Mercury 8 Starts, then Floods ?

[brianontheroad]

I have a 2001 Mercury 8 horsepower 2 stroke that went underwater briefly (not while running, my dingy was low on air and we got dumped on with rain) last week, I pulled it washed it with fresh water (it was somewhat brackish MD creek water) then gave it a WD 40 bath.

I pulled the plugs, filled the cylinders with Marvel Mystery oil then dumped them, then filled the cylinders again and again dumped them, then turned the engine over a few times to get any water/oil mixture out of the cylinders then left them soaking in MMO over night

Next day I put in new plugs, it started several times but failed to run -- seemed like a fuel issue. So I ordered a rebuild kit and pulled the carb and rebuilt it -- the inside of the carb seemed pretty clean, I just used a few cans of carb cleaner and blasted out every little area I could find, all new gaskets etc. put it back on and the motor started and ran a few times but never longer than 20 seconds (I was able to throttle it up to full RPM in gear) before it would die out again and then finally it quit starting

so I pulled the carb again, gave it a second cleaning and cleaned out the little two hole looking thing on the engine where the carb meets the block (I guess you call it a block on an outboard? I'm used to diesels!)

it started first crank in the garage but I killed it quickly since it wasn't in water, today I toted it down to the dink again , fired right up, put it into gear, ran it hard and it eventually sputtered and died, then it started a few times, I tried adjusting the screw on the front of the carb a quarter turn in each direction (it was adjusted to 1 and 1/2 from a light set) and it fired and ran great with it at 1 3/4 then about a minute later it sputtered and died

I suspect it's flooding -- when I squeeze the bulb it never really get's hard (it does get harder) and eventually fuel squirts out of the top of the carb, I'm wondering if the fuel overflow lines are clogged? also I couldn't find a clear picture of how to orient the float lift, I have the prongs bent up -- the float doesn't seem to be anywhere near the 1" that it's supposed to be (more like 1 1/4") but to get it down to an inch I'd really have to bend the crap out of that little fork and it used to run just fine with it -- do I have it upside down?

What am I missing? It's frustrating for it to run and sound normal and then die and not come back (hence I suspect flooding -- it was dark tonight or I would have pulled the plugs to check)

Thanks!

Brian

[S/V Antares]

sounds like the float valve. Take the carb off again and check that the float shuts off the fuel when it rises. (Use a tube/ fuel line attached to the fuel intake to the carb and blow into it. As you lift the float towrds the top it should shut off the flow.)

[brianontheroad]

yea that's what I'm thinking too -- I think I may have the little hinge backwards that lifts the float maybe?

where in annapolis are you? I'm in weems creek waiting out hurricane season/working

[S/V Antares]

It is suprisingly easy to put the float in upside down. We are dirt dwellers in the summer. Our house and boat are docked in Hillsmere on the south river.

Will