28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

I have mid 80s 28 HP Evinrude SPL (1984 or 1986, can't remember). It is a hand-me-down from my grandfather who bought it new on a new Lowe boat. The boat and motor probably only had 100 hours on it since new. It's probably been 10 years since it last ran regularly. I took it to the lake this past summer and it started up and ran perfect. I ran it for about 2 hours total with starts, stops, idles, full throttle, etc. in between. I took it out the next week and it would start right up every time, run for about 5 seconds, then die. I pulled the fuel pump apart at the dock and the diaphragm was kind of flaky so I thought that was the problem. I rebuilt the fuel pump with a kit and went back to the lake. Same thing. Start right up, run for about 5 seconds then die. Between then and now I have rebuilt the carb. I even took out the aluminum clean out plugs in the carb body and made sure it was all cleaned out. Cleaned it all in my parts washer and reassembled. Put in a new needle, seat, and "leveled" the float. Put it back together and it started right up and ran GREAT (in a 30 gallon barrel). It idled great and revved great. I let it sit there and idle for about 5 minutes (water was pumping out of the pee hole in a steady stream the whole time) and then it just died. Like someone had turned it off. It didn't sputter it just DIED. So I thought it might have overheated and some thermal switch killed it. But the whole time it was peeing water out the pee hole and the head did not feel hot. The water in the drum did not warm up noticebly. I cranked and cranked and cranked it and it wouldn't even hit again. I pulled the plugs and they were wet with fuel. The next day I bought new plugs, put them in, and it fired right up. But then would run for 5 seconds then die. After it dies the plugs look wet with fuel. I'm back to where I started at the beginning of the problem. I'm running 100:1 on the fuel mixture (there is a sticker on the side of the motor where hte fuel line goes in that says "100:1") but it sure smokes alot when it was running. The water in my 30 gallon drum is black and oily after only being ran in about 6 minutes total. I'm beginning to suspect the problem is electrical (which I HATE). Is there a good Evinrude repair manual out there? With pictures, troubleshooting, exploded views, electrical measurments, etc. Or are most Evinrude repair manuals just general in nature? Can anyone help me with this problem? This motor is really pissing me off.

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

If you have oil residue as you say then you are not running at 100:1 or your carb is a mess. I would suggest that you are running rich and flooding. OMC recanted on their 100:1 so you should run on 50:1 to preserve the motor.

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

So how would going from 100:1 to 50:1 produce LESS smoke? I drained my gas from the boat tank last night and drained my float bowl on the carb. Then I put in a fresh batch of mixed gas (from my Stihl weedeater at 50:1) pumped in through the line until it came out the float bowl. Same problem. The motor hits, starts, then dies. Plugs are still wet with fuel. It seems like the motor shuts off instead of dies. Maybe my key switch is bad on the dash of the boat?

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

1st remove the sticker that says 100:1 unless you want to ruin the motor, and start mixing your fuel 50:1. are you using new gas? when you cleaned the carb, and removed the drain plug, did you remove and clean the high speed jet, that i deep in behind the plug? have you used Joe Reeves instructions on setting the low speed needle? have you check for spark, when it won't start? Have you checked compression on both cylinders? is it electric, or rope start? tiller or remote control? does it have an emergency kill lanyard? it really is a very simple motor. has to have correct spark, proper fuel air mixture, and proper compression. these all have to be correct.

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

OK, so the 100:1 is marketing spin (lie). So 50:1 is the ratio from now on.

Yes, new gas (both 100:1 and 50:1) has been used. I did NOT remove the high speed jet because I was afraid I would ruin it (I didn't have an appropriate screwdriver that would full seat in the slot). But, I cleaned it as good as I could and saw no damage or trash on either side of the jet. I looked with a very bright light on both sides. Does the motor even use the high speed jet in starting and idling? I have NOT used the "Joe Reeves" method for setting the low speed needle. Where can I find that? I gently ran the needle all the way in and backed it out 1.5 turns. Also, I did NOT replace the low speed needle seat when I rebuilt the carb. I couldn't think of anyway to get the seat out. Plus the end of my needle looked perfect. No wear marks at all. I have pulled the plugs and watched them while my son cranked the motor. I'm getting good spark from both plugs. I swapped plugs on the wires with same results. Good spark on both. I realize it can spark outside the motor but might not inside the motor under compression. I don't have a spark plug firing checker thing with the plugs installed. I have NOT checked compression. It is electric start. No rope at all. Remote control steering wheel. It does have a kill laynard. With the laynyard installed the motor will hit, run, then dies each time. Withe laynard removed the motor will never even hit. So the kill laynard seems to be doing it's job. I bought a Seloc manual for my motor yesterday. I will check over some electrical stuff with my multimeter when I get time. My gut feeling is that the problem is electrical because the motor seems to hit and start fine. But when it dies it doesn't sputter or cough, it just dies like it's been turned off. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

sometimes when the coils heat up if their bad they can just stop working. Gap the plugs to 35 or 40 this way they wont foul as easily. i use j6c i think, hotter then stock plugs. Mine does similar things it will run good sometimes run like **** some other times and just die randomly. mine i most likely carb problem. I replaced my whole electrical system down to the kill switch harness. SO i know mine isn't electrical. Im at a big brick wall with my motor and nobody works on them around here. Maby going to buy a new one.
Good luck
Matt

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

I just used a multimeter and checked the coils. The primary and secondary coils both are within the range that is specified in my Seloc manual. I have installed new plugs and gapped them to .030". I installed the new plugs right out of the box (I didn't know what to gap them at then) and it did the usual "crank, hit, start, run for 4 seconds then die." I pulled the plugs out the next day and gapped them to 0.030" and it ran for maybe 8 seconds!..then died the same. So either I'm getting too much gas or not enough spark.

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

hmm the heating up coil would be after a few minutes. It sounds like a fuel problem. like it runs the gas out and then stops. I don't remember but did you rebuild fuel pump? or maybe the coil wire vibrates lose but then works until it jiggles away. Try that maybe see what happens and get back to me. after it shut of was it getting a good spark? was it wet or dry on the pug? Get back to me
Matt good luck

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

I finally figured it out! When I rebuilt the carb I removed the butterfly from the crossshaft and removed the shaft. I was thinking there were bushings that needed replaced around the shaft. I was wrong. I put the butterfly back in upside down. duh. So the "notch" in the top of the carb was at the bottom. Once I discovered the problem (by looking at a Seloc manual that I bought) I flipped it over, put it all back together, and it started right up! Runs great now. I think my original problems were a leaking fuel pump diaphragm and a leaking float bowl gasket on the carb. But during the process of fixing those problems I flipped the carb butterfly upside down which caused a new problem. But it's all solved now. I ran 6 gallons of gas through the motor last week! Runs great now. Thanks to everyone for all the input.

Re: 28 HP Evinrude SPL start then dies

Great to hear you got it fixed, its amazing how its always something little.