Re: Starting Problems
Sitting for 3 years will result in you having a lot of bad gas. Those deposits you saw in the carb are also in every other passage of that carb and similar stuff through out the fuel system.
Besides just taking the cover off the carb and cleaning out that area, you need to do a full rebuild on the carb. Make sure all the little passages in there get cleaned out.
You should siphon out all the old gas. However, you will likely have lots of crud in the tank that the new ethanol enhanced gas will tend to loosen and dislodge. If you can remove the fuel tank to have it cleaned, that might be a good plan. Otherwise, make sure you have plenty of fuel filters on hand. I went through all that last fall.
If the starter is turning but the bendix is not extending and engaging the fly wheel to turn the motor, it sounds like it needs a rebuild also. There is also the chance of a chipped tooth on the flywheel, and the starter just doesn't have anything to engage to turn. I have seen that on cars before, but I think that is not very likely.
Before running th engine very much, you should consider replacing the impeller for the water pump in the outdrive. That water pump is the source of the cooling water to the engine. They tend to go bad after a few seasons. While the outdrive is off, check the condition of the gimbal bearing, bellows, and u-joints.
Keep asking questions. There is a HUGE amount of experience and advice on this board.
