Outboard problems

Aug 16, 2015
11
Mcgregor 26S kemah
About a week my outboard would start and die so I had to get towed In.
I went yesterday and started the motor it cranked right up and I put it in gear shut it off and tried again all was well.
After I decided to take it out I put in gear and backed up . The motor stalled right away and would only start for a few seconds same problem.
What can be wrong it's a two cycle Nissan .
Did run it without mixing oil.
So Changed gas and mix it 50-1
To do list :
Change gas filter
Spray the carbs with carb cleaner
Change air filter .
Hopefully that will solve the problem.
Any suggestions would be great .
 

chp

.
Sep 13, 2010
432
Hunter 280 hamilton
I had a similar problem with my merc. It would quit if I put any power on. I could get it to start just no power. By squeezing the primer bulb I could keep it going. Tracked it down to a bad fuel pump diaphragm.
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
my guess would be an air leak. I had the 'O' ring disintegrate inside the gas coupling (tank / engine). it would run only when I kept pumping the bulb.

does it rev in neutral ?

how long was it run with no oil? and how hard?
 
Aug 16, 2015
11
Mcgregor 26S kemah
my guess would be an air leak. I had the 'O' ring disintegrate inside the gas coupling (tank / engine). it would run only when I kept pumping the bulb. does it rev in neutral ? how long was it run with no oil? and how hard?
It ran for a few minutes without the mixture but the tank had1/3 of mixture when I filled it with new gas.
I tried pumping the engine but the pump was hard and did not help any .
When I started it ran 10-15 minutes I even put it in gear while I was docked and moved it forward and backward . As soon I undocked and put it in reverse It died and should only start for a few seconds even when I try to rev it up .
 

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Jun 24, 2014
74
Kayaks for now, oday coming soon 13 Waterford, CT
I have found that if I stall out a carberated 2 stroke motor by putting it into gear and it doesn't want to start again, that it's simply been flooded. Let the engine rest and drain the excess gas out, and I think it will start right back up.

Remember to rev the engine up to "shifting" RPMs before shifting, that's to reduce the risk of a stall-out.

My motor won't start cold without the choke on, but I better shut off the choke instantly (like less than 3 or 4 seconds) or it will flood the engine and stall it out.

Also make sure you are running with the correct richness, either too lean or too rich can cause a motor to stall when put under load. I have marked my richness knobs just in case they get moved by children or errant elbows or stubby fingers.
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
rings are probably ok.

Still sounds like air leak to me. any cuts in the line besides the bulb? fittings/connections.

Do you have a spare tank w/ new fuel? can it (tank) be held up higher than the engine? (reduce fuel pump demands/ lower head pressure) -replace the hard bulb too.

it does Not rev in neutral, correct? ie., you can't keep it running no matter what you do.

I assume you've pulled some plugs and looked at them.. normal?
 
Jul 29, 2010
1,392
Macgregor 76 V-25 #928 Lake Mead, Nevada
Had same problem with Merc 7.5. Now have Honda 7.5 4 cycle.
 
Nov 26, 2012
1,654
C&C 40-2 Berkeley
Sounds like Ethanol. Pull the carb and take it apart and clean it with carb cleaner. Note if any of the stainless steel parts such as screws are rusty. This is a sign of water in fuel which is a problem with ethanol. Reinstall the carb and then put a filter in the fuel line from the remote tank. Put the filter as close to the engine as possible. This is because ethanol degrades the fuel line and sends the gunk into the carb. If this is indeed, the problem it should run fine for a whole season before you have to do it again. Also, West Marine sells ethanol resistant fuel line so you can replace all fuel line in the engine. Also, run the carb dry at the end of each outing.
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
Well, I'm assuming it runs fine at idle, and can rev in neutral, but dies only when you put it in gear...

if that's not the case, yeah, rebuild the carb.
-did you have stabil or other fuel stabilizer? how old was fuel.
I have run 1 year old fuel that had stabil.

but real gas is better.
http://pure-gas.org/ pick your state for real gas.


OTOH, its dying under load.
To do a compression test you need a air tool hammer and a impact socket for the flyweel, and the gauge. a shop will have all that.
or you could pull the prop off and put it in gear... but the gearbox will suffer doing that.
 
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Feb 20, 2013
5
Catalina 36 Oyster Bay
I had problems with a 4 hp merc that worked and died and drove me crazy. Checking the spark out on the water in bright sunlight it was hard to see, or hear. Finally home to winterize in the darker garage I realized no consistent spark. In the old days you got a big juicy spark on outboards, lawn motors everything, now they seem smaller and more efficient. New igniter, all is well.
 
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Aug 16, 2015
11
Mcgregor 26S kemah
Thanks guys for the help , unfortunately someone broke in my truck and stole it today morning.
So I'm going to look into buying a new one.


Thieves are the scum of the earth .
 

Dougo

.
Nov 22, 2010
82
Hunter 23 Great Sacandaga Lake, NY
Thanks guys for the help , unfortunately someone broke in my truck and stole it today morning.
So I'm going to look into buying a new one.


Thieves are the scum of the earth .
Well that sucks! But look at it as an opportunity to invest in a 4-stroke!
 
Jun 24, 2014
74
Kayaks for now, oday coming soon 13 Waterford, CT
Dude...that sucks...do you have insurance? Might be covered under homeowners insurance