Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

[longboard85]

Hello this is my first time posting. I was out last night lobstering when my motor started acting up. It ran fine for the first couple hours, but then started surging while under power and then would die. It had a hard time starting after that, and would only start if the warm up lever was opened up fully. It did this on and off for a few minutes then wouldnt start anymore. I also noticed that the last time it started it was blowing out an enourmous amount of smoke more then usual. Fuel pump is good and fuel lines were replaced a few weeks ago, so could this be a spark issue?

 

[JB]

Re: Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

Howdy, longboard.

Welcome to iboats.

Sounds like she is starving for fuel. Heavy smoking suggests that air is getting into the fuel line or the venting or pickup in your fuel tank may be restricted. That would leave the pump pumping less fuel and not less oil. That would produce symptoms like you are describing.

Good luck, let us know what you find.

 

[toddschubert]

Re: Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

Head gasket?

 

[longboard85]

Re: Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

Thanks i will check the fuel system more carefully its just weird that it started all of a sudden because i have had the boat out the last few weekends and had nothing wrong. As far as the smoking goes it is not oil injected so i mix the fuel myself so could there possibly be water in the fuel that suddenly caused the motor to smoke like it did?

 

[JB]

Re: Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

Yes. Water in the fuel can cause similar symptoms.

 

[longboard85]

Re: Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

so today i pulled the plugs and checked the compression and it was 125 on all three cylinders which rules out a blown head gasket i think. I put the plugs back in and it fired right away and then died within a few seconds. After that it would only fire if i had the warm up lever opened up all the way so i think its a fuel issue so i will check all the lines and the fuel pump and order a fuel pump rebuild kit if neccesary. I did notice that gas was leaking from the carbs after i started it today so could that be from having the motor tilted up slightly while it was running. I recently had the carbs completely rebuit a few months ago so hopefully nothing is going wrong with them.

 

[longboard85]

Re: Problem with my 1996 evinrude 70

So todya i went through the carbs and cleaned them out, cleaned all the fuel lines and filters and the fuel pump. Put it all back together and it fired right up and ran beautiful. My thinking was all the low rpms that i have put on the motor the last few months while lobstering had gummed up the carbs. Thanks for any advise given.