Newbie to forum and outboard

bob58523

Recruit
Joined
Jul 1, 2019
Messages
1
Hello... I got an old sailboat converted to outboard boat with a 1987 50 hp Johnson on it. The guy I got it from said pump the bulb it'll start right up. Well, it starts and runs for a bit but then kills... and smokes a lot, I mean a lot. I've ordered the shop manual for the engine, but does anyone have any ideas on what I could do?
The gas and oil tank are below deck, the bulb on the oil tank is rock solid. As I said I am a complete newbie to outboard engines, but have worked on cars for a long time. I changed the plugs, but still only runs for a few moments. If I push the key in to choke it, it will run a little longer, but smokes very bad and eventually kills. Thanks for any help in advance
Bob
 

fireman57

Captain
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
3,811
Sounds like you are due to clean/rebuild the carbs. If it sat for very long the gas evaporates from the carb and leaves the oil which is all the smoke you see. If you don't know how old the gas is you might want to pump some out and smell it. If you smell any varnish smell at all drain it and get fresh.
 
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