Help... Brand new BF2.3 Floods Out

[micmor64]

Bought a New BF2.3 in August this year (been a 35+ year user of "old" Evenrudes/Johnsons and decided to finally quit tinkering and just upgrade). After 5 times on the lake in Aug/Sept and being very careful to follow Hondas' "break-in" process, I put almost 16 hours on the engine and it ran beautifully. When I put the engine to use in Normal conditions, the problems began. It would start fine and run for 15/20 minutes then stall out (flood). With full choke I could maybe... sometimes... get it running again but just for a few moments. I dropped the bowl and found "big" pieces of what looked like polyethelye shavings in the bowl. Removed the 2 big pieces of debris, shot some cleaner, buttened it back up and it started/ran beautifully in the tank at home for 25/30 minutes (Idle, ramp up down up to mid throttle or so). Then, back in the field, 15 minutes later, it flooded itself out again and stalled.

I took it to the local Honda repair and they tell me that for the engine, it runs poorly off idle (compared to the lod engines I grew up with it seemed fine to me), and that the float level needs adjusting (thats why it's flooding out). That this work was not under warrenty and would run shy of $200. I just gave almost $1k for the bloody thing and I'm not wanting to spend another $200 for service that they would not then garuntee would make things right long term. They are putting lots of blame on "todays' fuel and not willing to give me any warrenty on performance. I have been working on old 2 stroke outboards for almost 40 years and I understand the "fuel problems" of today, and I find it hard to believe that's what's going on here.......

Question: I'm told the Float needs adjusting, well, how do you adjust the float in a BF2.3 (It isn't obvious to me that there is a way to adjust that bitty plastic thing). If it's adjustable, what's the propper setting?

Any suggestions/reccommendations would be greatly appreciated, right now the engine is idle in the shop and I have NO Confidence in it, but I really need it running again, otherwise it's back to a '51 Evinrude 3HP Lightwin and all the smoke and oil sheen that thing produces

Thanks,

mike

 

[alldodge]

I'm not a Honda dude but I think what the guy told you is BS. you have a warranty and they don't want to do the work. My first thought is to get you to pay for it and they will also charge Honda.

I would call Honda and ask them directly
Our iboats sponsor is flagging 5 year full no catch warranty, give them a call
http://marine.honda.com/support/warranty
http://marine.honda.com/company/contact-us

 

[hondam]

I actually just had one of those apart today. The float level is not adjustable on that carb and i doubt the needle needs replaced already.

Honda will never cover a carb clean under warranty, if it some how got debris in it then that is not a manufacturer defect. The passages in that carb are so small that it doesnt take hardly anything to cause issues. So pull you tank off, pull the filter out the bottom, pull the carb off and clean and flush everything even the hoses.

The "fuel of today" is a cop out in my experience. Engines are built to accept enthanol and if you properly maintain the system then its not an issues. Problem the ethenol fuel requires more when it comes to maintaing it and people dont take the extra care to do it and blame it on then ethanol.

Part of the 20 hour check after break in is a valve adjustment, the 2.3hp engines can sometimes benefit from this.

 

[micmor64]

This was my thinking too. When I dropped the bowl and found 2 large pieces of debris in it, that had to be from the initial assembly as there is not a chance they could have passed through the fuel valve let alone the factory filter. After I cleaned out the bowl, flushed the tank and lines, the installed a secondary inline filter just before the valve. I popped the bowl off again looking for an adjustment tab on the float and didn't see one. So, it looks to me that there is no way to adjust the level.

Spoke with a small engine repair tech ( not outboards) while not familiar with this engine, he suggested I might try a new float and float valve, he's seen similar issues with " out of spec" " new" floats in the past. I'm just grasping here though.

Mike