1982 Merc 110 9.8 - fuel spitting out left side of block behind starter

Been chasing an idle issue on my son’s 9.8. In the process I noticed that clean oil/fuel mix is spitting out of block near bottom of starter. Can’t quite figure out exactly where it’s coming from. If only the block wasn’t black and I was 30 not turning 50 (with close-up eyesight fading by the month) I could probably spot where it’s spitting but try as I might I just can’t. I’m also feeling pulsing air in the same location which I’m pretty sure isn’t right. Good news is that I’ve probably found my idle issue. Now if I could only figure out what the heck is leaking. I don’t believe that there is anything back there except a vertical engine seam and the base gasket…leak from engine seam really doesn’t seem likely. Thoughts?

Get those magnifier glasses on. Could it be squirting there from the fuel line....or pump?

On some models there is an oil recirculation hose.------Goes from a check valve on bottom of the block to top of the block.----On some it goes to the carburetor.----On some it might go to the bypass cover.----Then again the bypass cover gasket might be leaking..----Should be easy to figure out I think.

timguy said:

Get those magnifier glasses on. Could it be squirting there from the fuel line....or pump?

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I managed to wrestle the starter off with some letterman pliers. And there right behind it was my problem: the vertical narrow intake plate gasket was pushed right out at bottom corner. Good news $2 part. Bad news I’m up at a cottage so May or May not be able to fix before heading home.

Could you cut a gasket from a cereal box as a temporary fix.----The bypass cover does not have that much pressure !

That is what I did for years. The cartons that separate jars....like mason jars, or Canadian beer bottles...yes, work pretty good. Labatts carton bottle seperators were not hard to find around camp.

Opted to drive the 30min to Napa to grab some over-priced cardboard gasket that I was able to cut to fit without issue. Took the old gasket off only to find that it was pretty destroyed at bottom right corner. Coincidentally or not - I also discovered that the positive connection on the bottom of the starter was loose. I only noticed this when I tried to use electric start and saw a bunch of sparks fly across bottom rhs of bloc. My son suggested thet maybe those sparks were the reason for the destroyed gasket. Could very well be. Strikes me as a dangerous set of conditions!!!! I had fuel spitting out right where sparks would have been setting off. Bloody hell. Below is a pic of the gasket I took off for references

bigtime_mcalpine said:

Opted to drive the 30min to Napa to grab some over-priced cardboard gasket that I was able to cut to fit without issue. Took the old gasket off only to find that it was pretty destroyed at bottom right corner. Coincidentally or not - I also discovered that the positive connection on the bottom of the starter was loose. I only noticed this when I tried to use electric start and saw a bunch of sparks fly across bottom rhs of bloc. My son suggested thet maybe those sparks were the reason for the destroyed gasket. Could very well be. Strikes me as a dangerous set of conditions!!!! I had fuel spitting out right where sparks would have been setting off. Bloody hell. Below is a pic of the gasket I took off for references

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