How do you unflood a flooded engine

duck-n-pond

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 27, 2003
Messages
124
If you engine is flooded, what steps are to be taken to get it going...wait, full throttle, or what. Also what is a sure sign it's flooded and would any of you recommend something like quickstart to try and kick the SOB.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

duck,<br /><br />DO NOT use starting fluid.<br /><br />Just crank it with the warm up lever fully advanced.<br /><br />Sometimes it helps if you disable the ignition (kill switch) and crank it over with the spark plugs out.
 

duck-n-pond

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 27, 2003
Messages
124
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

ok. When you say warmup lever, do you mean WOT?
 

boatingfool

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 30, 2002
Messages
610
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

Heavy raw gas smell is usualy a good sign your engine is flooded.<br /><br />What i do when I flood an outboard is disconnect the gas line at the engine.<br />They are usualy a quick disconnect from the external fuel tank.<br /><br />This is going to stop from feeding more fuel to the flooded engine.<br /><br />I turn the engine over and once it burns off the excess fuel it will begin to try to start.<br />Then it wil start. I let it run for about 5 seconds and hook the gas line back up.<br /><br />Another option is after disconnecting the gas line , pull the plugs out and turn it over and blow the excess fuel out the cylinders , then put the plugs back in.
 

adiposefin

Recruit
Joined
Jun 18, 2003
Messages
2
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

tip the motor up; wait a couple of minutes, crank with full throttle... don't prime-no choke-no starting fluids
 

boatingfool

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 30, 2002
Messages
610
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

BTW,<br /><br />The warm up lever is a lever just below or behind your throttle.<br /><br />It increases the rpm to help keep the engine running when cold.<br /><br />My geuss is that if you dont know what one is you probably dont have one.
 

duck-n-pond

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 27, 2003
Messages
124
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

Wa-hoo thanks all! Got it going. Tried nearly all suggestions, cranked no plugs, tilted it up, and also I was sputtering around sick to my stomach for an hour and half wishing somebody would make me an offer on it. Anyway tried all suggestions and when I gave it a final go she purred like a kitten! I'd would be really pissed if this forum wasn't here (I may have tried that starter fluid out of desperation since this is the first really nice day had got here yet). :D <br />thanks again. Still questioning the warmup lever though - is it full throttle?
 
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DJ

Guest
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

duck,<br /><br />Most warm up levers do not achieve a full (WOT) throttle. Most are 1/3 to 1/2 at best.
 

AndyL

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 1, 2002
Messages
307
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

I have had success in the past by removing the plugs, cranking the engine to exhaust as much vapour as possible then heat the plugs with a gas cigarette lighter before replacing them.The heat induced into the electrodes prevents liquid forming on the gap while you attemt a restart. <br />Obviously do not do this in proximity to the fuel system of the open spark plug points.
 

duck-n-pond

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 27, 2003
Messages
124
Re: How do you unflood a flooded engine

All help apperciated, had a wonderful day on the lake sking after I got it going. I was curious about the warmup throttle as WOT is how I would start a flooded snowmobile or similar. All points etched in memory, thanks.
 
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