Ever Had This Happen to You?

[fastjeff]

Mercuiser 305/ 230 hp. first start up of the year. Motor exhibiting a classic no gas condition and refused to fire except with starting fluid and/ or gas dripped down the Quadrajet.

Checked for gas pressure at carb--good--and a dirty filter in the carb--clean as a whistle!

As I've often said, one can "fix a carb with a screw driver and a hammer" and that's what cured it: the needle was stuck in place and no gas could get by. After rapping the carb a few times the gas entered and away she went!

Jeff

 

[kghost]

No Jeff,
You are the first, one and only.....


Bahaha......

 

[o2batsea]

Yeh the damn Gravely. Every. Stinkin. Time.
Replaced with a Deere and no worries ha ha

 

[Dieter]

Oh yeah tap the carb bowl before tearing into it

 

[makomark]

I had one that was worst than that....eons ago...

'new' boat, less than 50 hours and was winterized by Mercruiser Master Mech....come spring time, neither engine would fire up...worked accelerator pump and nothing...got the squirt bottle and placed a few oz of fresh 89 octane into the float bowl...still no joy. cracked fuel line and had plenty of fuel going to the carb. pulled carbs and took them to the MMM.

He scratched his head and took one to the bench and popped the cover. plenty of fuel still in the bowl...so he disassembled the rest of the assembly...could not blow thru a single passage that leaves the bowl....he got out the magnifying glass and small pick....he said the fuel had salt water in it and while sitting over the winter, it corroded the casting and once evaporated, it left an impenetrable film....

a week later, had new carbs and it was running...we got the local fuel supplier to filter the tank...and he removed almost two gallons of water...which he said had ocean salt in it....

So now to find the source....the speculation was the unshielded tank vent....I got a local machinist to make a 'cup' out of a piece of Delrin and never saw another issue with water in the fuel...

 

[sandkicker]

A number 70 drill bit with a handle is my new go-to tool for my TKS MERCARB . An astonishing amount of hard sand colored crap came out of the venturi jets...

 

[guyjg]

The result of old fuel drying out after it turned to varnish; hence the color of dry sand.