As an update to my posting,
In preliminary discussions with outboard mechanics, they point the finger at the extremely fine
jets in the 4-stroke engines. One mechanic said gasoline dries to a powdery residue, which then can
become imbedded in these jets. This problem seems peculiar to 4-stroke engines. My former
2-strokes never needed a carburator cleaning or rebuild. Why is this sensitivity of 4-strokes one
of the world's greatest secrets? I would have taken extra pains to run something like 'Stabil'
through the carbs before storing the engine. I might have not bought a 4-stroke if I thought they
would be so problematic. I checked the engine today and gas is definitely coming out of the hose
that supplies the carborator. I will probably have to get my boat towed to the nearest mechanic.
I hope they don't have to remove the engine from the boat to do this job.

Sherwin D.


sherwindu wrote:

Took my Yamaha 9.9 4 stroke out of storage (after 2 years) and tried to start it today.
It would not catch until I sprayed in some starting fluid, but then it would only
rev up a bit and then die. I think it is getting sufficient fuel from a supply tank,
but that is one thing to check. I ran the engine dry and fogged the carburator when I put
it away last time. Could the fogging material be blocking one of the jets? Do I have
to remove the carburator from the engine to clean it, or can this be done with the
carburator attached to the engine? I was using fresh fuel, and this is an almost new
engine, with about 20 hours on it. Somewhere I saw a recommendation to partially
or fully cover the air inlet to assist in getting fuel to the engine. Is that a good idea?

That didn't help.



Sherwin D.