Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

[celdred]

Can anyone tell me a quick test for the enrichner valve on my early 80's Merc. inline 6 90hp outboard? Motor is new to me, came on pontoon I just picked up to renovate this winter. On the muffs, idle seems rough and I'm getting unspent fuel in the exhaust. (running rich). When I pump the bulb at the tank fuel flows out the bowl of the top carb and through the enrichner valve into the crankase. Shouldn't that valve be closed until I activate by pushing key? Could that be why engine is flooding?

What does the brass knurrled nob on the top of the enrichner do? If I close it even slightly with the engine running (although rough and looking to cut out any second) the rpm's pick up and I have to screw counter clockwise to bring the idle back down. Is this normal?

Also, I've tried draining the float of the top carb a few times and it's always empty. Is that because the enrichner valve is continuously letting it drain out? I can get fuel to pour out the top carbs float drain if I pump the bulb with the drain plug out. Any and all thoughts are welcome as I'm trying to figure out if I need to rebuild carbs to cure stuck float or purchase a new enrichner valve. Thanks!

 

[Dave1027]

Re: Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

The enrichner should be completely closed off until battery voltage is connected to it.

Try this. Disconnect the output hose from the valve and disconnect one of the wires to it. Squeeze the primer bulb. If gas flows out of the valve then it's bad. Next reconnect the wire and squeeze again. If fuel now comes out then something is sending voltage to the valve and activating it. If OK so far do the squeeze again and push in the key. If gas flows then it's working properly. Simple.

 

[celdred]

Re: Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

Thanks, I'll try those 3 steps tonight. While home for lunch I manually screwed the knob on top of the enricher valve shut and it held back gas while hand pumping. Upon opening the valve (manually with the knob) it dumped fuel from top carb to bottom two. I was alone but tried pushing the key in to see if I heard a click and it dumped fuel but I couldn't tell.

I guess my question now, before trying your test is am I supposed to keep that manual knob closed and then expect adding power by pushing the key will overide the manual shut off. Makes sense that's how it must work otherwise with that knob open it's dumping fuel as fast as I can pump it.

Thanks again for anyone's knowledge on the subject.

 

[Dave1027]

Re: Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

Yes, keep the manual button closed. That is only to be used in case the electric activation doesn't work.

 

[celdred]

Re: Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

Gotcha! If this solve's the rough idle, stalling out and what the previous owner thought was a gas leak then I'm going to be psyched. He wasn't mechanical and it started acting up a month ago so he just finished the season with his minkota and sold the pontoon cheap rather than having it fixed and storing for the winter. I took a gamble and it may have paid off. If so, I owe you a beer!
What I found was that the spring mechanism on the quick disconnect of the remote 5 gallon tank had imploded and it wasn't pumping gas. before I figured that out I was able to get some gas past the enhancer if I pumped like crazy. I bet he opened that knob in an attempt to get it going and then once I fixed the tank and it was moving gas properly I was flooding the lower two carbs like crazy. We'll find out tonight. Luckily I only ran it for a few minutes on the hose at low idle so doubtful I did any harm to the top cylinder having run it at what must have been super lean. Possibly it wasn't firing at all as I doubt it had any gas...

Thanks again for helping a fellow boater out. My other water toy is a fuel injected inboard ski boat and that's a whole different beast to work on. Though, easier for me to understand than this two stroke.

 

[Dave1027]

Re: Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

If you don't fix it with the enrichner then don't futz with anything else till you do a compression test. You should start right there just in case you have something major wrong it would be a waste of time messing with anything else.

 

[celdred]

Re: Test for faulty Enrichner Valve???

Luckily I didn't have to. Closed the knob, pumped the primer bulb, let my 10yr old play captain and herd a nice audible click and watched it dump fuel when he pushed the key in. Turned the water on the muffs and jumped aboard and wouldn't you know she fired right up and ran great.
I actually ran it for about 20 minutes to get some fresh, stabilized fuel with carb cleaner and sea foam in it through the engine. Ran great the whole time, could rev it up and idle down to point I was tempted to throw her in gear. Didn't though, going to wait until this weekend to water test.
Anything else I should consider before going to the launch? I'll probably push a little gear oil in the lower unit but not do a full oil change until after as I'll likely be putting her away soon.
Thanks again for all your advice I really am stoked and looking forward to next summer on the lake...