1985 50HP 4-cylinder power loss

[BWR1953]

I wouldn't take a chance after doing all that work. Buy new needles for sure. They look like junk.

Okay, will do. Thanks!

 

[BWR1953]

I pulled the lower carb apart this morning and I'm pretty sure that I've found the problem.

Bad fuel. It smelled like Varsol.
And there was water in the fuel as well.
We last filled up the gas tank in another city far from home, not at our local Wawa. And there was no ethanol free gas at that station, so I had to use the regular stuff. It was clearly bad.

As of now, I'm awaiting parts delivery. Should be getting more stuff in a couple days.


Just as with the upper carb, all gaskets were fine.




But when I pulled the bowl, I found the H20. There was more than this in there, but when I passed it to the boy to let him take a look, he poured much of it out.


Yeah... water, water everywhere.





The needle in the lower carb was clean and shiny, although the spring was discolored.

 

[BWR1953]

Just to provide some closure here... it was the switchbox.

We worked on the engine for weeks and weeks, troubleshooting various things. But, I finally spotted a long, thin crack with black ooze coming out of the switchbox beneath all those wires. By then (mid-Sept) the weather was too hot and other life things got in the way, so engine work stopped.

I ordered the switchbox (and a trigger since it was 38 years old too) and they showed up in October last year, but nothing was done until April this year. We're on the water again, but now there is another problem which will have to wait until winter for us to address. Got that one already figured out though. The engine is usable until then.