Right direction?
I have a 70s 6hp Johnson Seahorse that has been in my family for 20+ years. I was surprised when I took it out the first few trips this year and it started and ran reliably (it has been giving me issues for 3 years). As I have posted on here before, the motor will not reach full throttle or the high rpm range that it should. It just surges and it takes a really long time to "build up" to that rpm range when it begins surging. It hasn't been missing really just lugging and surging at full throttle. If I had to suspect, I would say it hasn't ran more than half to 3/4 throttle correctly in 3 years. It has been recommended several times to do a carb rebuild, but I have restrained because it was rebuilt 4 or 5 years ago and has had no ethanol gas and only fresh tank mixtures ran in it since the last rebuild.
Fri. I took it out again for my 5th trip in the last 4 weeks and for the first time it was back to its old habits. It was hard to start and for the first time since the issues presented it legitimately felt like it was missing or jumping consistently. I was able to run it, but it wasn't running well. I took it back out yesterday and I couldn't even get it to start at all. So, I am going to have to do some work. Below is what I am thinking:
1. Carb Rebuild
2. Replace all black fuel lines in cowling
3. Fuel Pump gasket or new pump (it is leaking)
4. New Plugs
5. Service lower unit
Is there anything else I should check since this has been an ongoing issue for several years now? I miss my old reliable motor. I swear when I was a kid, we never had problems out of this thing. My dad was bad about using old mixture and I don't ever recall him changing the plugs or anything. But every spring, it would start and run without fail and we rarely had to have it in the shop.
no matter what I'm doing, I've got hunting or fishing on my mind...