Of all the luck.

Today was the first non rain or non wind day since who remembers. Linda had a Dr. app. real early so when we returned we decided to head out. Water is high everywhere but after being a land lubber for a week, we said what the heck. If the fish don't bite we can enjoy the ride and the scenery. We launched the boat, parked the truck and got prepared to get underway. The motor didn't hit right away and then when it did it wouldn't run but about 5 seconds and then stop. Started it again and the same thing. I repeated that until I realized we had a problem. Now to get the boat on a drive on trailer with the water so high I had to back the truck into the water to be able to float the boat on the trailer. Luckily, a nice young feller who was running a motor in the next slip came over and helped us. In fact he came over and pointed out some stuff on my motor that I had no idea was there. After we got it loaded and I was thanking him. I found out that he's the mechanic at the prop shop I use. I told him I'd head home and do a little checking but most likely I would see him before the day was out. When I got home I disconnected the fuel line off the motor, jammed the valve open and pumped some gas into a cup using the bulb. It was nasty looking so I set is aside for a while and went get a drink. By the time I got back it was enough time for the gas and water to separate. I had about 4 ounces in the cup and when I returned it was 3.999 oz. of water and only the smell of gas on the surface. WoW. That was a shocker. Where did all the water come from. I know we had a lot of rain this past week but wow. My fuel vent cover is off but its been off for 3 years with no trouble. I did put in some gas right before launching, but who knows. I will talk to the station tomorrow to see if anyone else had a problem.

Now that I knew what the problem was I had to correct it. I had to remove a lot of stuff out the boat to be able to reach the fuel tank to empty it including he sending unit. Pumping gas with a hand pump isnt' fun but after I got all of it I could, there was still too much left in the tank. I went to Walmart and bought a small hand pump made by Pennzoil to pump oil out of an engine. It was only 8 bucks so I figured it was worth the try. It worked perfectly and only a few ounces were left. I made a mop of a 1/4" dowel and and a shop towel. I inserted the mop through the sending unit hole and moped up the rest. It came all out. I loosened the drain screws on the 3 carbs and let them drain. It was getting late and I was tired. I tried to replace the sending unit but gave up. I'll tackle it tomorrow. I will then put fresh gas into the tank, pump the bulb until I get clean gas out of it. I will then hook the line to the engine and pump fuel into the carbs while the drains are open to flush them out. I will attach the hose and say a prayer and give it a crank. I fully expect it to turn over and start quickly and run good. Then it will be a trip to the water to really try it out. Any problems or rough running and I will drop it at the shop and let that nice you man who helped us a the boat landing remove and clean the carbs. He says he doesn't understand how I have run that motor 9 years without a carb cleaning. I think it all goes back to using Seafoam all those years. Tomorrow we will see.
"gene"

Water is a terrible thing to an outboard when it's in the gas. Next time take the motor end off the hose, hang it over the side and if it's not long enough put an extension on the hose. With the end lower than the tank it will siphon out and empty the tank without a lot of effort. I've had to do this before.

The best thing is that it went down near the ramp and you had help there. Sounds like you got a real cleaning job done and I'm betting it will run good.

Wow. I've been eating away at a teeny boat motor for some time trying to get ahead..... And JUST NOW think I've got it right....maybe.
Sounds like my luck., Mr Gene. I'll be keeping up with the update


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Now Gene you know if your boat is down you and Ms Linda more than welcome to use mine

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WOW PPG......sorry for the water but at least you were able to trouble shoot it right away......if you have an in line filter, be sure to change it out.....

Paw Paw buy some yamaha ring free. Trust me it isn't cheap but less than an hour labor charge at a shop. When I had an off shore boat years ago that had a 150 gallon tank and it always got moisture sitting up even with stable. The first year I owned the boat after sitting all winter I tried to crank it and all I could smell was varnish. I drained the tank then I mixed a batch in a 6 gallon tank and force it into each engine and turned it over and nothing. I repeated this that night and again in the morning still nothing. That night when I tried again and they both spitted and sputtered. The next morning they fired right up. That afternoon I put it in the water. And it ran a little rough for about 10 minutes then it started running fine. You use it like seafoam. Follow the directions for shock treatment. A mechanic told me about it and what to do. He said it cleans from the gas cap to the exhaust pipe. I even put it in my old CJ 7 that started running rough after some trail ridding that stirred up a 20 year old gas tank.

Never tried the Yamaha ring free but I'm a firm believer in Seafoam. I can see the difference when I do or don't use it.

