2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

Hey so I picked up a 2006 5hp mercury 4 stroke not to long ago have been tinkering with it a lot lately I have cleaned the carb several times and one time I even let it sit in the carb gunk tank to clean over night for 12 hours. This engine is clean but giving me troubles. I know this has to be a carburetor issue... I'm using new gas a long with a new spark plug. If I choke it say a 1/4 of the way and set the idle screw it will idle perfect and run great but when the choke is off will idle fine and bog out. When I run it on the stand I can play with the throttle sometimes jerking it to full throttle to none several times it will struggle but will rev up in the high rpms it just has trouble getting to the higher rpms but will idle fine and start up first pull every time. Any help is very well appreciated this thing has been getting me frustrated lately, gas is clean, carb is clean, spark plug is new, what else would make the engine do this? I wouldn't necessarily say its a bogging sound either it really just tries to die you can here the engine just sucking air not running when it's given gas not on choke, when it is on choke it takes off fine

I know the float should be level with the casting, but when I opened the carb for the first time the float was not level but was level when the float was pushed down it was perfectly level because the needle valve has a little pin that's like a spring on top where it hits the float to be pushed up or down

Anything I should Try??? THANKS AGAIN GUYS LOVE HAVING THIS WEBSITE AROUND

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

no one??

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

If you have to use the choke to get to idle smoothly than it sounds like the low speed jet (carb needle) is set too lean. Try getting it running, then turn the needle a little towards rich. As it starts to sputter a little use less choke. Keep doing this until the choke is not needed at all and then fine tune the idle with just the low speed jet. Also check your fuel lines for any cracks or small holes. Either way it sounds like the carb is your problem.

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

tazrig said:

If you have to use the choke to get to idle smoothly than it sounds like the low speed jet (carb needle) is set too lean. Try getting it running, then turn the needle a little towards rich. As it starts to sputter a little use less choke. Keep doing this until the choke is not needed at all and then fine tune the idle with just the low speed jet. Also check your fuel lines for any cracks or small holes. Either way it sounds like the carb is your problem.

Click to expand...

wheres the low speed jet? is that the one on the right side of carburetor with spring? theres a little hole and its like a 45 degree angle with a little flat head screw? I've already tried messing with that for about a hour pulling carb off cleaning and messing with that screw I just cant seem to have any luck with it I mean I'm by no means a guy who hasn't worked on a outboard before have been working on them since I was 13 but any help is appreciated if you got anything else man thanks

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

tazrig said:

If you have to use the choke to get to idle smoothly than it sounds like the low speed jet (carb needle) is set too lean. Try getting it running, then turn the needle a little towards rich. As it starts to sputter a little use less choke. Keep doing this until the choke is not needed at all and then fine tune the idle with just the low speed jet. Also check your fuel lines for any cracks or small holes. Either way it sounds like the carb is your problem.

Click to expand...

The only tunning it has on outside of carb is a idle screw and a pilot screw/jet

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down



Are you talking about the screw that is number 5 in the picture???

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

Sorry, I can't really tell by just looking at the schematic but you might want to go here and get both an engine specific service and parts manual: It will be able to tell you exactly how many turns in the jets should be set at to start with etc. I found mine an invaluable tool for both diagnostic and repair use. For example you may have everything set just right but need a new jet needle. By being able to compare yours to pics in the manual it will save you a TON of guess work.


https://webapps.brunswick.com/litreq/navigate.do

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

my son had the same problem last week,did you loosen the little vent knob on top of gas cap? it lets air in so you don"t start pulling a vacumn on gas tank

Re: 2006 5hp Mercury 4 stroke only runs good on choke otherwise bogs down

View attachment 179129 The float has a spring like this? It shouldn,t be adjustable and is set where it should be and you said it was not level but now it is? How did you adjust the float to be level?. When the float and spring rides up it lifts the levers (Need to be correctly positioned) the needle seat closes and stops fuel flow until needed then opens and lets fuel in. Take pictures of what you have before I go writing a 100 word post. The levers if removed and installed upside down Backward or whatever will not be correct. Either your flooding the carb or the adjustment you made is not letting enough fuel into the bowl and the high speed jet is not taking in enough fuel. You need to redo your work. Big lever top with hook facing down little lever with the square bottom with the tappered end facing up close until the levers are even (Level) then insert float and attatch the top. Some levers don,t have the taper use the picture I posted for proper atachment View attachment 179135