25HP Johnson will not start!

[bilgsmf]

I have a 1985 Johnson motor that will not start. I replaced the old gas, tried rebuilding the carb, installed new fuel pump, motor has new spark plugs also. Still could not get it to start. Took it to the only repair shop within 60 miles that worked on old motors. Called me next day and told me that I needed to rebuild my carb and that my compression was good. I did not tell them that I had already rebuilt it. So I bought another kit and did it again making sure that I did it properly as I did the first time. Still will not start. But when I squirt the carb cleaner into the carb it will start. That could only mean that I am not getting gas to the carb, right? Any ideas what is causing this? Appreciate any advise.

 

[kevinj]

Did you remove the welch plugs on the carb and clean all the orifices behind them? If not, you may have blocked passages that are not allowing fuel flow. What fuel pump did you buy to the replace the original? The OEM pumps are really easy to rebuild with the proper Fuel Pump Repair Kit. Maybe your replacement pump isn't working right or isn't getting pulse from the crankcase to pump fuel. Is your engine equipped with an electric or manual primer and are you using that for your cold start? Also, are you using your fuel tank primer bulb to fill the carb bowl prior to starting?

Finally, it is not suggested to start a 2-stroke using carb cleaner, starting fluid, or other spray fuels. These provide no lubrication and can cause bearing damage when the engine fires. The best thing when troubleshooting like this is to get a squirt bottle filled with pre-mix fuel and put a few squirts in the carb throat for your testing.