Fishing Forum

Hey guys,

My outboard will not start and gas leaks out of the carburator(out of the top open end, doesn't appear to be a gasket problem) if I pump the ball. I've received a bit of advice the last couple of days with the main theory being it's a stuck float. From the amount of gasoline present it will never start as it'll always be in a flooded state.

I was gonna take out the bottom screw on the reservoir to access the float from underneath and find what's 'causing it to stick. The motor sat around unused for quite a few years so I'm thinking a good cleaning should do it.

Though it sat around for a long time, the motor has less than 10hrs on it. It ran it fine for several trips until the last one. The problem showed up after a long road trip followed by a really bumpy ride the last 5 miles.

Should I just go ahead and tear the whole carburator apart or just clean out the bottom portion?

I've got enough mechanical experience to do the job, I've just never messed around with an outboard or small engines, and unfortunately the motor didn't come with a manual.

If anyone has the time and patience to offer a bit of advice I'd be most appreciative. I'm gonna go ahead and tackle the job in the next couple of days regardless, I was just hoping to get a bit of guidance beforehand.

The motor is a Sears Gamefisher 5.0hp Model 217 586614 and Serial 78004766.

I'm attaching a couple of pics of the carburator in the hopes they will be of some assistance in giving advice.

Thanks,
Mark
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[size 3]First thing I would do is to drain the gass tank and flush it out with a quart of high octain gass and a can of gum out spray the inside of the tank with the gumout and let it set for 15 minutes spray again then flush with the gass.[/size]

[size 3]second pull the bowl off the bottom (providing that is a bowl I am seeing) dump it and spray every ting with gumout or carborator cleaner. (I prefer gumout because it works well on the varnish that the gasoline turns in to after awhile of non use.[/size]

[size 3]Then I would reasemble it put your oil and gass mix 40-1 ratio in the tank and spray starter fluid in the carborator, it should fire up or at least want to.[/size]

[size 3]that is about all the cleaning you will want to do to it. there may be a diphram in the carborator that that may have torn or frozen up from tar build up.[/size]

[size 3]I would say if your motor was running for a few trips after it sat before misbehaving one of two things has happened, [/size] [ol] [ol] [li][size 3]first is that the oil mixture was not properly made. or it was mixed in the gas tank. [#ff0000](biggest no no of all)[/#ff0000] [/size] [li][size 3]second a chunk of crud or graval came floating down and is sitting on your float or in the pivit pin holding down the float. [/size] [ul] [li][size 3]one of the things that can cause this is a piece of rust from a metal gas can or even from a plastic gas can with out a pouring filter. even if it is a new plastic can metal fragments from the station can find its way in to your can.[/size][/li][/ul][/li][/ol][/ol]

[size 3]I think you are on the right track.[/size]

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This is a good time to get some Sta-Bil for later in the season too. I've been down that road your on and you'll learn to like Sta-Bil[]
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Thank you for the advice guys. I'm gonna get on cleaning the motor right away. I really appreciate the help.

Later,
Mark
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You have mentioned it seem to develop the problem after it bumpy ride, it would surprise me in the least that the float could be out of adjustment or the pin holding it in place has shaken loose. Make sure the pin is installed correctly that holds the float in place and that float needle is in its seat correctly. The float should set level (or slightly below) with the housing once you raise the float up (by hand) to were it comes to a stop, (use very light pleasure to raise the float into place)..

Good luck!
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YOU SAID IT STA-BIL WILL SAVE YOU ALOT OF TIME AND MONEY. I PUT IT IN MY FUEL CANS EVERY TIME I FILL THEM UP I NEVER KNOW HOW LONG THEY MIGHT SET.
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