40hp evinrude just dies?????

[BearlyAwake]

Hi all,
Took my 90 Smokercraft out for it's maiden voyage and ran into a motor problem and need help...
First a quick question, why is it you have to keep the key pushed in when you start it? I had to keep bumping the key in just to keep it running. When it would not start and keep running my friend said the pump ball was collapsing. Replaced the pump ball and tried again. Took quite awhile but finally got it to fire after it kept stalling. Seemed to run ok but sounded like it was starving?
Got underway and all looked ok though could only get up to 25mph when it would do 35 when I test drove it? I went to throttle back a little and it lost all power, bogged down and died. Took quite awhile to get it started again. Took off the water seperator filter and it had little black chunks of something in it? Bypassed the water seperator/filter and it would not start. Hooked it back up a we drifted and drifted, and it started and seemed to run fine. Got up to speed and a bit later again it just fell on its face at full throttle...lost power and died.
When I test drove it they had a smaller tank hooked up instead of the main one. The boat still has the VRO system hooked up and it seems to be working ok??? Used Marine Stabil with the gas I put in. Gas in clear filter to motor looks ok?
Does anybody have any help they can give me so this thing does not just turn into an expensive lawn ornament??? Please!!!
Thank you,
Mac

 

[bumrunner]

Re: 40hp evinrude just dies?????

pushing the key in is the electronic choke which is similar to the manual choke knobs on other models. I had a similar problem and it was the result of one of the carbs having a piece of junk in it. It was rattling around in the carb so sometimes it was fine, and sometimes it got in the way of the gas flow. One test you can do is when the boat is running and starts to bog down at half or three quarter thottle, push in the key to engage the electric choke. The engine should sputter as if it's going to die. If it takes off and runs better (which it should not do) you may have a carberator issue.