Ok finally got the bass boat on the water ( 83 merc 50hp thunderbolt distributorless ignition). Had a hard start at the doc when we launched. ( it had never done this with muffs on, always fired right up ) I figured maybe fuel slopping around in the carbs maybe got in the cylinders. Had to open the throttle wide while cranking to clear her out. She smoked a bit but we opened her up and she took us about 20mph thru some choppy water where I stopped the boat and pulled in a few tiny bass. I would start the boat as we got close to shore, and most times I would have to open the throttle. She would let out some smoke, and I chalked this up to 2 stroke gas, and maybe a little rich. Then I started and stopped her a few times, and finally she just quit. I rowed to shore checked for spark which I had and pulled the plugs and they looked fouled. I cleaned them all up and she started after some cranking and holding the throttle open. After I started the boat and ran it hard, the smoke seemed to go away and it would idle fine for a while and then a little smoke, but everytime I stopped for an extended period it seems I would have to open the throttle way up to get her started. Some other observations were. At first I had the vent on the gas tank closed while running ( does this effect the diaphram operation ), and sometimes the clear fuel/bow/filter (not an aftermarket filter) before the carbs would only be about 1/8 full while running ( is it suppose to be to the top while running), If I pumped the hand bulb it would fill, but if I pumped it too hard the boat would die. Should the bulb be hard at all times?, do all 2 strokes smoke when first started, I felt like the transit bus in tiajuana until she warmed up, or is this indicative of a rich condition. ( this is my first 2 stroke boat experience). Lastly I did a compression check when I got home with all plugs out and a idled warm engine. 70psi seems to be as High as I could get, but they were all the same reading. Could this be the cause of my issues, and if so what tends to lower the comp;ression evenly on these outboards ( rings? ).
Thanks.
Thanks.