Wit's end with my outboard

[benet250]

Hello
lets start with the easiest, 1. after priming the system does the fuel appear to slowly drain back out of the filter, if so there is a backflow preventer in the primer bulb which had gone bad, 2. take your tank and put it above the level of the engine to verify that fuel is running into carburettor, (these carburettors are very reliable and I see very few of them fail, if they do it is usually the spring on the float),
3. somebody suggested the vacuum/pressure diaphragms very good suggestion, the material used to make these diaphrams do NOT like Ethanol which is used in many gasolines as a substitute up to 10%. the ethanol will stiffen all (including hoses, gaskets et al) rubber like materials in the fuel supply
good luck

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Oh God no. I would never put that on my actual boat. This is for a land based generator. I used the best marine hose money can buy for the boat. It’s also important to use the right one for the boat because the ABYC standards and even the bare minimum US federal government standards require it.

I just don’t want the person I put the generator kit together for to have trouble with the carburetor because of a bad hose.

The problem is, for boat fuel lines run outside (like a tank to outboard line in a dinghy), that type B hose is perfectly legal and acceptable to use. So it's commonly seen, even though some of it is crap hose.



For a land based application, I'd either use USCG A1 or a good quality automotive fuel hose. Basically, something that's expected to either go into a high-stakes application or one that sees a lot of use. Those will typically be better quality than hoses you'd see in applications where people want to cheap out and only use the thing occasionally anyway, so they won't care much if it doesn't last.

[team karst]

All my fuel hoses at this point are black rubber. I have purged all gray plastic/polymer hoses from my life. A1 below deck in the key west.

Yes, there will be some amount of black marking in the rib, but at least i wont be stranded miles from the mother ship.

Also, i took the opportunity to de-EPA the tank system. It wasnt an obvious issue yet, but did reduce the complexity

[JebLostInSpace]

So a couple of developments today. I only had about an hour to play with it before it got dark, but I did learn a couple things.

When I first sat down with it today, I tried all the same stuff from last time, and got zero response of any kind.

I checked the spark plug, and it was giving a good spark, but I had a spare so I swapped it anyway.

I emptied the fuel tank and replaced with fresh ethanol-free gas. I also added a fuel system cleaner additive thing that was described as "volatile" thinking it would hopefully make it easier to spark.

After those two changes I was still getting nothing. I also bought a can of starter fluid, which is meant to be sprayed in the air intake to help it spark. The air intake on this engine is a pair of long rubber hoses that poke out the bottom of the cowl. I tried spraying a bit down the hoses, but I wasn't getting much in. So I pulled the spark plug again and sprayed it in there.

After that, I got an immediate strong coughing on the first pull and actually ran for a second or so. But it died immediately, and continuing to try and start it after that initial cough gave me absolutely nothing. I repeatedly sprayed in with the spark plug and tried to start, and each time it behaved the same. Different choke and throttle combinations didn't seem to have any effect. I did notice that if I sprayed heavily, it would run for a second or so longer.

My theory now is that it's just not getting any fuel. Does that sound likely to you all? I figure it was essentially burning that little bit of starter fluid and then running out of fuel right after. Otherwise, I should have at least gotten a little cough on subsequent pulls?

Assuming it is a fuel delivery problem, any advice on where to start? Should I pull hoses to inspect them, or go straight to the carb?

[Chotu]

There you go! You have answered a lot of the questions. It’s definitely a fuel problem.

Now it’s just time to figure out where the fuel is not reaching it.

The next thing to try if you can, is to borrow a gas tank with that fresh gas in it, and hook that up to the outboard. Use a completely different hose and bulb.

From there, the carburetor is all that’s left.

[Lodesman]

At the bottom of the float bowl on the carb, there should be a drain screw. Open it - if fuel flows out you have fuel to the carb - time to disassemble it and clean the jets with carb cleaner. If no fuel flows out - your hose, pickup or tank vent are the problem.

