Flooded engine?

I have a 15HP Yamaha 4 stroke that is 2 years old. It has never started easily, but last weekend it would not start at all. I could smell gas and thought it was flooded, so I disconnected the throttle linkage and tried starting with the butterfly wide open. That didn't work. After letting it sit overnight, I tried starting with no choke and it started running for about 10 seconds and then died. Squeezing on the primer bulb causes gas to drip out of the carburetor. Someone said it could be a stuck float. Is this something I can fix myself? Also, where can you get spark plugs for this motor? I checked with several marine supply stores and they don't carry them.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Bruce<br />San Jose, CA

Re: Flooded engine?

Sounds like a good description of a stuck open float valve in one or more carburetors. Get a manual, and clean and rebuild the carburetor. The rebuild kit is usually a couple of gaskets, seals, and a new float valve. Carburetors aren't usually hard to rebuild, just dismantle them to get the jets out and clean them thoroughly and put them back in. The hardest part is getting the stuff off the engine to remove the carburetor. You should get the manual because the settings are different for every engine. Its a necessary investment that will answer most of your questions. Spark plugs (specified in your shiny new manual) are available at auto parts stores.