Trouble Installing Carb on 1968 Evinrude Fisherman 6HP - Throttle Lever

[BillyBoating]

I'm a newbie to fixing outboards. I bought a model 6802R outboard, and it ran, but very fitfully. This year I took the carb off and cleaned it up. When I was replacing it I ran into a problem. Or honestly, I don't know if it's a problem, so that's why I'm posting here.

​Okay, when I took the carb off, there was a spring attached to what I think is called the throttle lever or paddle. It is on the right side of the carb in one of the attached pictures. The spring came up from under the motor and attached to the paddle/lever there. You can see it pretty clearly in the picture.

​When I was trying to put the carb back in, I was pulling on this spring to reattach it to the lever/paddle. But it popped out of my hand and came loose altogether, and was sitting on the floor of the motor housing. I found what I think was the place to reattach it underneath, which is shown in the other picture. It was just a small hole in a bracket down there, and had no other conceivable use. So I hooked it up there, and then reattached the other end to the throttle paddle/lever.

​Here's where I don't know if I have a problem or not. I got the engine running again. But I can't figure out what, if anything, that spring is supposed to be doing. The paddle/lever doesn't move when I run the engine and move the throttle on the handle. If I use my finger to move the paddle/lever while the engine is running, it stays in whatever position I place it. The spring doesn't snap it back or anything.

​I tried looking at pictures and videos on the internet, and even reached out to Leeroy of Leeroysramblings. But of the few pictures I can find of similar year motors, none of them have a spring like this. They all have a separate bracket that attaches to the throttle paddle/lever. I don't know if the prior owner put a different carb on, or rigged something new, or what.

So, can anyone tell me:
​1. What, if anything, that spring that runs down under the motor is supposed to do?
​2. If I need to do something to "fix" this, or is it a problem at all? As I said, the engine does run, but it seems a lot louder and rougher than others I've seen and heard. I don't know if that's just because it's older or what.

​Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

 

[F_R]

No Title

Forgive me, no offense meant, but that is almost amusing. Yeah, I know, somebody else did it, not you. But to put us on the same track, the shaft going through the carburetor is called a throttle butterfly shaft, or simply throttle shaft. The throttle shaft is opened by a cam follower, riding on a cam above it, as you advance/retard the throttle. When the cam follower is aligned with a mark, the throttle shaft should be just barely ready to start opening. The cam moves in and out to adjust it.

I'm surprised it even runs the way you have it.

 

[BillyBoating]

I can see where that cam follower assembly would attach. But I sure don't have it. When I took this apart, I saved every single little piece in a nice deep tray.
​The grip throttle does work, to that I can attest. I can run that motor and when I turn the grip it runs right up.
​But all of this begs the question as to what, if anything, I should do. When I used this motor on my inflatable, it worked fine, but from what I'd read I'd expected more power, so this may be the cause. I just don't know. I sure don't want to spend a bunch of $$ trying to improve on something that works. It's a 50 year old motor, not an heirloom. Could whoever did this with the spring have worked some other rig so that the grip throttle still works?

 

[F_R]

Well, let me put it this way. You might get it to run like it is, but certainly not the way it is supposed to run. You have no control over the throttle shaft operation at all. Best you find or order the correct parts and put it together the way it is supposed to be. It will run a whole lot better.

 

[F_R]

No Title

Here are the part numbers. Try an Evinrude dealer

 

[BillyBoating]

Like you, I can't figure out how/why it is running if that throttle shaft is a critical part of the process. Which I assume it is.
​Can't even get some of these parts now - obsolete. One of them being the "link," part #19.

 

[Chinewalker]

The link is similar to those used on later motors, enough that a later one should work for you (.ie off of a 1980s 6hp). There are several 312832 cam followers on eBay. In a pinch, I've made the link arms out of heavy coat hanger wire. Z-bend at top, Z-bend at bottom, spaced about an inch to inch and a quarter apart. Trial and error may be needed to get it right. You'll also need the shoulder bolt and the thick washer that go with it.

 

[BillyBoating]

Thank you very much. That link pin did look awfully simple to cost so much. I was thinking of making one already. Just a matter of knowing the size.
​That said, do you recommend any particular online place to buy evinrude parts?

 

[F_R]

I might have the parts (used). Send me a PM if you want me to dig through my goodies boxes.

 

[BillyBoating]

...

 

[F_R]

I looked and don't have the parts. Anybody else?? Send him a PM.

 

[BillyBoating]

Okay gentlemen, another question if I may: When I remove that spring that runs down under the motor, should the throttle shaft be spring-loaded in either direction? It looks like, on the throttle shaft itself, between the paddle at the end and the carb itself, there is a spring. I would think that spring does something to have the throttle spring back to some position. But if I remove that spring that is currently attached under the motor, the throttle shaft doesn't spring back in either direction. In other words, it just stays in whatever position I place it. Is that correct, or is that spring on the shaft itself broken?

 

[Chinewalker]

I'm guessing someone took the carb apart, once upon a time, and didn't get the spring back correctly. The throttle shaft SHOULD revert to closed position by itself with the spring action. OR, the tab on the spring may have broken off. Not sure you can replace it without doing some surgery on the carb...

 

[BillyBoating]

Forgive the relative naivete here, but does reverting to the closed position mean the paddle/lever is down, or up? If down, I may be able to put in a stronger spring where the current one is, and at least get it functional. I have other parts on order (will likely have to make my own link, can't find one of those anywhere).
​I'm wondering how much difference it will make to fix this. The engine smokes a LOT, even for a 2-stroke, and I"m guessing this may be part of the reason. Do you think I'll get more power if I fix this?

​Correction: I just took off the spring that someone added, and the spring on the throttle shaft does indeed work. It pulls the paddle up. So I guess someone added the other spring to hold the throttle all the way open.
​I still would like thoughts as to whether fixing this (installing cam follower, etc) will make a noticeable difference in performance

 

[Joe Reeves]

The throttle butterfly/shaft should be spring loaded in the closed position.

Were those part actually missing when you took that carburetor apart... or did you misplace them?

 

[BillyBoating]

I didn't misplace anything. The pictures show the way I received it. I didn't even know any parts were missing until I started this post. The motor seemed to run just fine. Throttle on the tiller handle works.
​Pls take a look at my correction to my post above for more info.

 

[Chinewalker]

It's smoking because it's running rich. You've got full throttle all the time. You're only changing the timing. So, at idle timing it's getting full gas. It's gonna leave a trail... I'd fix it the right way - no jimmy rigging with extra springs, etc. Get the carb off, get the proper parts and it'll last you a good, long time... Those 6's were some of the best motors OMC ever built.

 

[BillyBoating]

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I appreciate your help.
​Would not having those parts on affect power at all?

 

[F_R]

"Closed" means the paddle as you call it is "up". The cam follower and link that you are going to replace pushes it down at the proper time. The spring around the shaft is supposed to push it back up at the proper time. The way it is now, the makeshift spring is holding it down further than it is supposed to go. That is raising havoc with the fuel/air ratio that the carburetor is supposed to be supplying to the engine.

 

[Chinewalker]

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I appreciate your help.
​Would not having those parts on affect power at all?

Yes. Those parts you're missing are made to work together to provide full power through the full range of operation. Your motor's throttle is likely PAST the full throttle position (with butterfly horizontal) so you'll never get full power as it is now.