engine only runs with excessive choke

[Dave Neptune]

Cityhix, from your story I would guess that you stirred up some "krap" in the fuel tank and it is now clogging the filter or filters. If you have a "polishing filter" just ahead of the carb the carb may just be OK. Sounds like you are starving for fuel. All to often I have seen a rough sea-state stir up a mess. Unfortunately cleaning the tank is not often easy.

What is the layout of your fuel system from the tank?

This would be an EXCELLENT time to install a fuel pressure gage which would easily diagnose a fuel "delivery" problem.

Dave Neptune

[Cityhix]

Cityhix, from your story I would guess that you stirred up some "krap" in the fuel tank and it is now clogging the filter or filters. If you have a "polishing filter" just ahead of the carb the carb may just be OK. Sounds like you are starving for fuel. All to often I have seen a rough sea-state stir up a mess. Unfortunately cleaning the tank is not often easy.

What is the layout of your fuel system from the tank?

This would be an EXCELLENT time to install a fuel pressure gage which would easily diagnose a fuel "delivery" problem.

Dave Neptune

I have a fuel/water seperator/filter after the tank, a small polishing filter and then the Facet electric pump.

Would the fuel pressure gauge go between the pump and the carb? Can you recommend a gauge?

[Dave Neptune]

Cityhix, any cheap fuel pressure gage will work fine. The order of the system should be ~~ fuel filer separator ~ fuel pump ~ polishing filter ~ gage ~ carb.

The gage will let you know what the carb "sees" and that is what feeds it!! Once installed and any trouble rears it's head a quick look at the gage showing pressure means look elsewhere or perhaps inside the carb as the "delivery" of the fuel is OK.

Dave Neptune

[sastanley]

Cityhix, Since you are already in it this deep, I would add "Clean the carb (again)" to your list as you may have gotten some crap in the carb too..Stuff still gets by the filters once in a while, but adding the $15 pressure gauge will tell a lot too. If the gauge says 3PSI and the motor still needs choke, something is clogging the carb..If the gauge is 1PSI or less and the motor needs choke, probably clogged filters and the motor is starved for fuel and the carb itself might be OK.

I had a saturated water separator filter that was starving the engine, but she was still running at 1 PSI. Couple drains of the filter bowl and things got a lot better (until it got saturated again, but at least I knew the carb was OK, and the gauge helped explain the problem being upstream). Fixing the fuel filler leak that let the rain water in to the tank in the first place, really helped the situation.

[zellerj]

Sometimes the source of crap in the carb is the filter itself. One listmate a while ago cut open a metal polishing filter and found that the metal was corroded into a white powder, that plugged up his jet. How old is your polishing filter?

[Cityhix]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I installed a fuel gauge after the polishing filter (which is after the pump) and I am getting 4.5 PSI. I turned the idle air screw in about 1/4 turn and it just ran in gear at the dock flawlessly for 15-20 minutes.

Now I'm noticing a hole in the side of the fuel pump that is oozing out a viscous liquid. Wish I had ordered a new one last week when I thought of it. Planning to go out for the weekend tomorrow. Any suggestions for a pump that I might be able to get locally that I could make do with?

[roadnsky]

Any suggestions for a pump that I might be able to get locally that I could make do with?

When I first got my boat it had this Facet AUTOMOTIVE pump.
I used it for about 2 months before replacing it with the marine version offered here on MMI.

Napa seems to have it readily available. Not sure of your area.

https://www.napaonline.com/es/p/BK_6101078

[Sam]

FYI - I used the same Facet "cube" pump as shown for over 20 seasons. Couple of friends of mine use the newer "posi-flow" design. Changed it out last spring with a new cube when I had some fuel issues [ethanol/water/crud etc] and they were readily available for on line for $40-50 bucks. Various model numbers have different pressure ranges which are not available in store stock - believe I bought 2-4psi range and the pressure gauge shows a steady 2.75 +psi, engine runs fine.

[Dave Neptune]

Carb bulliten

When rebuilding or cleaning the carb VERY special attention need to be paid to the "emulsion well" seal. The emulsion well is in the center of the bowl and seals with the bowl gasket. If and many are the bowl halves are not pristine this seal in the center does not seal. Any leak will have adverse affects on fuel delivery especially making the mix lean at idle and even full throttle. It is a must that the gasket seals in the "center".

Dave Neptune