Conference unifix::sailing

    Try cleaining the carb jet and float needle.  Someone at my yacht
    club had a similar problem.  A little solvent sprayed on these parts
    did the trick.
    
         John
    

    A second disassembly of the carburetor revealed a small buildup
    of a mineral precipitate surrounding the needle valve at the base
    of the main carburetor jet.  Backing out the valve, scraping with
    a needle, and a shot of carb cleaner solved the problem.  Started
    up on the first pull afterwards.

    Similar issue......?
    
    My Evinrude has developed a nasty tendency to suddenly lose power 
    temporarily (skipping but not dying out) while running as a steady 
    middling setting.  increasing the gas flow will bring it back to full 
    power but the problem will reoccur.  We are using fresh gas, but
    I have never disassembled the carburator to inspect it (lable that
    as fear of screwing something up that I cannot repair).
    
    Also, to further demonstrate nonfamiliarity with the beast, how
    much blue smoke from the exhaust is normal or a sign of bigger
    problems.
    
    Looking for advise.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ron
    

    You might recheck your oil/gas ratio.

Possibly water in the tank?  This might cause the problem you describe.
Otherwise sounds like you might have some gunk on the float valve 
causing it to stick.

My old Johnson (3 hp) refused to run without the choke part way out
yesterday at launching although I thought it ran fine in my backyard
a few weeks ago after I replaced plugs, points, water pump..  I
suspect some gum deposits and  am going to try a dose of carb
cleaner and see if that fixes it.  If not guess I'll have to 
disassemble the carb for a closer look.  The smaller motors are
fairly simple although a good service manual helps identify the
components and builds confidence.

Need a tuneup?  Bluish (dark) smoke is supposed to be unburned gas while
whitish smoke is supposed to be oil.  Newer Johnson outboard motors use 
something like a 100:1 gas/oil ratio while the older ones used 25:1 or 16:1 
and were a lot smokier.

larry

A dose of carb cleaner in the tank didn't help but I fixed it
without dismanting the carburetor either...I stripped it down and
removed the plug in the bowl and the low speed needle valve and
sprayed a little Gumout and a blast of compressed air through  both
these openings (after removing  motor from boat, of course!) and
that cleared things out.

Perhaps I'll get another year out of the 'ol motor afterall! 

larry

        I have read this note in addition to 516.* and 853.* and I would
        appreciate any info regarding 4-6hp OB's with battery charging
        capability.
        
        I have a 17 foot 'weekender' (basically a day sailer with a 
        small camping cabin. The boat weighs approx 800 lbs. and has an
        outboard mounting pad on the port side of the transom. The only
        problem is that this requires a 25inch long shaft and the boat is
        equipped with a British Seagull Silver Century 4hp, probably for
        just that reason, but it has neither reverse nor charging
        capabilities. (Starting in '79 Seagull did offer the charging
        option when they went to CDI.
        
        I have been looking at the Yamaha and Johnson 6hp long shaft. (At
        Monahan's in Hingham.) Both are twins, and have charging (either
        standard or optional).  But both would require the use of an
        outboard bracket. An unused fixed bracket came with the boat but
        I would consider a swing-up type if informed that it would be
        better. 
        
        Thanks for any and all help and recommendations on dealers.
        
        Fred
        223-3935 
       
       

        .8 should have referred to notes 338 and 516.