new boat owner, old boat

[h2opdler]

I just bought my first boat yesterday a 1984, 16 ft Lund with a 40hp Mercury outboard. It ran fine I took it for a test drive and had no problems at all, it started right up idled fine, ran well,no problems at all. I puttered around with it when I got it home disconnected the gas to check out the gas can storage area, reconnected it and left it alone.
I registered the boat this morning and put it in the water. It started fine. I idled through the no wake zone for about 100 yards and it stalled. I tried to start it and after a couple of tries I realized that I forgot to squeeze the primer ball. Gave it a squeeze and it started,went another 100 yards and it stalled again. I could not get it going after that. It would start and choke itself out. After 30-45 minutes I gave up and used the trolling motor to take me back to the put in. Did I buy a P.O.S. ? Did I do something wrong? I have absolutely no experience with outboards and dont know where to turn. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I did wrong and how to fix it ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Texasmark]

Re: new boat owner, old boat

You seem to be having fuel issues. You could have old fuel and/or gunk in your carb. I'm going to go with gunk as your initial running (after it probably sat for a long time) loosened some crud and it clogged your jet(s).

I think a new tank with a thorough flushing of the fuel line is in order. With new fuel in the tank with the proper 1 pint to 6 gallons of TCW-III 2 cycle outboard oil (wall mart) and you might add a can of Sea Foam (WM also) to help in dissolving the crud. While there you might get a can of Berryman's Chem Tool in the spray can also. It's a carb cleaner and works wonders....just keep it off paint and out of your eyes and on your skin it removes all your natural oils and can make your skin, especially finger tips crack. If you get it on paint wipe it off immediately.

Remove the fuel line at the carb and with that hose inserted in a suitable container squeeze the primer bulb in the fuel line until new fuel appears. Replace the line on the carb.

Remove the screw from the bottom of the carb. and remove the bowl. If you do it carefully you can probably put it back on with the same gaskets. You may leak some fuel in doing this so put something below the carb to absorb the fuel.

What does the bowl look like? If it has a brownish scale in it it's varnish and is probably what is causing your problem. A low ball approach to solving your problem (might work), is:

Using the Chem Tool clean the bowl.

Look at the float. It should be hanging down at a pretty good angle (45 degrees???). If not it is stuck closed caused by varnish and must be cleaned to allow fuel into the carb. Carefully lift the lower end of the float till it stops moving. The float should be parallel with the carb casting where the bowl touches it. Squeeze your fuel bulb till it gets tight. No fuel should be coming out of the carb; if so, you have a leaking float valve.......doubt that but that is what a leak signals.

With rags in place release the end of the float and fuel will squirt out at the high end of the float which is where the float valve is located.

Looking up and into the bottom of the carb, any brass plug or tube that you see, squirt with CT being careful to keep it out of your eyes. If you have an air compressor, give the CT time to work and maybe squirt is a couple more times. Then take the air and blow out these parts best you can.

Put the bowl back on and squeeze the bulb till firm again. Check for leaks around the bowl and holding screw. If none, choke it or fuel enrichment it, set your throttle to start, and see if it will light off. If so, you are lucky. If it won't find yourself a carburetor kit(s) and do a carb overhaul. You ought to be good to go after that.

After your first tank of fuel, if you used Sea Foam, if you want to, just keep it in the gas at the rate listed on the can (1 oz per gallon of gas mix) and add it to your pint of oil and 6 gallons of gas.

This is the elcheapo attempt to solve your problem. If you have the $$ just go ahead and get the carb kit(s) and install them doing all the other things I mentioned. You can buy parts on here or go to another site and list the subject and get parts.

If you run the engine out of the water you need to have "muffs" which clamp over your water inlet holes on the lower unit and allow you to connect the garden hose to the engine to keep it cool while running. I think ww has them too.

HTH,
Mark

 

[h2opdler]

Re: new boat owner, old boat

You seem to be having fuel issues. You could have old fuel and/or gunk in your carb. I'm going to go with gunk as your initial running (after it probably sat for a long time) loosened some crud and it clogged your jet(s).

I think a new tank with a thorough flushing of the fuel line is in order. With new fuel in the tank with the proper 1 pint to 6 gallons of TCW-III 2 cycle outboard oil (wall mart) and you might add a can of Sea Foam (WM also) to help in dissolving the crud. While there you might get a can of Berryman's Chem Tool in the spray can also. It's a carb cleaner and works wonders....just keep it off paint and out of your eyes and on your skin it removes all your natural oils and can make your skin, especially finger tips crack. If you get it on paint wipe it off immediately.

Remove the fuel line at the carb and with that hose inserted in a suitable container squeeze the primer bulb in the fuel line until new fuel appears. Replace the line on the carb.

