Marine: Boating, Sailing, PWC, GPS and Navigation - !972 evinrude starflite

Ok this motor will start up pretty good when i first get to the lake and after i have it good and warmed up i shut it off and will do some fishing and when i go to start it it will not start without going back to the motor pull the choke manually then it will fire and die then i turn the choke back off and it fires and stays runnin can any one tell me why i have to choke this hot motor to get it to fire and go.. this motor runs so good cant understand why it does this after i shut it off it is kind of a pain in the well you know lol Thanks for any suggestions

That is a new one. I am just guessing but check compression if thats good change your spark plugs and check for weak spark.

i recently replaced the plugs and the compression is 125 125 120 125.. i also went threw 7 gallons of gas in propley 5 miles i put 7 gallons of gas in one tank and had it wide open across the the lake for proply 30 40 min. thought that was kinda of weird or is that about right for a old outboard.. as for the spark pull the plugs out and turn it over and check for spark.. thanks alot

The gas usage seems excessive. Could be the carb dumping fuel.

Next time you're on plane at WOT pull it back slowly until you start to hear a change in RPMs. That's your actual WOT. More throttle at that point will just waste fuel. Also, if you have a mismatched prop it will show itself with a lot of play at the top end of the throttle without changing the RPMs. This can lead to carbon buildup and fouled plugs.

However, those engines were notorious for weak spark when the electronic ignition was failing -- which it did two or three times on my dad's '72 125 over the four years he owned it. It was always the same problem: The black-box "amplifier", which was quite expensive as I recall.

ok i will do that and thanks a whole lot for your advise when i have it reved all the way up the speed will stay the same but i can still make it rev a lil higher sorry this kinda hard to explain put when you get almost to the highest rpm you can get to the motor just reves more the boat dont go any faster like you said its just more rpm no more speed it get going so fast then the motor just starts to rev without going faster right and the end of full throttle do i need a differnt prop to run the motor at a lower rpm so help save gas and not have to run at such hi rpm. thanks alot let me know

Hello would someone pleaese answer my questions that would be nice i

Well, you can try a larger prop, what are your rpms at now? One pitch higher will drop about 200 rpm.

I think you have something wrong with your carbs if your going through that much fuel.

Fisrt off thank you for your repley and i think you are right about something is wrong with my carb i mean this thing will go threw 20 gallons of gas in a half day not even driving the whole time what about the carbs could be wrong and my rpm at top speed is around 4500 4600 i think.. i know it is a ways away from being rapped out i would say that is about the right rpm on the motor mount it says operating range 4500 to 5000 i think if i remember right... let me know what you think about that and what about the carbs could have that much effect on the gas usuage thanks alot for your help its very much appreciated i dont know a whole lot about boat motors just enought to get by thanks Todd

Again, the method is to push the throttle all the way up until the boat's on plane, then back it off just enough to hear the RPMs start to drop. That's your WOT. Any more than that will waste fuel with no more speed.

Next time you're in calm waters, see if you're dumping unburned fuel out of the exhaust.

ok thank you i do know when i have it hooked up on a water hose the smell out the exhaust smells like pure gas like its flooding out put yet it runs pretty good.

As for the fuel smell and consumtion, I think it's eather a bad float or neadle that is letting the fuel overflow into the carb.

That rpm is a little low you might pick up some speed droping a pitch but it's a guessing game with props. I tried 9 different props on one of my boats this spring till I found 2 good ones, one for speed and one for drag racing. Funny thin is they were the 2 most expensive props I have ever bought.

ok i will check out the carbs proply will have a boat mechanic look at it i dont know enough to do it myself and yea i have been looking at some props and there are so maney to choose from it is a guessing game should i start by just droping down 1 or 2 pitches does 1 pitch make a whole lot of difference or does it take a couple thanks for your repley

Oh and if you do think it is the carb.. the motor runs pretty good still will it still run good even thought it is dumping fuel

The fuel it's dumping is going through the neadle and seat, the float allong with the neadle and seat is what stops the flow of fuel once the carb is full.

Check with your local dealer they might have some used props cheap.

ok thank you all for all your help

ok 1 more question for you.. will a boat start a little easier and better with the idle set up a little higher.. i was out messing with the idle on my boat and i after i turned up the idle a bit i shut it off and it starts up a lot better for now.. just wondering is it better for it to be a high idle or a low idle thanks a whole lot let me know

If the motor is running rich it will help to open the throttle plates.

what do you mean open the throttle plates set the idle higher or what.. might be a dumb question but i dont know what you mean

You opened the plates to get it to idle higher.