Evinrude Elto Ace 1.8 HP - Cleaned Carb, So Now Need to Know How To Adjust

[garycolwill]

Hello all. I have an Evinrude Elto Ace with number 4351 00472, and the poppet valve was stuck, so I removed the carb and took it apart. The poppet valve was very gummed up, but I finally got it removed and carb cleaner cleaned it and the post that it's on right up. So now it moves very freely. I also used carb cleaner to clean out the passage from the float bowl through the needle area to the little hole on the poppet valve seat, so now carb cleaner can flow from one end to the other. I had to remake the gasket for the top cover, and then put it all back together.

So I added some 16:1 gas and opened the vent on the gas cap, then opened the gas valve on the tank, and the little pin that sticks out of the top cover floated right up, indicating that gas did flow into the bowl and that the float was working. Then I depressed that and also pressed the poppet valve raiser thingie on the bottom until a bit of gas presented itself - just like the youtube videos. Then I set the speed control to a little right of middle and the rich/lean thingie (actually the needle itself, with a little handle attached) to just right of middle as well, and after a few tries, the motor ran for a few secs, then died. Very exciting though!

After many more tries and many more adjustments to the ignition advance/speed control lever and the lean/rich indicator, I still had just a few starts that lasted only a few secs. Very encouraging, and definitely progress, but now I want to get it running steady.

So, I think there's probably more to adjusting this carb than just slapping it together and hoping for the best. The question is, what's the best way to do that? Should the needle be seated and then the little handle attached all way right to the Lean marker on the carb body? Or is there a more specific process called for? Also, does the float level matter at all?

What other things should I check?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lindy46]

Did the pin on the top of the float bowl remain up when it stalled out?

 

[garycolwill]

Well, a new friend helped me out by pointing out that the float pin has little detentes on it where the little float holder thingies go, and that's what really set's the float level perfectly. When I first put this together I didn't notice those because it gets so dark so quickly here in mid-November and because the light I was working under wasn't really bright enough to overcome my 52 year old tired eyes. But, today, in 10:00am bright daylight, these little detentes (or whatever they are called) are very clear.

I also learned as I started the motor that it's VERY sensitive to the needle. Just a little tweak on that lean/rich lever smoothed things out quite well. I did end up re-adjusting how the lever was mounted to the actual needle. I screwed the needle all the way in very gently until it stopped advancing (not too hard - don't want to damage the needle seat), and then I just left it shut and mounted the lever onto the needle shaft a bit too the right of the lean marking, so that it hangs past the lean indicator. That way I have a large area of adjustment.

Anyway, it's running!!!

 

[lindy46]

Mine is a 1947 Sportsman, and I opened the needle about 1/3 turn, then set the lever straight up. After priming, I set the lever to the rich side (just so the primer backs off) to start, then adjust it to the lean side for optimum performance.

 

[garycolwill]

Thanks, lindy46. I did notice that once it gets running, the motor runs remarkably smoother when you lean it out a bit.

It boggle my mind a bit how simple these carbs are, compared to others, yet how effective, and I do like how much control it leaves in the hands of the operator. As simple as they are, I don't think I would have come up with this idea at all.