4.3 Mercrusier carb questions

[Newbie@boats]

97 Merc 4.3 no history of carb repair or replacement. Boat was always difficult to start cold-like first initial start at the ramp. No matter which different way I tried with the throttle.

So I had an Amazon gift card I’m sure you can already see where this is going, and I bought a carb off of there. Installed it and now the boat fires up without any throttle just one pump back to neutral and it lights right off.

I know it’s a cheap Amazon carb, but I replaced both upper and lower gaskets with OEM gaskets-I have the spacer between the carb and manifold. The issue I’m having is I have a choppy idle. Any thing off idle smooth and no issues. I’ve played with the air fuel screw but I cannot get the choppy idle to go away. I’ve had great luck with carbs off amazon previously so I figured I’d give it a try with their return policy I can get my money back.

That’s the only thing I’ve changed minus the coil when that failed at the beginning of the season. As a side note the carb came with an oval gasket and a gasket with 2 holes punched out. I reinstalled the gaskets the way I found them originally, 2 holes upper and lower. I am wondering if I should of used the gaskets that came with it cause that’s how that carb is designed to run? I don’t have much experience with carburetors.

 

[matt167]

Amazon carbs will generally ‘work’ as in you wouldn’t be stranded…probably. They are often not machined perfectly and/ or have messed up jets. You’ll probably have to open it up and tinker with it anyway. You’ll probably get it working but you could probably get your original working just as well

 

[Newbie@boats]

Amazon carbs will generally ‘work’ as in you wouldn’t be stranded…probably. They are often not machined perfectly and/ or have messed up jets. You’ll probably have to open it up and tinker with it anyway. You’ll probably get it working but you could probably get your original working just as well

I agree. We used to have a carb rebuild shop in our town but he’s no longer around.

I am more then willing to send my original carb out to get rebuilt, I’ve found a couple places online that sell rebuilt merc carbs, but I can’t find any reviews on them and I am very mechanically inclined but never been in a carb like this. I’ve been in plenty of quads/dirtbikes carbs before