Ahhhh, my love affair with the outboard motor, or as my social worker wife says, I am in an abusive relationship and can't cycle, (or in this case, two cycle), out of my self destructive pattern...lol
Ah, she is a wit:)
Let me give you its history....
Season 1,it came with the boat listed as scrap on the bill of sail. Period. A friend got it going pretty quick. It was a rotted wire (But still looked good) on the engine kill switch.
Had trouble with the idle.....removed the carberator and replaced the float and used carberator cleaner to remove any build up on the parts. It was a surpringly easy job. So, the first season was taken care of.
Season 2, Changed the plugs and the water pump impellor. Impellors should be changed every year, on every motor whether its an outboard or an inboard. Do it at your leisure at the beginning of the boating season or later on in a hurry. BTW, tou cannot change an outboard impellor in a hurry even if you wanted too.
Season 3, this year. had the motor at work in my boiler room. I ambitiously stripped it down. Sandblasted the housing components. Epoxied in all the pock marks, (it is a 1986 model so it has pockmarks galore), sanded and faired the same, changed the bearings and seals and re-assembled it and ran it in the boileroom in a water barrel.
Installed on the boat and tested it again using those water earmuffs so water gets to the impellor. NEVER even turn the motor over without water or you'll be changing the impellor. Experience!!!
The boat was lowered in the water and it motored over to the slip no problem, then it died after we tied up. Turns out the kill switch was faulty. Bought a kill switch at the chandlery and it failed to remain in the closed position required to run the engine. Replced it with a simple toggle switch. Yup, I'm a genius:) Ok, ok, my wife went and asked if it could be used and she bought it and made me install it. Obviously my genius has rubbed off on her over these past two decades.
Now it won't idle worth a shi#! Went home and fumed for a couple of days. Brought the manual back and began from step one on setting the idle. 5 minutes work, tops. Now it has never idled so well. I even walked away and socialized with my friend Martin and when i came back it was still idling.
TROUBLESHOOTING!
Engine won't run, or stops......check fuel, don't laugh
......make sure fuel vent is open
......look for loose and hanging wires
......make sure your engine kill switch is on
Always have a manual onboard, even if you are not mechanicaly inclined. Write in the front cover the motors pertinat information; make and model number, its year, its horsepower and serial number. Sooo much easier with that in front of you when talking with a parts dealer on the phone.
Go through the manual and highlight any and all sections that deal with your motor. These manuals cover dozens of sizez and models. Or use post it notes. Hope this helps. My 'scrap' motor is going on its third season. Allan
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Sorry for the spelling errors. I would spell check over and over but it just won't take.
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