'89 60hp Mercury fuel issue?

My primer buld will pump up hard but when I run the engine for a while at WOT, then drop back down to idle, the engine quits. The bulb gets soft and I have to re-pump the bulb and choke the engine to get it started. Other than that the engine runs good. It just seems like it isn't getting fuel. Also, if I just idle around, it will quit. ( same behavior as above) Is this a fuel pump issue or could it be something else? The boat hasn't been used much in the past ten years, but I had a new water pump installed last year and a coil pack. Any help will be appreciated!

Re: '89 60hp Mercury fuel issue?

I had the same problem earlier this year that I traced to a bad connector on my tank. Basically, I had an air leak around the "thingy" where the hose connected to the tank. Seeing as how the take was around 2,475 years old, I just bought a new tank and a new connector. Now, no more problem.

When I had the motor serviced before the season started, the dealer told me that I might have problems with the fuel system. He said that the hose/bulb assembly that I had was a cheap replacement and that they're notorious for not lasting long. His opinion was to keep using it until it quit working and then buy an OEM replacement from a dealer, not from Wal-Mart or West Marine.

So, you might try changing the hose/bulb and try another tank. If that's what it is, it's an easy, relatively inexpensive fix.

Re: '89 60hp Mercury fuel issue?

I definately suspected it might be an issue with the fuel line/bulb. I will take a look to see if the connections are the source of my problems. The tank is built in to the boat so I hope I will be able to get by with just replacing the lines.

Thanks