Stored OB won't start

[Vincentc]

My skiff OB, 30 hp Honda (3 cyl 4 stroke) has not been run since Katrina. I drained the fuel from the 3 carbs and put 1/2 SeaFoam and gas in the tank but not a hint of starting. I guess 4 years is a long time for gas to sit up.

Any suggestions before I haul it to a mechanic?

Thanks,
Vincent
Lilly Marie 43DC

 

[Capt K]

Get all fresh fuel and clean out all of the carbs. That will probably do it.

 

[Passages]

No running is often easier to track down than poor running.

You are either missing spark, fuel or air. Yeah could be compression or timing but if running when stored, not likely.

Spark - pull the plugs, reattach the cable and turn over. If you get a spark snap, you're good.

Air - on an outboard there's not much to block the flow other than the choke. Check that it functions.

Fuel- This is the likely culprit. Blow out all old fuel from the tank and lines. Buy some fresh fuel and see if that fixes it. If not pull the carb(s), clean it good with carb cleaner. Reassemble with a rebuild kit from your dealer.

Bet you a buck it'll start.

 

[Vincentc]

Thanks,
I've pulled one plug and observed spark.
As far a cleaning out the carb(s) there are three, nested together, Japanese mechanical art, . . . seemingly inaccessible. About all I have been able to access is the screws at the bottom outside of each carb which allow me to drain gas from their bowls. Even the plastic air cover is beyond me. I removed the only fastener visible to me, and it did not allow the cover to come off.
I have lots of things left to do on the big boat.
Regards,
Vincent

 

[Genesis]

Fill it full of sea foam'd fuel (1 gallon fuel, 1 can sea foam) and spray some fuel down the intake then close the choke.

It should fire, which ought to be enough to get fuel into the system. You may have to repeat this more than once to get it to light and run, even if roughly.

The Naptha will clean out the carbs if you can get the flow going into them. Odds are there is a bit of varnish or some other sort of crud in the metering circuits that is preventing it from starting and running - if you can get ANY flow through there the sea foam'd fuel will clean it out.

Beware running it under load if one cylinder is not firing or is running lean as you can trash one of the holes that way. If it's running "lopey" don't put a load on it until that stops. If you can't get fuel to flow through the carb then they will need to be disassembled and cleaned the "old fashioned" way.

 

[Passages]

Wait a minute - not run since Katrina?

That was August 2005 which was just about the time that EPA mandated new fuel standards (reoxygenated gasoline?) This new batch if mixed with old and allowed to sit for more than a few weeks would form a jello like mass in the lines and float bowl.

I'm betting those carbs will need to come out.

 

[krush]

. Odds are there is a bit of varnish or some other sort of crud in the metering circuits that is preventing it from starting and running - if you can get ANY flow through there the sea foam'd fuel will clean it out.

No it won't. If there is even a little bit of gunk and hard varnish in the carbs it's best to just take them off, soak 'em, blow em out, and put back together.


Since the original poster seems kind of new around this stuff, try this: get a spray bottle or some kind of spritz can that you can put some gas in and spray it in the carbs (in the intake). I usually just pull the air cover, give a few shots down each carb, crank it and see if it runs for a few seconds. You can squit some more in to try to keep it running a little, but if it just keeps dieing then take the carbs off.

I've done near 100 outboard carb clean/overhauls. The jets are small, the idle circuits even smaller. Seafoam isn't going to clear out the gunk...it's not strong enough. The stuff I soak carbs in eats plastic away if you forget to take it off. The key step is blowing through all the holes with an airhose.

I'm not going to debate/argue though...if you want to try seafoam go for it's most likely a waste of time.