1983 85 hp force hole shot engine dies

fishmike69

Recruit
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
3
hi im looking for answers on my 1983 85hp force outboard. engine starts and idles fine and if i accelerate slowly she sounds great up to about 2500 rpm but when i try and get going it just bogs down and stalls. so while out on the water i checked a few thing under the cowl leaks weird noises everything sounded good. so as i was trying to think what it might be wrong and i started just to push the throttle up and down you know like pumping the gas everytime i pushed down it started to bog lift up fine down up down up down then all of a sudden she took off opened up nicely and sounded great. so thought maybe she was good to go maybe blew something out. So after i throttled down i was expecting it to just take off again .Nope. So that is how i got the motor to wot everytime. only thing that i did do before her maiden voyage was change the fuel pump diaphragm. any tips are greatly appreciated
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
4,251
Sounds like the motor might be starving for fuel.
1. Start by checking/replacing the fuel lines, make sure the fuel pick up is not restricted by debris in the tank.
2. Make sure the primer bulb is functioning properly and not resticting flow. Does the primer bulb get firm after you squeeze it 4 or 5 times?
3. If it doesn't already have one, install a fuel filter between the fuel pump and carburetors.
4. You can also remove the carburetor fuel bowls and see if there is any debris in the bowls. When you remove the bowls, it's a good idea to have a small clean container under the carb to catch any crud and gas that comes out of the bowls.
 

puffitu

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 30, 2018
Messages
555
Sounds to me like debris in the recirc system. Have you inspected the carburetors? Floats adjusted correctly? Check needles are operating as they should-I found a little paint chip the size of a grain of sand in one of my carb seat valve things which was preventing the needle to operate up down...
 

WinnerCougar74

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
204
I had a similar thing with my 135hp Chrysler. Idled good but would run very ruff and almost die starting at around 2000rpms. The only thing that fixed it for me was replacing the fuel pump diaphragm. These are a maintenance item on these motors. Most tips I have read say replace ever 2 years. They are around $20. I checked ALL the things pnwboat said to check and all these things are important to check but the only things that made a difference was a new fuel pump diaphragm. Also if you have a "spin on" type fuel filter an easy way to flush the carbs is to fill the filter with Seafoam, screw it back on, and run the engine for about 30 minutes. Completely safe according to Seafoam's website.
 
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