1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

[jonnymarquis]

OK i have taken this boat out twice since i bought it, the first time it ran pretty good, but yesterday it was an embarrassment, it ran rough, couldn't get it over 1500 rpms before it would bog out. took it back to the dock took the spark plugs out and they were pretty black oil soaked. changed them still with no change it ran rough, it also felt as if the gear kept slipping/jerking, now what i have done but not before the first run, i have cleaned the carbs and rebuilt. and for some reason i went to go check the gear oil on the (top) yes i double checked it was the top screw hole and when i opened it, it squirted out at me, about 3 or 4 oz. i would say before i got the screw back in. is that normal? so i guess that there are two problems the oil soaked spark plugs and the gear-case maybe? what can i do to fix them? ty

 

[jonnymarquis]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

also noticed when i crank it up at home last week that there are two little pee holes on the starboard side of the motor right below the two bolts holding the foot on they are pointed down looks like, well one of them had a little bit of oil coming out out of it. i noticed it the next day.

 

[jonnymarquis]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

bump

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

The oil in the lower unit should be filled so that it is level with the bottom lip of the (upper) vent plug hole. Someone may have filled it when the lower unit was not fully down and perpendicular to the ground. Does the oil in the lower unit appear to be clear, or is it milky in appearance? You have an electric shift gearcase on that engine, which requires a special type of lube, called Premium Blend. Make sure you have the right oil. Checking the ignition system for proper spark is a good idea since it is new to you. An inductive timing light put on each plug wire while running under load will show misfires and no fire plug wires. Before you put additional money into the engine, I'd do a compression check on the powerhead to make sure it's worth investing some $ into and for future reference during your period of ownership.

 

[jonnymarquis]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

the oil seems to be fine not milky but very black. i will be changing it soon with the type "C" premium it calls for, and also performing a better presser check then i did the last time, don't think i did it right last time. any other advice?

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

You probably don't have a seal leak in the lower if it has black oil inside. Black oil is common when it gets overheated, usually when the oil in the lower is low (not topped off properly.) It also may not have been changed in years. An annual change in the fall is recommended, so you will see what your refill now-will look like after running this summer. The nature of 2 strokes is to exhaust a lot of unburned black, tarry-looking residue down the midsection exhaust tube. You may see some of it coming out the prop or other holes in the lower. That's normal. If the engine and boat are new to you, it might be worth checking the fuel in the tank for water. Today's fuels attract moisture and are not worth using if the fuel is over 6-8 months old. I drain my tanks each fall and use it in my snowblower.

 

[jonnymarquis]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

found the problem to the rough running was using the wrong spark plugs, the ones that the part store sold me were L76V and the ones i was supposed to be using were 77's so i guess it was running too cold of a spark. and i also changed the lower gear oil with the type c it calls for, took it out last weekend and it did better than expected. it did start to misfire when i was running at a very slow idle for awhile but then after opening it up for 5 min or so it worked it self out, don't know what that was about? anyway ty for all the help.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1972 125 hp evinrude not running right

It is normal for the engine to have a "lean sneeze" at idle when the engine is first started. Until the engine is warmed up, the fuel mixture is somewhat lean, causing an occasional sneeze. It should go away completely when warmed up. It is a good idea to hit the choke button for short bursts when the engine is still cold and that will reduce any sneezing, and maintian the idle during the first minute of startup each day.