Re: 1978 johnson 9.9 stalling on top end
I'll re-post the troubleshooting step, and until you try this, you are just spinning your wheels so read and get back to us once you have done this:
To eliminate the carb, hook up an external fuel source to it, thereby bypassing the fuel pump, ansd see if that cures it. Of course, you will have to gravity feed, or pressure feed by continually squeezing the fuel bulb.
This means running a fuel line directly to the carb. Later on, if you suspect the fuel pump, or an air leak in the lines, try using a shoirt piece of clear line between the pump and carb to see if you are getting air bubbles in the line.
A very common problem is a gas cap that is not open enough to vent the tank, and faded orings on the fuel line fittings, and hard fuel lines at the fittings not sealing.