88 HP Johnson... Bulb goes soft...

[Guvner..]

Went to the lake to winterize my pontoon boat and boat ran good until the way back. At full throttle it seemed to all of a sudden act like it didn't have fuel. Pulled it back to half throttle. Felt the bulb and it was full but not hard. I pumped it at first to keep the motor running but then I let it go and ran it back to the marina at half throttle. Made it. Winterized the fuel for about 15 minutes hoping the mixture made it all the way to the motor. It stayed running until I shut it off. Any thoughts? Thanks... Gary

[ezeke]

Think you were looking in the right area - somewhere between the tank and the carbs - maybe your pump has a broken diaphragm, possibly your bulb has a bad valve. You can check the pump by elevating a portable tank and keeping pressure on the bulb or by putting a fuel pump gauge between the pump and the carb. Test for the bulb is simpler: buy a new one. You can get a fuel pump gauge at an auto-parts dealer.