1981 Evinrude 235 keeps dying

[jcherbert1]

I have replaced the plugs, fuel line, bulb, filter & fuel on this Evinrude. It used to surge at WOT but now it only cranks for a second and dies. I found a very small leak in the "fuel log" & replaced it but still no luck. I am at my wits end with this thing and in dire need of some assistance.

[tashasdaddy]

have you rebuilt the carbs, have you checked compression and spark?

[jcherbert1]

I have pulled the bowls off & cleaned them out when I drained the tank due to old fuel. I have not checked the compression though.
This was done when I bought the boat & it ran good other than the intermittent surging. Sometimes it would run fine & other times it would start the surging after about an hour of run time.
The problem that I have presently happened Saturday. The boat ran great for about the first 30 minutes at WOT and then just died. After sitting still for about 15 minutes, it cranked right up and ran for about 5 minutes. After that, the only way I could get it cranked is to raise the throttle lever, holding in the choke and at about half throttle it would fire up and then die after about 30 seconds.

[tashasdaddy]

how long have you had the motor, has it ran hot.,when was water pump last serviced. it could be quite a few things, running quitting, starting quitting a few minutes later sounds like coils or power pack getting hot and failing. holding the choke in sounds like fuel delivery. removing the bowls is not cleaning and rebuilding the carbs. check your compression and spark before you spend a cent. and get back.

[jcherbert1]

Okay, I happened to think of something when I went outside to check compression & spark. The glass in line fuel filter has always showed bubbles & the bulb never did get hard, only some what firm. Anyway, I pulled the fittings from the tank, cleaned the threads & resealed everything. Now the bulb gets hard & no little bubbles. I hit the key & she fired right up. I let it idle for about 10 - 15 minutes with no sputtering. I would have let it run longer but now there is a constant alarm tone. I would not think that it was overheating since the muffs were on but I really am not sure. Any ideas?

[tashasdaddy]

1981 constant alarm is overheating. did you have a good water stream coming out the tale tell when it was running?

[jcherbert1]

Good stream coming out. I think that I may have solved the alarm problem. I cranked it up again and while idling I observed a drip from a small hose leading into the side of the cylinder. After replacing the one that was leaking, I ran it again letting it idle for about 20 minutes and no alarm. Could that hose have been the culprit? I think that it lubricates the cylinder along with the other identical ones to the other cylinders. Please let me know what you think.

[tashasdaddy]

have no idea, as not that familar with the engine.

[emdsapmgr]

You may be talking about the recirculation hoses, found on the later models. They suck excess fuel from below the reed boxes every stroke. Two problems occur with this system: the one-way valves plug up, or the hoses crack and leak with age. In any event, if this system does not work, it can cause idling problems, esp when the engine is tilted up for shallow water operation. If you have a hose off, it will suck some raw air into the bypass cover and will lean the fuel somewhat. Even with problems with this system, I would be suprised if they would cause the dramatic problems you are experiencing.

[jcherbert1]

Thank you both for your help. All seems well right now but I am taking it for a water test Tuesday at the lake. Hopefully I will not end up stranded again.