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Honda 50 outboard will not idle.

A

abrogard

New member
There it is. My Honda 50 goes well but won't idle. Should I turn up the throttle adjusting screw and make the lowest revs it will do the 'idle revs' - are they fast idling?

Changin gears doesn't like it at this speed.

Got the motor second hand from a dealer who'd checked it all out, cleaned it up, fixed it up, so it's not like it an old dirty motor.

I've used it for a total of maybe 3 hours running since getting it.

Maybe they always need to get pretty hot before they idle?

Saw a Youtube vid about fixing them but the screw on that vid exists on my machine but on my machine it is not a jet. Just a dumb screw with no apparent reason for existng.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inlzFz2KPf4

There is a screw with a spring around it which on my old carby car would be a jet. I gave it a turn in - no difference I gave it a turn out - no difference. Put it back where it was.

I have no experience. Maybe they need to get hot and are high revving at idle and always give a big shake and clunk when going into gear? i.e. there's nothing wrong?
 
Not the ones that I am looking for. More like four letters and 7 digits like BAZS-1006630.

Usually is on a little plate on the side of the frame where you mount the motor to the boat. For a few years, they put it on top of the mounting frame in front of the engine just above the swivel.

If you can not find it....any idea how old? Does it have carburetors or is it fuel injected?
And one last question.....do you have to choke the engine to start it?

That should get us going.

Mike
 
I do not recognize the serial number, but as far as I have seen, all of the carbureted 50 models operate pretty much the same.

There is an idle stop screw on the bottom carburetor. It has a spring around the screw. Turn it counter clockwise and the idle rpms should go down. Idle should be 950 rpm plus/minus 50. I like to set them a little on the high side towards 1000rpm.

Do not turn the screws with springs on them on the other carburetors. They adjust the vacuum balance....you need a set a vacuum gauges to adjust those properly.

If the bottom carb set screw does not help...it might be possible that the throttle cable is not properly adjusted and it is preventing the carbs from going back to idle.

Remove the throttle linkage from the bottom carburetor (use a needle nose and pry the plastic fitting off of the attaching point. That will set free up the carburetors and should allow them to close. If so...set your idle and readjust the throttle cable to fit properly.

At least two other things could be causing the problem...an air leak in the intake manifold area or carb gaskets or the carbs could be so far out of vacuum balance, that the butterflies of the top two carburetors are open too far at idle.

Mike
 
Whooo! I missed that one. I was thinking 50 HP not 5 HP.

The screw that you are talking about is the correct one to adjust the idle.

A couple of things that you have to look out for is

1.. The choke. When you pull the choke out, it automatically advances the throttle. If it is out of adjustment, the throttle will not close when you push in the choke.

2. The throttle linkage. Loosen the end of the throttle linkage from the end opposite from the carburetor. Should just be a fastening screw. That should allow the throttle lever at the carburetor to go to fully closed against its stop.

Sorry for the misdirection.

Mike
 
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