1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

[samo_ott]

I picked up an engine that is about 30 years newer than what I am used to and have a few questions for folks. It is model E40ECO which looks like a 1987. It's got VRO written on the hood. I see no oil resevoir so I'm assuming it's been converted to a pre mix. Can someone confirm please. Compression is really good, 135 and 130. Strong spark on both plugs (using a spark tester) yet it's running on one cylinder (pull the top wire and the engine dies, bottom wire and nothing happens). I have never had a two carb engine or a VRO before. How can I test that both carbs are getting fuel adequately? and how does the red primer thing work? Photos included, thanks.

Oh, and are QL77JC4's the best plugs for it? thx

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

Boy, are you out of your comfort zone. that is a great motor.

each carb services a cylinder. clean the carbs, to test the easiest way is to pull the plug wires. sounds like you have a dirty carb.

second, pull the air silencer and the vro pump. and see if oil lines have been disconnected. personally i would discard the pump, block the pulse line coming off the crankcase to pump, and mount a standard fuel pump.

carbs are as easy as the old ones, follow this example http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=244013

here is a picture of my 40 converted. use the 3 bosses that are behind the fuel filter in your picture.

this pump will work fine. http://www.iboats.com/Fuel-Pump/dm/*******.018270172--**********.724893481--view_id.174141

the primer replaces the choke when cold starting, just should click when the key is on and you push the key in. it squirts gas directly into the intake manifold for cold starts.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

Thanks. No kidding, way outta my comfort zone!

The red primer knob has different positions, what are they?

Now I see I know what the old lines are lying around in the engine. The oil lines. One of the lines runs externally beside the fuel line inlet. Was the oil tank external on these engines? So the pump it is using now is the original VRO pump then as it seems to work now. Is there a problem with still using the same pump? Why is a new pump recommended? (gotta admit I like the idea of cleaning up the plumbing though)

Also, do two carbs have to be syncronized? I recall from my old VW van days syncing the carbs...

Thanks TD.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

When I was testing it today, I tried both the low speed adjustment screws and both were tight all the way in. So I backed both out 1 full turn and ran it again and then both tightened right in again. So they need a fixing. I think in the modern engines there's a little red plastic insert that goes in the hole to keep em tight? So I'm not even sure if the carb's even need a carb job or I can get by with the 2 inserts to keep the low speed adjustments out. Do they sell the inserts by themselves?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

fixed jets they screw all the way in, no stopper, no adjustments sure you can premix, just make sure the oil line going into the pump is plugged.

synch of the carbs, is done with the linkage, easy enough. just get both at full throttle, Plates horizonal.

this is a 50 95% same motor.

40 hp linkage

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

I'm running into the same problem, word for word, same 40hp and everything, so I get to the end of the page and ....... OK I'm lost, can someone please tell me what I'm over looking here? I've had my carbs off so many times, I'm cleaned them over and over again, heck I've even bought a new Coil. Still nothing seems to help. Can someone please help me????

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

You're running on one cylinder also and have good spark on both? I took my carbs off last summer, bought 2 kits and they still all sit on my bench. sigh. So I'm no farther. I also removed the VRO pump and plan to replace with a regular pump. I like simple.

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

The only difrence on mine and your's seems to be that at one point in time I had her running perfect then after I let it set over night it went into some sort of fit and won't run at all now unless I hit the cold fuel pump switch on the key. I managed to get it to run 1/2 way right when I cover the frount of the carbs with my hands, so long as she's getting some air it runs. I have two new gaskets comming in today I'm going to try out. I'm guessing that I might be leaking air between the carb and intake.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

How did you clean the carbs? Overnight soak in carb cleaner? Cleaned all internal passages? If you didn't follow the OEM shop manual procedure, you may have to do it again. Partially covering the carb throat and getting an improvement is a very strong indication of very lean running (fuel starvation) and usually caused by crap in the carbs.

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

I pulled every little screw out of each carb and ran cleanner thew the passages then using a air compresser I ran massave amounts of air thew each hole. I then blew thew the fuel feed and made sure that the float was stopping the fuel and letting it thew when the float was down. Today I ran down town and bought all new fuel lines, just in case there was a air leak in the lines. I was wondering if I need to have a air filter on that to keep the frount pressure up enough to run it. Right now I don't have any filter on it at all, but that's because I'm still testing and fixing stuff.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

... and you removed any core plugs? There is at least one. The only good way to clean a carb is to soak it in carb cleaner, then blow dry with air and re-assemble. If you just spritzed some solvent at it and blew some air, you didn't clean it.

