wrote in message
...
On Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:13:10 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

On a Merc, they have those snap connectors. If the silver snap is not
shut,
am I right to ASS-U-ME that there is no connection? And, conversely, if
the
snap is shut, can I ASS-U-ME that the connection is good? Or is there any
wiggle room where it can suck air instead of gas?

TIA

The silver snap only holds the connector on. The real connection is
the "O" ring in the connector around the probe with the holes in it.
The pointed one with the flycut around it is the retainer the snap
grabs
When disconnected there is a self closing plug in the connector.
If you are worried about an air leak, look at the fuel filter inside
the engine. If it is fairly new you can see through it and see if
there is air in there. If the filter isn't new, get a new one. That
may be your whole problem.
If there is air after you pumped it out, it may be time for a new fuel
hose, connector ball etc or the problem could be going the other way
(fuel pump, leaking internal hose etc)
That is why it is handy to have a spare, known good hose setup.
I have a spare without any tank end connection so I can stick it
through the filler neck directly into the gas, just for
troubleshooting.

A neighbor friend dunked his outboard in brackish water. It was running when
the boat flipped,
and he fogged it to keep very bad things from happening.
I wandered over when I saw him working on it about a week later. he'd
checked everything he could get to and couldn't get it to start.
We pulled the plugs and checked spark with a gap tester - had spark.
We pulled and pulled and pulled, trying to clear the oil/water out of the
bowl, which was working as witnessed by ugly mist out of the plug holes. got
tired of pulling and as they say, decided to work smarter.
Put a socket on a 1/2" drill by way of a Harbor Frieght adapter and used it
to turn over the engine. A few minutes of this and we were getting clean gas
mist out of the plug holes.
Gave it a couple minutes for excess gas to evaporate from the cylinders and
put cleaned plugs back it.
Put the drill back on it and after a few revs, it fired right up! I guess we
do get wiser with age...or maybe just get lucky once in a while.