

Hi Chris i have the same boat as yours with same engine and i got the same problem . so i just want to know finally what was causing the probelm . Im sure you find out a year later haha. ty

Mine ended up being some old gas and bad spark plugs. No problems since.