'75 Evinrude 135 - Idles bad and hard to start when trimmed all the way down.....

When trimmed all the way down motor is obviously leaning back a bit - that's when it runs like poo and have to have the start lever at least 1/2 to get it to start. Then lots of smoke and finally starts. Trim it up (level) and it fires and runs great. IM thinking carb floats - but which way do I adjust them - up or down more? Or just get them level and stop running it when its trimmed too far down? - The puff of smoke is leading me to believe its flooding when tipped back. Right now I can have it up level to start it, get in gear and give a little gas - then trim all the way down to get it out of the hole. Method works -- but it aint right.

To start the engine properly, the engine must be approximately level... otherwise you are attempting to draw the fuel mixture uphill.

When I was a working man, more than once I would see someone running their engine tilted, running on a flushette and of course it was running lousy. I'd get their attention and motion to level the engine... they would and the engine would smooth out and run normally.

When warmed up and underway... it is another story.

I can see it...mine is actually tipped back when all the way down...so instead of struggling to draw fuel uphill, its getting too much dumped in it. Thus all the smoke. Its not a show stopper..just an annoyance, but if its normal operation then I can tolerate it. Just the quirks of an almost 40 yr old motor. Hmm thinking about it...me and that motor might have been built on the same day...