Remove the screw from the bottom of the carb. and remove the bowl. If you do it carefully you can probably put it back on with the same gaskets. You may leak some fuel in doing this so put something below the carb to absorb the fuel.

What does the bowl look like? If it has a brownish scale in it it's varnish and is probably what is causing your problem. A low ball approach to solving your problem (might work), is:

Using the Chem Tool clean the bowl.

Look at the float. It should be hanging down at a pretty good angle (45 degrees???). If not it is stuck closed caused by varnish and must be cleaned to allow fuel into the carb. Carefully lift the lower end of the float till it stops moving. The float should be parallel with the carb casting where the bowl touches it. Squeeze your fuel bulb till it gets tight. No fuel should be coming out of the carb; if so, you have a leaking float valve.......doubt that but that is what a leak signals.

With rags in place release the end of the float and fuel will squirt out at the high end of the float which is where the float valve is located.

Looking up and into the bottom of the carb, any brass plug or tube that you see, squirt with CT being careful to keep it out of your eyes. If you have an air compressor, give the CT time to work and maybe squirt is a couple more times. Then take the air and blow out these parts best you can.

Put the bowl back on and squeeze the bulb till firm again. Check for leaks around the bowl and holding screw. If none, choke it or fuel enrichment it, set your throttle to start, and see if it will light off. If so, you are lucky. If it won't find yourself a carburetor kit(s) and do a carb overhaul. You ought to be good to go after that.

After your first tank of fuel, if you used Sea Foam, if you want to, just keep it in the gas at the rate listed on the can (1 oz per gallon of gas mix) and add it to your pint of oil and 6 gallons of gas.

This is the elcheapo attempt to solve your problem. If you have the $$ just go ahead and get the carb kit(s) and install them doing all the other things I mentioned. You can buy parts on here or go to another site and list the subject and get parts.

If you run the engine out of the water you need to have "muffs" which clamp over your water inlet holes on the lower unit and allow you to connect the garden hose to the engine to keep it cool while running. I think ww has them too.

HTH,
Mark

Thanks Mark,
That is excatly what I was hoping to hear the "elcheapo" try first. since I spent every on getting it registered and with the taxes they charge here in NY I need to wait until my next paycheck to do anything else. I hope this works. thanks again.
John

 

[h2opdler]

Re: new boat owner, old boat

I put new gas along with sea-foam. and after a little coaxing got it going it ran for about 15-25 minutes and at full throttle just quit. could not get it going again. I'm not very mechanically inclined so I shied away from taking the carb off. that being said, when it quit the bulb had some air in it, but mostly full. tomorrow I'll try to find Berryman's Chem Tool and see if I fell comfortable enough to take the carb off and see what happens. I also picked up some ear muffs so I dont have to take it to the river to try it. How long can I let it run with the muffs on it? or should I not use them at all?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: new boat owner, old boat

I put new gas along with sea-foam. and after a little coaxing got it going it ran for about 15-25 minutes and at full throttle just quit. could not get it going again. I'm not very mechanically inclined so I shied away from taking the carb off. that being said, when it quit the bulb had some air in it, but mostly full. tomorrow I'll try to find Berryman's Chem Tool and see if I fell comfortable enough to take the carb off and see what happens. I also picked up some ear muffs so I dont have to take it to the river to try it. How long can I let it run with the muffs on it? or should I not use them at all?

The engine must be cooled! The muffs are a way of introducing tap water from your garden hose into the water inlet ports on the lower unit. With them properly installed and the engine not running, water faucet open adequately, there will be a lot of water flowing out around where they touch the lower unit....that's normal. When you start running, the leakage will be a lot less.

I think your are moving things about and you are getting there. What you said about the bulb is normal. With the engine off you fill up the carbs and the float valve shuts off fuel flow so the bulb gets firm. Once running, the engine is consuming fuel so the bulb will have a feel that something is in it, but will not be firm like initially.

Stay with it.

Mark

 

[mnRIVERrat]

Re: new boat owner, old boat

Sounds too simple I know, but make sure the vent screw is open on the gas tank. If it is closed or plugged and the tank can not vent these same things will happen. Air needs to be able to enter tank so vaccuum is not created, thus starving the motor for fuel.

Good luck.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: new boat owner, old boat

Sounds too simple I know, but make sure the vent screw is open on the gas tank. If it is closed or plugged and the tank can not vent these same things will happen. Air needs to be able to enter tank so vaccuum is not created, thus starving the motor for fuel.

Good luck.

Great suggestion. We do not know what he has for a fuel tank, and a closed tank (no vent) can certainly cause his problem. Nice response.

Mark