stuck carb pin/float?

[TyGuy02]

I will probably entertain an expert mechanic with this explanation, but here it goes. I replaced my outboard with a 15hp johnson. It worked alright the first few times this year but had a REALLY hard time starting. Over the 4th it WOULD NOT start. Brought it in to the mechanic I bought it from (took and month and a half) and just got it back yesterday. He said it was running perfect. I could not get it to run yesterday. Tried today, nothing. Brought it to him and he struggled, but blew some air into the fuel line (post pump hose) and it would finally let fuel into the carb. He had it running really good then, I got it home and me being really worried tried at home and ran. Got it to the **** lake and WOULD NOT START! Plugs dry, I have spark, fresh fuel, good pressure from the pump but it's not letting fuel into the carb unless it's hooked up to an air compressor!

I believe it's the float, is it something easy to fix or replace? I really don't want to bring it back to him because he has like 20 boats waiting in line to be fixed and he's been harvesting beets. And the other guy in our small town didn't return my 3 messages earlier this summer when I needed help. Any info would be appreciated.

BTW, the guy that "fixed" the outboard said that he cleaned the carb really well, if that means anything.

[Sherpa]

Maybe post this in the boats and motors forum. I think you will get more responses there.

[tonkapat]

Does it work on his fuel tank and line and not yours? Are you hauling the motor horizontal? One guess would be that the float is sticking after you have the motor laying flat and not coming unstuck. First thing I would check is if the bowl has fuel in it. If it does go through the carb again. If it doesn't it has something to do with your float/needle and seat, or your fuel tank/line Good luck

[Surface Tension]

Are you choking when cold starting, you should be.

When you pump the primer bulb is it firm right away? Yes, could be stuck inlet valve (needle and seat) or the float drop is off.. Next time it does this pull a plug and prime it with about a teaspoon of gas or spray gas into the carbs throat. Note the even if you only start the engine for a short time you should have the muffs on.

If it fires then take the carb off and replace the inlet valve. While your at it clean the carb even though the mechanic said he did. Make sure you get the low speed circuit clean.

When you put the carb back together check the float drop. I don't have that measurement off hand.

Sometimes a previous leaking needle and seat could be from too much float drop and someone went and changed the float drop to compensate for the leak. Since you don't know the history of repair do do both.

So what can cause a needle and seat to stick and float adjustment to be off? Your tank has a vent. It lets air in but not out. It will build up pressure as the temps rise. When temps drop it will create a vacuum till the caps vents lets the air in. All this positive and negative pressure is put on the inlet valve. Now add traveling down the road. Your float is bouncing up and down, your needle and seat are attached to the float. The bowl is empty from being in the tilt position. Things are getting hammered. Not much you can do about that but you can reduce the positive and negative pressure cycles by removing the gas line to the outboard when not in use.

Or you can pump it up and then it gets firm? Yes. then it is letting gas in and filling the bowl. Prime through the carb or pull a plug and prime. If it fires then clean the carb.

[TyGuy02]

yes, the choke is on. It's the only way to get any time bit of putt-putt out of it. If I take the choke off I won't even get a fire.

And yes the bulb is very firm. I was standing on the thing just to make a point to my in-laws!

He said it worked on his tank, and I had it working on mine for about 5 minutes.

And when it's being hauled it's only at a very slight tilt, pretty much straight up and down.

To replace the needle/seat and float would I need to pickup a rebuilt kit? Or is it stuff to find at the hardware/autoparts store? I know my autoparts store carries some small engine stuff, but not rebuild kits

THANKS A TON!

[Surface Tension]

You can get the kit at any Johnson parts/dealer. If you need a float which you don't are sold separately.

I'm not ruling out that this has nothing to do with inlet valve and you have a dirty carb or the idle speed adjustment is off. Either way they get replaced and cleaned.