Check all your fuel lines especially the primer bulb for cracks and brittleness. They must all be soft and pliable.
Im at a loss! Running fine then starts missing, shut down and wont even idle. Clean the carbs and find one float swollen, hanging on the back of the bowl. Im thinking problem solved, replace the float and all set right. Starts good and takes off perfect, after stopping and trying to take off again it is missing and barely comes out of the hole! I manage to get to 45mph and hit a wave and it opens up and runs 60mph now, hit another wave and you guessed it, missing again. I changed plugs and wires, checked all connections and found 1 loose wire. Tried again and still missing. All cylinders have the correct compression and im sure its electrical. Could the power pack have a loose connection within itself? Im at a loss because I can usually figer this stuff out. Also the fuel filters have been replaced. Any ideas you guys might have will be welcome for sure cause im out of them.
Check all your fuel lines especially the primer bulb for cracks and brittleness. They must all be soft and pliable.
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Bill H. PTC USN Ret
Chesapeake, Va
Make sure all all mounting bolts for the starter, ignition components, and the ground to the block are clean and tight.
The wave (runs 65, then doesn't when you hit the next) makes me think you have a ground problem.
Quit complaining about the color, just pull up your skirt and fish! -- snagged
Thats the thing, I was thinking a groung problem and everything is clean and tight. Gonna go back and take the connections apart and redo them. Also gonna suggest he invest in new fuel lines. I think its the powerpack but anything can cause a problem like this. Just wanting to save a friend alot of money. Done saved him a blown motor with the stuck float, no gas & oil to that cylinder to mention! The powerpack is the lifeline and I think thats what he needs but you just never know without a new one.
Take a timing light with you and when it starts go from one plug wire to the other until you find problem... also if you have grey mercury gas line the ethanol has the inner lining pealing could be a piece at fuel pump or fuel filter with the jar its shifting. theres a bulliten out on fuel line but they want pay for it.... later
Slipped cork, I have a Johnson 150 that was experiencing the same trouble. Unfortunately, my problem was a bad power pack.
Just wondering, does your motor idle down after it runs for a few minutes and reaches a certain temperature? I didn't now if Merc's did this or not. I know Johnson/Evinrudes do, and noticed when I was having my boat problems the motor never would idle down. I assume this was also attributed to a function with the power pack since once a new one was installed, it began working properly.
As you can tell from my post, I'm not an authority on motor repairs. This is just what I can relate from my personal experience.
I done gave up. Told him he needs a mechanic, not the shade tree type like me, he needs the kind that he has to pay.:o Thanks for all the ideas though. When he gets it fixed I will post what the problem was.