So you took the lower unit off in NEUTRAL.--------When you were not looking a bump on the unit and the spring loaded clutch put it in FORWARD.--------So remove lower unit.----Put throttle in...

Not sure why folks would replace " solid state " components because they are old.-----The new replacements may have been on the shelf for 15 years already !!

Post is nearly 10 years old.------Brackets for 1976 and older are big $ items it seems.---Not all the 77 and newer flywheels had the ring gear.----Brackets for 77 and newer are cheap in my area.

?---6 months and all those parts and effort for what appears was a simple fix ??-----Good on ya to follow the " no money " spent path of trouble shooting.

Sounds like it is too lean at idle.---Try opening low speed mixture needles 1/4 turn at a time.------Or throttle plates are opening too early.--------So operate / bump the choke when you are giving...

Remove the plug.----Momentarily start the motor.-----See if water comes out of that hole.------On an aluminum head the water temperature / head temperature are essentially the same.

I thought the term ---impedance -----was used in AC circuits and not DC circuits ?

I did work in a tire factory for a 1 1/2 years.-------They are all black but they are not all the same.----Or as some have said----" The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the...

Was this a factory repair kit / impeller ?-------Or something else that was cheaper ?

Crankcase pressure pulses move a piston inside the VRO.----This in turn pumps the fuel and mixes the oil into the fuel.-------The " pulse limiter " is merely a safety device to protect the VRO from a...

Your best investment would be a manual.-----Sounds like you may need to do your own work.----Repairing a leaking carburetor may involve some cleaning with no money spent !!

Optical sensor for ignition.-----Not an expensive item.

Could be just a bad sparkplug / wire.----Some orderly trouble shooting can be done.----Or just use the wallet / guess approach and start replacing expensive parts.

Water / mud inside an outboard crankcase spells near instant death for the bearings.-------I say take this motor apart for inspection.-----Likely it was submerged / near submerged and water got in...

The VRO is driven by pressure pulses and not so much vacuum.-------The pulse limiter is a " flow fuse " to protect the VRO.------And no it is impossible for a cylinder head o-ring to leak into the...

Looks like a Suzuki built motor with Johnson paint / decals.

A safe bet that it is the powerpack breaking down.---Try a new one.

Some will argue.----I would look at the drain plug on the gearcase.-------A possible lower unit / gear issue.-----Perhaps check shift rod adjustment / setting.

Mikey N.C. -----is doing work for customers and using a public website to try and do some repairs / get info ??

Pushing the key in puts fuel directly into the motor.-------This fuel bypasses the carburetors.---Bypasses metering circuits.----To me this suggests that the carburetors need attention.