Yamaha 130hp won't start ... spark plugs dry

dfrants

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1993 Yamaha 130hp 2-stroke 130TLRR. Ran fine in the morning, then wouldn't start in the evening. Has spark. The plugs are dry...even after choking her while turning her over. could it be the fuel pump? will an outboard still fire/run even with a bad fuel pump? if not only for a few seconds?
 

racerone

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If you operate the manual pump to fill the carburetors it should run for a while.----Checked operation of choke solenoid ?
 
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dfrants

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Ya, and it even has a manual choke lever. tried that also.
 

dfrants

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Did a cold compression test...130-125psi in each cylinder. Tested the gas in another motor. Ran good. Sprayed some 50/1 oil gas into each carb. Closed the manual choke and she fired right up! I'm happy she's running again but what caused this? and if it happens again?
 

mike_i

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what's the condition of the primer bulb? Pump it up, start the motor if it runs then starts to die keep pumping the bulb and see if it keeps running.
 

dfrants

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I squeeze the primer bulb till its hard...and the motor still won't firer unless I spray fuel in the carbs. Once she's running and warmed up a bit, I can turn her off and restart like normal.
 

dfrants

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Replaced the spark plugs, primer bulb and fuel pump...didn't help. Looked at the choke plates. The one on the bottom carb has two 1/2" holes in it. I plugged those and the motor starts right up. So what ever the problem is with the motor...doing this helps it. So I need to find another choke plate just like the one in the top carb.
 

mike_i

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I don't know if this helps but I had a lawnmower that did the same as you describe. The problem ended up being an o ring gasket on the carburetor. It was disfigured I'm guessing it was sucking air. After spraying stater fluid in the carb it ran fine.
 

dfrants

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It was the float bowl gaskets. The last time the carbs got rebuilt, cheap aftermarket gaskets were used. They look like neoprene but they are not. They shrink over time causing the air leak like Mike_i suggested. Thanks Mike!!!
 

mike_i

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Wow, I'm glad I told you about my lawnmower issue. Congratulations on the fix.
 

dfrants

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Looks like I spoke too soon...she gave me two good "cold" starts and then today back to the same old thing. She wont start unless I spray fuel into the carbs...:(
 

QBhoy

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Time to look at the carbs I think. Presumably the fuel isn’t old ?
your floatS may be sticking and not allowing fuel in.
 

w2much

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Agree with QBhoy. I have the same motor it was doing the same thing. I knew the carbs were in need of a rebuild but the engine was new to me and I wanted to hear it come to life. Remove the drain screws on each carburetor and watch the junk come out. Spray some sea foam or similar cleaner through the drain hole. You can also squeeze the primer and watch as fresh fuel enters the carb and drains from the drain holes. Try it with a small hose and spray inside the hole until junk stops coming out. Do this to each carburetor.Dont use to strong of a cleaner and dont go slapping the hose inside of the bowl . You dont want to damage your gaskets or float ect. Drain the bowls . Unhook the fuel line to the manifols and to the carbs and run fresh fuel / cleaner mix. You dont want that junk in the lines to drain into the carb you just cleaned. When its all cleaned and flushed , and you are sure there are no fuel leaks, remove the plugs , spray some fuel Sea Foam mix into the cylinders.Crank it . If you have spark, you know you have fuel because you just sprayed it in the cylinders it should / will come to life and probably run badly. Now this tells you that you need a carb rebuild.
 

dfrants

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good info...but the carbs were cleaned/rebuilt when I got it. She runs great once I get her started. Idles nice and smooth. Once I get it her started the first time...after that she starts right off and runs great. Let her sit over night and she won't want to start again without spraying some fuel in the carbs. I've made sure that the choke plates close completely and the carb bowls are primed full, but something is keeping her from drawing fuel in when I crank her with the choke on.
 

w2much

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I am on my way to Wally Mart to purchase another can of Berrymans or other soaking cleaner. I do a lot of carburetors. I have noticed lately after a clean and soak that is is not the miracle cure it once was. I call it a fail. Meaning rework. Meaning I can tell I still have a fuel issue. Whatever is in the gas these days is leaving all kinds of particulate matter in fuel lines, filters and of course carburetors. Now I have as I should have been doing all along, been taking out all of the fuel sytem and cleaning it.. Small brushes through the hoses, new filter( no more backflushing) , monofiliment in each and every jet and orifice. Key words"each and every". I had a custumer bring back a motor twice. Each time the carb was filled with the yellowish powdery substance. . It was breaking loose from inside the fuel lines, especially at the elbows. So although the carb was cleaned the motor would start and run like a champ until it did not. It was fuel delivery. Not saying your issue is the same. You may have a kink, a bad pump, a bad anti syphon valve, an air leak, cracked hose or diaphram. Start at the tank and move forward.
I am starting on my Yam 130 today. Not saying I will finish but I will be at least starting. I hope we can help each other out here.
 

w2much

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There are multiple passages, orifices, air and fuel jets in those two two barrel carbs. you need to meticulously clean it and the fuel lines. I finished mine and it runs great super quick start and smooth idle. if you do not have a fuel water seperater filter get one. If not you will be cleaning the carbs again next year.
 

dfrants

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I bought a Yamaha service manual, it says to set the rich/lean screws at 7/8" of a turn out from lightly seated. what do you have yours set at?
 

w2much

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Just about that. BTW. If you purchase new carb kits do not buy the ones offered on some auction sites, or at least not the cheap ones with the orangeish rubber bowl gaskets. I did and it was a mistake. Yesterday I went to restart the engine. While squeezing the primer bulb gas poured from the bottom carburetor. I knew it had to be either a stuck float or I plain ol forgot to put the float in. The cheap rubber gaskets were completely wrinkled and soft. I dont think they were even made of a gasoline proof rubber. They wrinkled so much that they lifted and prevented the float from moving and the valve from seating. The auction site vendor sent me three carb kits instead of two as ordered. I thought lucky me let me just change out that one gasket. I put a new gasket in and at the end of the day when I went to restart the engine the top carb was flowing fuel out. Both gaskets failed within 24 hours. Buy the Yamaha brand.
 
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