1999 50 HP Johnson, J50PLEEA, awakening problems

[jtlott]

I have a 1999 pontoon with a 50 hp Johnson outboard model J50PLEEA with the VRO/fuel system. I have owned this boat for 14 years. The motor has been setting up for the last 4 years. The motor has less than 150 total hours. I have completed the following in my effort to get her going again:

• Drained and cleaned the fuel tank
• Replaced the tank to engine fuel line and primer bulb (not OEM)
• Replaced fuel filter (not OEM)
• Replaced the spark plugs
• Checked for spark at both cylinders (not actual spark jump test)
• Drained and flushed carbs with carb cleaner (did not remove and deep clean)
• Temporarily disconnected the oil tank from the VRO/fuel system (plugged the oil line)

The following is what the engine is doing/not doing:

• With a couple squirts of 50:1 fuel/oil mix from squirt bottle she fired up
• Runs good on muffs
• Won?t idle for more than 1 min when in the water
• Runs good at ? throttle
• When it dies, won?t start unless primer bulb is squeezed a few times
• When going to WOT it runs for about 1 minute and then bogs down
• When I was squeezing the primer bulb during initial startup, I noticed some bubbles coming out of the fuel pump side of the VRO

Suggestions as to what the problem(s) could be and what I should do next would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jtlott]

Bump. Can anyone help me?

 

[Bosunsmate]

if you keep priming the ball does the engine keep running?
sounds like an air leak in your pump or supply lines to it, including the tank feed

 

[gm280]

Sounds like a fuel pump problem to me. Time to replace now... JMHO!

 

[jtlott]

Bosunsmate, I don't know if it would keep running or not if the primer bulb was squeezed. I was alone in the boat so I couldn't go back there and try that. I do know that once it died it would only crank again if you squeezed the bulb a few times. Bulb never gets hard as long as it is plugged into the engine. Will get hard if it is squeeze when unplugged.

 

[jtlott]

gm280, I'm thinking it's the fuel pump as well. That's a piece of change if it is that!