Carbeurator adjustment

A friend and I just cleaned the carbs on my 1995 120 HP Force outboard motor. When he disassembled the carbs he did not remember how many turns on the adjustment screws. any advise?

First of all, in messing with the low speed adjustment screws follow the finger and thumb rule. Only use them and never turn the screw so tight as to feel uncomfortable with these two fingers. Reason being is that you don't want to score the seal area on the conical nosed screw. If you score it (make a ring) getting it set is difficult.

Good rule of thumb is 1 1/2 turns open then more or less to get it idling to suit. Final setting is that the engine will take throttle without bogging down. A good way to test this is at the launch, on a day when everyone else is at work. Boat still on the trailer, bow eye still tied to winch, backed into the water just as you would launch just enough to get the water half way or so up the transom (ensuring the water pump is submerged). Get in, fire it up and let it get to operating temp. Put it in gear and goose it. Slowly open the jets...all together about a screwdriver width or so at a time until the engine takes the goose without bogging. Should be the sweet spot.

Oh, don't forget to pull out and undo the boat from the trailer before you go and test it. Grin.

Mark