Barney I did that to my boat also. Last year when I replaced my hoses I went to Napa and bought a heavy duty automotive hose with an extra 3 ft added from the tank to the water separator. In the winter I siphon the gas out for use in my generator during deer season. I also put new stainless hose clamps. I don't know how many times over the years I fought those OEM hose clips when in a bind out on the water. I also kept the old bulb and quick connects. I carry more junk in my boat but you know the old saying it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

KYcreek I do too, but try ring free once and you will use it always. I use seafoam mixed on the low side for the first 2 tanks of the season and only use ring free in the worst scenarios. When I first used it I stepped on the bulb to force fuel in the carbs till it was coming out the over flows to flush them. A carb job on 2 150hp V6s was a 400 to 600 bill back then.

Paw Paw do you have a water separator on your boat?

Thanks all for the tips and Armand for the generous offer to use your boat. If all goes well I should have it up and running in a couple of hours. I just have to reinstall the fuel gauge sending unit, install the live well and then I'll be ready to fire her up. Don I don't have a filter on it but will be installing one. I don't have any ring free but I do have some spray Seafoam which I hear does the same thing. After I've got it running I will use it to decarb the cylinders and hopefully make it run great, which it did before.
"gene"

Paw Paw if you have the room get a racor with a clear bowl and a petcock. Next year I am installing one. I had one on my off shore boat. It also had a displacement float the gas was too light to float but water could. If the filter got water saturated it would shut off the flow. I think quick silver makes a small one like the attwood filter with the float set up that doesnt have a bowl or pet cock. For a lot less than a racor.

Mr. Gene, I hope that by the time you read this you will already have you motor running again. I hate to hear of your problem, but like someone mentioned, you and Mrs. Linda were lucky it happened to you at the launch instead of 3 or 4 miles down some canal. Maybe, just maybe, Someone was looking out for ya'll.

Gene, find a station that has ethanol free gas. It's all I use. Fill you tank full if you intend on not using your rig for an extended period. Definitely get you a good fuel inline separator filter. Hope this helps.

Wow paw paw hopefully that was all that was wrong and you can get it back on the water soon!

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finished up this morning putting her all back together. I poured in some fresh no ethanol fuel pumped the bulb to clear the line and hooked it the engine. I pump it up until the fuel was leaking out of the drain plugs on all 3 carbs. I closed the drain plugs and pumped her up again. Hooked up the water hose and hit the switch. She was running before I could let go the key. It sounded good but a little rough. I took the can of spray Seafoam and shot some down each card. When the motor slowed I stopped and let it recover and then sprayed the next then the next. I did that until I had use 1/2 can. I then sprayed plenty into all carbs until it finally flooded out. After sitting for 15 minutes, I cranked her up. It threw a lot of blue smoke for a minute and then it was all clear and it sounded good. I hooked 'er up to the truck and off to the launch. Stopped by a different station and put in some pure gas and headed to the launch. She kicked over so fast it surprised me. We took off and did a site seeing tour of The Grove just to show my friend where we go as he wants to fish there also. She ran like a top, as smooth as could be. Came back in and loaded her up, brought her home and parked her. She will sit there until after the weekend and then off we go.

I must say the water in the Grove is beautiful but very high. This north wind will help drop it and hopefully next week it will be fish on. Thanks all for the comments and the tips, they were all appreciated.

"gene"

Hey PPG,

Good to hear your back in business. IMO all that stuff your spraying does nothing that a mist of h2o will do. That is getting rid of carbon in the cylinder.Nothing more than too lighten your wallet. We call it wallet flushing in the repair buisness.

Put a water separator on it and keep burning that fuel. As in fishing two or three times a week.:)

Great that was a cheap fix

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Glad you got your problem solved PPG! Now go catch some fish.

JR you're probably right about the h2o, but I think it got overdone by having a gallon of in in the fuel tank. I remember a few year back of a h20 injector put on some vehicle to not only clean engines but improved performance. I wonder what ever happened to that idea.

What puzzled me is the fact that after reading on CDC about decarbing an engine using Seafoam of the warning not to do in on your concrete drive as the amount of carbon blown out the exhaust would surprise you and cause a permanent large stain. Well I ended up with a small maybe six inch stain due to the lack of carbon. Of course that is great, that after 9 years of running an engine, more that most, to end up with a fairly clean engine, who could want more. The mechanic that helped Linda and I load the boat was amazed that after 9 years it had never been in the shop for carb work. I don't know if I'm amazed but I'm sure thankful.

The only bad thing to come from this is I missed a fishing trip and won't be able to go until at least Tuesday.

"gene"

Awesome. Glad ya got it Mr Gene.


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Great going PawPaw. You are inspiring.

Congrats Mr "fix all"....glad you got it going.....