74 Johnson 6hp carb question??

Hello,

Saw something that I thought was worth a question. When I pump the bulb on the fuel line... I thought it should get to a point that it would no longer pump..(Hard)... but what i noticed was that fuel was comming out of the front of the carb from the top right side. There is a hole there and it just comes out. Now is this a problem with the float and shutoff valve internal to the carb, or is this normal? Cuz if I pump it while it is running, all sorts of sputtering happens...

Rebuild or not to rebuild????

Thanks in advance...
Michael

Re: 74 Johnson 6hp carb question??

Hi Mike. Yes, assuming everything is working properly, when you squeeze the primer bulb it should get and remain fairly firm. If it doesn't, that usually indicates a bad fuel pump. If the motor was dying and picked up when you squeezed the bulb that would again indicate a bad fuel pump, but it sounds like the pump is ok. The reason the motor sputters when you squeeze the bulb is because you're essentially flooding it. However, the fuel coming out of the carb is a classic sign of your float needle is seating improperly. I would first try rebuilding/reassemble the carb, taking special care to make sure the float is working properly, then give it another shot.