Question for Surface Tension-Uncooperative Outboard!

[1DIRTBALL]

Hi Frank, Here I am again with my hat in my hand supplicating the Guru of Uncooperative Outboards! If you don't have that title allready Frank, I certainly think you should! The miscreant in question is my 1985 25 HP Johnson. It's been dieing at slow and trolling speeds. Like it's starving for fuel. The only way you can keep it running is to goose the choke a little. Right away I was thinking air leak. I replaced the whole fuel line and used some good hose clamps instead of the jokes they usually come with. Put in 2 new sparkplugs, added Sea-Foam to the gas tank, and cleaned all the connections with carb cleaner. All to no avail. Any idea vas gibts? 1DIRTBALL

[Surface Tension]

Hello Kieth. I just got in and I have to leave again but try the this.

I believe your outboard has a type B carb. Thats is with a slow speed mixture screw and a fixed High & Intermediate orifices. What you described is the the outboard is running lean. You should try the low speed mixture. You'll have to pull the cover off to do that. It might be labeled low Speed Adjustment on the air box. You'll want to turn that out(counter clokwise) Do very small adjustments while the outboard is running.. I'm getting yelled at, gotta go.

[1DIRTBALL]

Now there's a real, dedicated fishing buddy for you! Standing tall, doing his sworn duty, all the while being castigated by his distaff side! Neither rain, sleet, snow, or the heartbreak of psoriasis, will keep him from his appointed rounds!LOL! As always you have come through magnificently. Now begins the torturous, teeth gnashing, hair pulling, search for information about the Type B carbuerator on some sneaky, conniving, devious search engine! Weren't computer's supposed to make our lives easier?LOL! Many thanks Frank!...Keith aka:1DIRTBALL

[Surface Tension]

I didn't have enough time to say " I appreciate the butt kissing".

There are other things that'll cause that. You have a fuel pump thats located on the side of the outboard. Follow the gas lines and you'll find it. Theres a round plastic cover the size of a 50 cent piece held in with one screw in the center. That could be loose, remember its plastic and will break if you over tighten it. Behind that cover is a screen, you can look at the that to see if its clogged. The diaphragms in the fuel pump could be the culprit too. Normally when we think of a bad fuel pump it'll act up under high speeds when the engine needs more gas. But with this type system its possible that its not pumping enough gas at low speeds. Anyway clean out the screen then try the idle mixture adjustment.

In the end it might come down to a carb cleaning and a carb kit.