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So, I had a good weekend with the 16SL, out on the water around Marblehead during fantastic weather. When I got the boat back on the trailer I noticed a couple trails of black gunk coming down from the lower engine cover. I wiped them up and saw a mixture of oil and fuel. I thought it a bit odd, but not too as the engine's pretty gunked up after 20 years of not-very-fastidious previous owners, and since I had been running the engine hard for the longest time yet I thought maybe some of the encrusted gunk had gotten hot enough to run off. I did notice, however, that the top of the VRO pump seemed a lot cleaner than when I had last looked closely at it. Or was I mis-remembering? Hmmmm.

Well, one of the other things I had just done was installed a Racor fuel filter and new fuel lines, and when I got home I was checking the system's integrity, and pumped the fuel bulb a couple of times. I also happened to have the engine cover off and saw that as the fuel lines pressurized fuel started leaking out of the fuel-outlet on top of the VRO pump. Aha. Curious, I simply touched the fiting and it popped right off the pump! Bummer, but talk about lucky: if that had happened out on the water it would have been a very bad day.

So, it looks like the fitting is not a separate part intended to be replaced, but comes with the pump. Rather than buy a new pump (ouch!) I'm going to try cleaning the fitting, prepping it, and re-sealing with West System G-Flex and some sort of clamp system. It couldn't hurt, and will be a lot less costly.

John K.

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Would it be possible to tap the housing and screw in a barb fitting, using some good thread sealant on the barb threads? Not sure how thick the housing is in that area?

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When was the last time the pump has been replaced?? If you don't know then I recommend just replacing the whole unit. They are cheap and worth replacing especially if you have no idea when it was last replaced.

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I agree that replacing the whole pump is best--it could be original as far as I know, and the engine is a '92. But the little investigation I've done shows pumps at a few hundred bucks.

John K

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Your right. VRO pumps are costly.

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You can search evinrude parts and look for the fuel pump for the 88 SPL motor. This is a straight fuel only so you will have to mix your fuel. The good part is that your engine block should have the mounts already on it and you simply remove a plug on the block and the new filter will operate with the engine compression.

Simple pretty much bulletproof fix and I believe when I did mine the pump was 40 bucks. The VRO 2 new pump I recall being almost 400, which is too much in my opinion.

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We did this exact thing on my buddies 88hp just last summer....... He decided that he'd rather mix the oil and save $300 than buy a whole new pump.

Still, ~$400 for a VRO pump is still way cheaper than a repower.....especially if this has been a great motor for you.

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With an E-TEC 30 on my smaller Whaler I have to say I've gotten used to not having to mix oil, so dumping the VRO is less appealing. In any case, the season's almost over here anyway, so I suspect I'll attempt a repair, then re-address it in the spring.

John K.

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Just my thoughts here but I too have a VRO 90 HP that may or may not work properly. I opted to defeat the VRO system and mix my own oil and fuel. I think it has a lot to do with your trust of these systems. I am comfortable knowing my engine is getting the right mixture when I do it myself and not too comfortable trusting the VRO pumps we have discussed here many times. Others will certainly disagree and that is their comfort zone.

I have read all the Pros & Cons and believe there is truth to both sides. If working properly the VRO will meter the oil much better and your engine should perform very well with less oil consumption. If the VRO is not working properly the alarm should tell you there is an issue.

Some here just feel much safer relying upon themselves rather than on a mechanical system subject to failure. Mine is an '84 Evinrude and one of the first VRO systems. I do believe the later VRO systems made some technical changes and are more reliable than the one on my motor. I also don't like the additional oil tank and lines taking up valuable space in my Montauk.

To each his own with this system and you have to find your own comfort zone.

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Good news/bad news (maybe).

Good news: I effected a repair with G-Flex and a plastic wire tie for some additional support. No leaks, idles and runs fine.

Bad news (maybe): There is now a ticking sound at mid-range throttle that was not there before. I thought I noticed it starting as I came off the water last weekend (before I found the leaking VRO fuel outlet). It is definitely there now. Not at idle, not at WOT (as far as I can tell). I wonder if the leaking line created a lean condition that has started a bearing on the down-slide.

Well, it's going away for the winter anyway. I'll have to decide whether or not to take it to my shop for a look-see during the off-season.

John K.