# Problem with a 15 horse Outboard



## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

.
I have been having problems with my 15 horse Johnson Outboard 1977.

It just had a total rebuild last year by a good place and it ran fine.

Now this year it won't start......however, when I close the gas tank vent entirely it will start and run for a few seconds. (It is a plastic gas tank).

Playing around with the choke once it starts helps a little.

I've tried opening up the vent once it starts, but that doesn't work. It only runs for about 10 seconds before it goes out.

*What could the problem be?
*

The gas tank is about 8 years old.

Note:

Same gas as last year, but I put Stabil in it when winterized it.

Also, when I pump the gas line it never gets hard.

It's a brand new gas line from last year, although I've bought new ones that were bad from the factory before.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

dryed up gass in the carb. It is gummed up. Remember Ed and the staybill commercial. thats is your problem. Not the staybill but the same problem. run some carb cleaner through it spray in the carb and spray some in the tank. once it cleans it out it should run fine.


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

duckmander said:


> dryed up gass in the carb. It is gummed up. Remember Ed and the staybill commercial. thats is your problem. Not the staybill but the same problem. run some carb cleaner through it spray in the carb and spray some in the tank. once it cleans it out it should run fine.


Ok, I'll try that.

I did put Stabil in it when I winterized it.

Thanks!


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Pm sent.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

I would agree. When I shut my 2-strokes down for the year I always pull the gas line, run them dry, then fog the cylinders.

If you leave them hooked up to the gas, the gas/oil mix in the carb evaporates, leaving the oil/crud in the carb.

Had a 1976 35 hp evinrude that if you didn't do this you had to run a whole can of seafoam in a 6 gallon tank to get it straightened out so it would idle again, otherwise it would idle a bit, then give that patented cough, and stop. Once I went to the above process, never had an issue again.

Also the gas bulb not getting hard sounds a bit fishy, possibly cracks in the gas line or loose hose clamps allowing air in, which its getting too much when the vent is open, but just right when the vent is closed.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Also, when I pump the gas line it never gets hard.

This could be any number of problems. as in bad gas lines, needle and seat stuck, bad bulb, or even a bad slin inside the tank. I had this problem recently with one of my tanks. removed the line from the tank and it fell apart. replaced it and it runs just fine now. the bulb would not tighten up on this tank. and to run it I had to constantly pump the bulb. all other tanks ran fine.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

In my opinion Stabil doesn't make crappy gas any less crappy. I have to be real carefull about where I buy gas for my small engines. Over the years it has become evident that the quality of gas sold by some stations is questionable. I have had springs where I had to clean the carbs in every small engine I have before they would run (even after running them dry) and other years where everthing cranked up just fine, all depending on where I bought the last gas for them.


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## HUNTNFISHND (Mar 16, 2004)

I agree with the carb cleaner. Next time use Seafoam, far better then Stabil IMO.


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

I tried a new tank and new gas line and it still won't run.........hmmmm.....

I'm thinking about new spark plugs. The ones in there now are a year old.

We checked the fuel pump and it looked good.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Plugs may help/fix it. and I run seafoam in all of my motors. trucks cars lawn mower boat you name it it has been seafoamed.

Did you try my carb cleaner stuff. and it did help. if so then plugs is all thats left. unless your not getting any fire to the plugs.


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## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

I was using seafoam religiously for my atv's as a winterizer and gas stabilizer. Had issues with the carbs on two atv's where I never had problems before. The mecahnic who repaired them told me that seafoam didn't work well as a stabilizer. (worked great as an engine cleaner etc) and told me to get the marine stabil as it is made for ethanol gas. The red stabil has reportedly had issues with ethanol gas. 
The mechanic suggested that I use the marine stabil along with the seafoam and I'd have zero problems again. 
So far so good! :thumb:


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Ethanol is not for two strokes. it does not mix well with oil and will sieze them up.


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## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

Only shtuff you can get around here.


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## stalker (Oct 29, 2008)

I am a bit of an ethanol anti.

I will not put any gas with ethanol in my boat motor (2 stroke), atv (4 stroke), 
generator, mower, snow blower, etc. Basically, the only ethanol I will burn is in a 
car that gets driven a lot. I have had too much bad luck with bad gas in engines 
that don't get run a lot. I have been doing this for several years and you wouldn't 
believe the amount of time you save not having to fix gas related problems. When I go to
start my mowers, chainsaws, etc. - they start and idle nicely. Not like the old days when 
I spent time dumping gas tanks and taking apart carbs.

I'm lucky to live in ND. They don't mandate ethanol in the gas. There are two
stations in Fargo where I can get 87 octane gas w/o ethanol. When I'm in 
Minnesota I pay the extra for non-oxygenated gas for my small engines. It's
well worth the extra few dollars per year to save trouble!


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## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

stalker said:


> I am a bit of an ethanol anti.
> 
> I will not put any gas with ethanol in my boat motor (2 stroke), atv (4 stroke),
> generator, mower, snow blower, etc. Basically, the only ethanol I will burn is in a
> ...


Agreed, I used to do the same until they all went ethanol. It sucks!


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

stalker said:


> I am a bit of an ethanol anti.
> 
> I will not put any gas with ethanol in my boat motor (2 stroke), atv (4 stroke),
> generator, mower, snow blower, etc. Basically, the only ethanol I will burn is in a
> ...


Talked to my friend who's knowledgeable and the repair shop, they both said the same thing......ethanol kills.

So now I have to find a gas station in the Twin Cities that doesn't use it.

I had to bite the bullet and brought my motor to the repair shop.

*
Does anyone know of gas stations in the Twin Cities that don't use ethanol?*

.


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## Gav-n-Tn (Feb 22, 2009)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Sta-bil but you have to actualy run it through the carb before you park it. Putting it in the tank is not enough. I've started things that have sat idle with Sta-bil in them for two years and they fired right up. You have to *run them after adding it *so that it's in the carb too. Just my .02


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

Gav-n-Tn said:


> There's absolutely nothing wrong with Sta-bil but you have to actualy run it through the carb before you park it. Putting it in the tank is not enough. I've started things that have sat idle with Sta-bil in them for two years and they fired right up. You have to *run them after adding it *so that it's in the carb too. Just my .02


Yeah, I did run it through.


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## Gav-n-Tn (Feb 22, 2009)

usmarine0352 said:


> Gav-n-Tn said:
> 
> 
> > There's absolutely nothing wrong with Sta-bil but you have to actualy run it through the carb before you park it. Putting it in the tank is not enough. I've started things that have sat idle with Sta-bil in them for two years and they fired right up. You have to *run them after adding it *so that it's in the carb too. Just my .02
> ...


I don't have a good answer then but I suspect it did as others have stated and dried up leaving deposits. If you can get it to at least idle, you can add seafoam or carb cleaner to the fuel and it will break it up. Sometimes. Hind sight is 20/20 but it may be best to run the carb empty before storage next time. I'm no help at all am I.


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## MOB (Mar 10, 2005)

It's best to run all small engines and boat carbs dry for storage. It's simple and prevents alot of carb problems. Have you guys ran your snowblowers and ice augers dry? If not, do it now, it will save you a headache in November.


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