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I have a 1985 Johnson 60 hp outboard on my whaler.
On Saturday’s fishing excursion we entered the channel and opened the throttle. The engine revved and the boat planed beautifully. Everything seemed to be working fine for about fifteen minutes. I reduced the throttle and the engine coughed and began to run rough. It never recovered. Throughout the afternoon the engine cranked but would barely idle and revved poorly. Toward the end of the day it would not operate at all under a load. Eventually I coaxed it to run at idle speed and we limped back to the boat ramp.
Several weeks ago I tried to solve this problem by changing all of the fuel connectors on the tank and motor. The gas line and bulb are fairly new. I opened the fuel pump and there are no signs of any problem there. Gas flow is excellent.
A week before I took the boat out and it refused to rev. However, after a few minutes something gave way and the boat revved and ran excellent most of the day. I thought my problems were solved until yesterday.
I can’t find a fuel problem unless the gas in the tank is too contaminated. I am buying a small tank today and filling it with clean gas to see if that solves the problem.
It has been suggested that the problem could be electronic. But the excellent way it performed after a clog seemed to clear itself last week still makes me wonder if there is a fuel problem. Does this sound like a spark or sparkplug problem? (The coils were recently changed as well.)
I would decarb the motor with a spray can of Seafoam, and pour another can in the small gas can you just bought, after you have filled it with fuel. Your carbs may be the problem and this will fix or help the problem. If it only helps the problem, they may need a rebuild.
Not aware of flapper valves on outboards, I know toilets have them, and can cause the toilet to run. In your case you would like your outboard to run.LOL
The flapper valve thing was an idea from a friend. I will follow your suggestion before taking it to a mechanic. I don't mind taking it to an expert, I just wanted to try and resolve the puzzle before taking it in. I have gotten to the point that it needs to be fixed so the boat becomes fun again.
