Hi everyone,

I'm completely new to boating - just bought an 80's Plancraft Stingray 14ft
speedboat with a 60hp 2 cyl 2-stroke Mariner E engine (been told it is the
same as a Yamaha).

Went out with a friend and his RIB last Wednesday.

My engine was a bitch to start, after trying various combinations of choke
and throttle. When it did eventually start, it smelt as if I had flooded it.
The engine would not idle and was lumpy at lower revs, so much so that I had
trouble getting it into gear without stalling.

When I opened it up the engine was lovely and sounded sweet but when
trolling, it still sounded uncertain.

After warming up, it was still stalling at idle speed, although it was easy
to restart.

Switching the engine off for an hour or so resulted in tricky starting once
more.

Is there a set series of checks I can do?

I've bought new plugs and will try those but what else should I look for?

I have a Yamaha 60C manual from 1982 which seems to be virtually the same
engine. It has a CDI unit, electric start, twin carbs and manual timing.

Any help would be appreciated before I spend money at a marine garage!

Thanks in advance,

David, UK.