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I just got my first boat friday (82' Boston Whaler Montauk with an 82' 115 Johnson). Took her out this weekend at Lake Norman and she ran perfectly.. went to take her out again today at a different lake closer to home.. and.. nothing. The engine would start and stay on as long as it was at high RPMs. Then when it was put back into "neutral/idling" it would cut off. I tried to get it started for a while, then gave up. Nothing was done to the engine from when it was working before. Anyone know what the issue could be? Any help would be appreicated.
I'd take a look at the spark plugs to see what kind of condition they're in, check the gap, etc. If you don't know the history of the engine and they look worn, it may be time for new ones.
You also may want to try adding sea foam to your gas tank, run it long enough for the mix to get into the carbs, and let it sit at least overnight. If it's a low speed carb issue, may help to clear it up without disassembly.
Thanks for the help. I'll try it before taking it apart. Like I said it ran fine all week end. It seemed to smoke alot more today and i thought i may have been off on the fuel mix but i even used my reserve tank which is what I used yesterday and the day before and it didn't smoke like it did today. But ill take a good look at the spark plugs.
If your fuel mix is too rich (too much oil added) starting will be hard, always mix fuel like you are a Chemist (right on the money) and use O.E.M. 2-stroke oil, I add "Carbon Guard" (Evinrude dealer) and 1 0z. of "Sea Foam" (like Dave said) to every 2 gallon's of fuel mix. I changed out the plug's yesterday and they were very clean. New plug's make a BIG difference on how an outboard perform's.
If the boat is new to you then investing in new plugs is a great idea. You really have no idea how long those plugs have been in that engine.
I had a similar problem with my 4 stroke Yamaha's this spring. I added "Techtron" to the fuel tank. Cracked the drains on the carbs. Pumped the primer balls until I was sure I had the "Techtron" in the carbs and then closed the drains. Let it sit over night. Started the next morning and they were still runnning ruff, but better than the previous day. Was able to leave the dock and get her up to a moderate RPM for about ten minutes. Came down to idle and low and behold they idled nice. I did not have to dis assemble my carbs. Good thing because there are only 8 carbs between the 2 engines...
Good Luck,
Norm
1999 280 Conquest w/twin 225 Mercs
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