Re: 1976 evinrude 85 hp how do i tune my engine?? whats the setup?
reattach the emergency lanyard & try again.
Just bought the motor & it's never run good, or it was running fine and now it won't start? Symptoms leading up to the no-start condition?
Compression, spark, fuel, if she gets all three she starts. If she don't, she don't.
What's the compression?
Levi's described a good spark check procedure -- if you got spark on all 4, you can test for spark quality with an inline tester (couple bucks at car parts store), set the gap for 7/16", clip it to the engine block, attach the plug leads (one at a time) and look for a strong blue spark while cranking. If it can't jump a half-inch gap in the open air without a spark plug, it's not firing in the hole under heat & compression.
If compression & spark check out ok, plugs in good condition correctly gapped, fuel line holding pressure, fuel quality is good, then a carb rebuild is usually the next step.
What all have you done? Unless you've had the flywheel off, timing is pretty much going to be ok.
[btw, never seen spark plugs compared to "toasted marshmallow", but I like it, it's perfect]