[team karst]

A 10mm socket is in ur future. Be careful with the gaskets on both sides of the carb spacer.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by JebLostInSpace

...After those two changes I was still getting nothing. I also bought a can of starter fluid, which is meant to be sprayed in the air intake to help it spark. The air intake on this engine is a pair of long rubber hoses that poke out the bottom of the cowl. I tried spraying a bit down the hoses, but I wasn't getting much in. So I pulled the spark plug again and sprayed it in there.

After that, I got an immediate strong coughing on the first pull and actually ran for a second or so. But it died immediately, and continuing to try and start it after that initial cough gave me absolutely nothing. I repeatedly sprayed in with the spark plug and tried to start, and each time it behaved the same...

OK, Good. You are following a logical approach. (like I suggested, heh heh 2 check and see if it is starved. Squirt raw gas into the mouth of the carb (with throttle open) then crank. If it starts and runs for a couple of seconds you know it needs fuel.


Now continue down the logical path.

Somewhere in that carb system there is a means to inject a bit of fuel for cold starting. (my motor had a little pump connected to the choke. Moving the choke squirts fuel in)

You need to find that and diagnose why it is not working.

Possibly the float in which controls the flow of fuel is stuck or the passages leading to it are plugged.

But the best way is to just follow the fuel path step by step and find out where it stops. Fuel hose.. connector..onboard filter..hose to carb.. float and float valve.. etc etc. You will find it if you go logically.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

At the bottom of the float bowl on the carb, there should be a drain screw. Open it - if fuel flows out you have fuel to the carb - time to disassemble it and clean the jets with carb cleaner. If no fuel flows out - your hose, pickup or tank vent are the problem.

This ^ first. Then disconnect the outlet hose off the pulse pump, place in bottle and get someone to pull the start cord, if it pumps fuel, it’s good. Them check the o ring on the fuel tank connection. Seen it lots where the o ring inside the connector gets damaged (usually from jabbing it onto the prong) and sucks air instead of fuel. If all these check out pull the carb and renew. While the carb is off might as we pull the plenum and check your reeds, most stock reeds are stainless and prone to chipping and full breakage, makes for hard if not impossible starting.

[team karst]

Stay the course. Ours went from a POS to something we pull once or twice, and make it runs for miles at a time. We trust it now, using it almost every day. But right now, hiding from 25 kt winds.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by rbk

This ^ first. Then disconnect the outlet hose off the pulse pump, place in bottle and get someone to pull the start cord, if it pumps fuel, it’s good. Them check the o ring on the fuel tank connection. Seen it lots where the o ring inside the connector gets damaged (usually from jabbing it onto the prong) and sucks air instead of fuel. If all these check out pull the carb and renew. While the carb is off might as we pull the plenum and check your reeds, most stock reeds are stainless and prone to chipping and full breakage, makes for hard if not impossible starting.

I don't think he'll find reeds in there, as this is a 4 stroke.

[Don C L]

I'll stick with the carb, my bet is the jets are both plugged. You can always buy a new carb if you want to avoid the rebuild. Kind of extreme but there's not much to them. The time it took to do all you did with the plugs and stuff, you probably could have rebuilt the carb.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I don't think he'll find reeds in there, as this is a 4 stroke.

And yes forgot rest still stands.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I'll stick with the carb, my bet is the jets are both plugged. You can always buy a new carb if you want to avoid the rebuild. Kind of extreme but there's not much to them. The time it took to do all you did with the plugs and stuff, you probably could have rebuilt the carb.

It wouldn't have run the first three minutes if the jets were plugged. I am sticking with the needle valve for the float. Even with non-ethanol gas varnish in old gas can cause the needle valve to stick.

[SVPilot]

I have the same motor. The carb will clog very easily.

There is one jet in particular that is very tiny and probably got some ethanol gel in it. You may need to take the carb off and clean it. Once you've done it once its not very difficult.

Use some carb cleaner spray. The pressure of the spray can can often unclog the jet after you have taken it out.

Every time you aren't going to run it for a few months, make sure to use an ethanol buster in your fuel, run the engine dry and drain the carb bowl.