Read this thread and follow it carefully:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=244013

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

I'll strip it down again and toss it into a soak tub, I know I missed that core plug, I don't have that tool to pull it out, but at this point I'm going to get one. It's to the point that I'm ready to pull my hair out so I'll do it by the book. Thank you for helping me out here. I'll keep you posted on my findings.

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

*update* OK so I got her up and running, runs on both carbs. Did the full soak and full strip down and air out, I replaced every fuel line there was with new lines and bingo she runs. Ran crappy at first but after a fight with the air/fuel mix screws I managed to get it to run on both carbs and I'd call it ruff but good enough to say it's a runner. I did find that if you get the air to fuel mix screw off just a hair you can totally kill a cylinder. Just a guess here but samo_ott, I bet if you play with the screws a bit more you can get that sucker to run for you. Now my only other problem is I'm not 100% sure what my mix should be. the oil injecter was bypassed so I'm mixing the fuel my self. I'm doing it at 50 to 1 right now but it seems a bit thick for the plugs. I have a little very little miss. Anyone know?????

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

50:1 is right. No special tool need to remove the plug, just punch an awl into it and pry it out. Some guys put a little grease on a drill bit, drill into it a little, the pop them out. I have never needed anything other than an awl. To re install, just place them in, then use a socket extension and hammer to lightly rap in the center until the edges of the plug tighten around its circ. If you are referring to the special tool to remove the jets, that is easily made, check out the link provided from the FAQs. If you are going to clean/rebuild a carb, you have to do it right. Remove all jets/plugs/rubber items, soak overnight, blast with carb cleaner, wash with warm water, blast clean and dry with compressed air. Any other way and you may miss something. The smallest bit of crud can cause major headaches.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

*update* OK so I got her up and running, runs on both carbs. Did the full soak and full strip down and air out, I replaced every fuel line there was with new lines and bingo she runs. Ran crappy at first but after a fight with the air/fuel mix screws I managed to get it to run on both carbs and I'd call it ruff but good enough to say it's a runner. I did find that if you get the air to fuel mix screw off just a hair you can totally kill a cylinder. Just a guess here but samo_ott, I bet if you play with the screws a bit more you can get that sucker to run for you. Now my only other problem is I'm not 100% sure what my mix should be. the oil injecter was bypassed so I'm mixing the fuel my self. I'm doing it at 50 to 1 right now but it seems a bit thick for the plugs. I have a little very little miss. Anyone know?????

What fuel mix screws? They're fixed jets on it I thought! (but I haven't taken it apart yet!)

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

I messed with the little spring loaded one, that one seemed to control the fuel mix, or what I thought it was messing with, when I screwed it in too far it killed the cylinder and too far out seemed to make it flop around like It was over fueled. I'm thinking I might have to get hotter plugs. Because it still seems a bit nerviness in the lower rpm, but in gear it smooths out, still shutters but not as bad. I also might have just killed the plugs when I messed with the dirty carb or when I messed the spring screws too much.

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

also if you over tightened the idle screws you may have shanked them..you need to remove them and make sure that the last half inch i=of the screw is smoothed and not shanked..if shanked they must be replaced..soft set them all the way in then go 3 turns out..this is a good place to start..keep all carbs the exact same. and they must be adjusted on the water where you can run the motor, or you will just be guessing.

 

[Lost and Found]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

The running on the water part is where I"m stuck at right now. I'll have to let the weather get a little better before I do that, but untell then I'll fix the other stuff up. I only have to scratch my head a bit more and find out why my battery won't charge and my water level gadge isn't working eather, But thank you for you time and I hope someone else can find this usefull for them too. As of now she's running and starts up really easy, but like you said once she hits the water it might be another nightmare.

 

[mcmarkrazz]

Re: 1987 Evinrude 40 VRO questions...

block the pulse line coming off the crankcase to pump, and mount a standard fuel pump.

i just took of the original pump that was on my engine and it had previously been set-up to use pre-mix but it has dtress marks and started leaking like a siv..i ordered http://www.ebay.com/itm/271021004501?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 off of ebay cause it shipped the fastest but im not sure where or what the statement above means ? can someone give me diagrams or real basic info on how to install the new pump properly ?