Haven't had the boat out in four years. Took it to my mechanic to get it ungunked. He did. Said it was running rough, but smoothed out. Got it to a little local lake to test things and inspect the trailer before taking any long jaunt to a bigger lake for some water sports and fishing.

Everything was as he said. Ran up and down the lake some to get it smoothed out more. Running good. Did some fishing. Seemed ready to go. Got almost back to the ramp and slowed down for the No Wake zone. Died. Wouldn't start back up. The gas bulb would be empty feeling but fill up and get hard. Would crank fine but no sign of catching. Tried the fuel bulb several times but same.

The mechanic said he looked up how to empty the tank (built-in) and there was no drain plug, so he somehow pressurized it, as instructed, to get the fuel out. It SEEMS like a fuel issue to me. Like it's not getting gas. I suspect either the Primer Solenoid or the Fuel Pump. Anybody think anything different or...?

IF I'm right, will these parts need replaced or rebuilt? Cost estimates?

Btw...Starting it up this morning, it started right up. Didn't have to crank it forever. Maybe just a few seconds more than starting it after it was warmed up. Started good from cold and then better after warmed up. Ran very decent, both trolling speed, no wake speed and on plane. You know, until it didn't. After it died, that was it. Just cranked and never even hit.

Plenty of fuel in the tank.

[align:right][/align]First post: It would crank fine but no catching. What does that mean.

Now it wont fire? See if fire gets to a plug while it cranks.

Mechanic has to see what the problem is before an estimate on cost.

No fire to plug could mean power pack gone.

It wont crank now after the bulb is pumped? If it cranks with bulb pumped it should continue to suck gas unless its getting air in the line from bad connection or vent is blocked and it cant suck gas.

Are you using gasoline with alcohol? The alcohol does strange things to fuel pumps and other fuel related internal parts. Especially if it has been sitting for a while. My newer 4 stroke Mercury just puked an internal fuel pump and float due to the alcohol based fuel I am forced to use in my state.

Ethan:

I did a quick check of the net and found a good article on two guys with same engine with similar problems. Not saying their problem is yours but it could be. The anti syphon valve caused problems with one guy's engine.


http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/showthread.php?10194-1992-Johnson-Fast-Strike-Fuel-Problem

=======================
Carry a can of starter fluid. If it dies again spray some into intake and see if it will run. That will tell you if it is a fuel issue.



Two stroke outboards have to have a fast cranking speed or they won't start. The difference is subtle. Check battery and make sure it is fully charged.




My outboard is 35 yrs old and doesn't have fuel issues. Besides adding fuel stabilizer I have a huge water/fuel filter inline between tank and engine. (looks like an oil filter) I believe this has saved me all sorts of grief with stuff in the fuel. i would recommend you install one regardless of your current problem.

When you find out your issue please share.

Ross

If you are getting spark, I'd look at the primer bulb (just replace it, they are not expensive), then the fuel pump. A good hack is to replace the line on the downstream side of the fuel pump with a see-through one, so you can tell at a glance whether or not it's moving fuel. Good luck with it!

Thanks Ross. Very helpful.

Thanks.

Replace the entire fuel line, primer bulb, filter etc. Rubber and plastic degrade over time. The volatiles that make it flexible “evaporate” and leave the rest of it brittle and/or crumbling. It may look fine on the outside but a mess inside. Crumbly nuggets of deteriorating gas lines will plug up the line and cause what you are experiencing.

Completely agree with the quote above and will add, ethanol blended fuel is REALLY tough on older fuel lines and exacerbates the above.

Yep. Also, align so the bulb is vertical instead of horizontal. This helps the flapper valves work as designed and can make a big difference.

The first thing to check after it dies would be if you are getting spark. If I recall correctly these engines had overtemp sensors that were just thermal switches that killed the spark. Might explain why it started the next day after cooling off. When was the last time the water pump impeller was changed? After sitting four years it might not be flexible enough anymore. I think these engines also had thermostats that were prone to sticking.


Jerry

I went out to the barn and it started right up this morning. So I am now leaning towards this as opposed to a fuel issue. The water pump was working fine the other day and yesterday. FWIW, it had no starting issues before, just yesterday at the lake. The issues my mechanic addressed were just gunked up fuel in the tank and engine after setting.

I'll bet something broke lose in the fuel lines after sitting that long and the carbs need cleaned. I have a 6hp Mercury that went from starting on the second pull to not starting at all after sitting unused for a while. I pulled the carburetor off and cleaned every nook and cranny, put it back together, and it's started easy and run perfect since then.

If you can, try running it on a six gallon stand alone tank. You could still be getting some restriction from either the pick up in the main tank or the lines. It would at lease eliminate the main fuel system if it doesn't work, and a six gallon tank is pretty cheap.

Clyde

Mechanic cleaned the carbs.

If you squirt l fluid or 1/2 sec of either into the carbs make sure you cut back on the throttle to close the valves before hitting the ignition.

👍

I will check the solenoid and anti-siphon valve and replace the line/primer bulb. Those are things I can do easily.

The big screw-on fuel filter idea is a good one, although it only catches the contaminants between the tank and the transom (which can be considerable).

Past that point there are still a lot of potential issues living between the filter and the tips of your spark plugs. The idea to change out all rubber is a good one.