Will a leak in the fuel line cause these symptoms?

Pretty sure I have things worked out, but I want to get some expert opinions.

The rebuilt 2003 Johnson 90 that I installed last fall ran good the first hour, then had power loss when throttling up. The motor has a brand new VRO pump and the carbs are fresh rebuilds.

I noticed that the TCW3 oil was getting used very quickly, and the motor was rather smokey, even for running on premix w/VRO. Almost half a gallon of oil was used for about 8-10 gallons of fuel. The motor also did not idle well, and would stall unless the throttle was constantly adjusted.

A shop took the boat out for a test run and said they thought the motor was starved for fuel. Suggested there could be a leak in the fuel line, and the fuel line needed to be up-sized from 5/16 to 3/8.

I was installing new 3/8" fuel line and found a loose hose on a barb with no clamp (my own fault) The hose was only on the barb about half way.

After the 3/8" fuel line was installed (and all connections double checked), the motor was run on the hose and idles smooth and does not stall.

So, my questions are:

- I recall reading somewhere that if the fuel pump is sucking in air through a leak, the gas foams in the VRO and the VRO will pump more oil and less fuel. This would explain the high oil use even with a brand new VRO pump. Does that sound right?

- Would air in the fuel cause the motor to idle poorly?

- Is there anything else I should check for before taking the boat to the lake for a test run?

Thanks!

Mark.

Re: Will a leak in the fuel line cause these symptoms?

You probably found the root cause of all your problems; I'd take it out and give it a little run.

Re: Will a leak in the fuel line cause these symptoms?

Thanks for the vote of confidence! Thats probably what I will end up doing. Will let you know how it turns out.