2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

[RadarRick]

This is a kicker motor that's on a boat that I've just purchased. It has lived in salt water.

I've just done water pump kit and unplugged a blockage in cooling system (accelerator pump tube was totally blocked). Now there is very healthy stream from tell tale.

I've got it running but it won't idle down at all. I've found the initial settings for the low-speed adjustment for this motor - 1-5/8 turns from bottom. It was set at over 6 turns, so I'm guessing PO had worked on this problem too.

I've reset to 1-5/8 turns and played around with slight adjustments, but it just won't idle. As soon as it drops below certain rpm, it dies.

Could it be that the accelerator pump is still affected by the blockage? (I still haven't figured out how this pump works or what role it plays)

Is it possible that no fuel is getting to the low-speed jet?

any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[RadarRick]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

I'm trying again for some help.

If it won't idle at all, it's likely that there's little/no gas getting through at slow throttle. At higher throttle, it seems to run fine.

Perhaps there's a partial blockage in a fuel passage? In my mind, if there is a blockage, the higher suction at high throttle may pull enough fuel through to keep it running.

Whatever is happening, it looks like a carb overhaul is in order. I was hoping to avoid this as the 2 bolts attaching the carb to the intake manifold are in a very tight space and require special tools - regular box-end wrenches are too bulky to fit.

Thanks for reading this

 

[Al-53]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

rick..I don't think there is a quick fix..since you explained the accelerator pump was clogged....I think u do need to remove the carb....also you can try to use an Ignition wrench set....very thin....craftsman makes a nice set...or a tappet wrench....or buy the tool you need from OMC.....the cost of the tool is much cheaper than a hourly rate at a shop...

you need to get the junk out of there ....it may be part of the cause.....

wish I could help you more..but know nothing on the 4 strokes....


Al

 

[RadarRick]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

Thanks Al
I'll bite the bullet & get a carb kit and the wrench. I'll post results.
R

 

[RadarRick]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

It's running much better now. I didn't rebuild the carb (yet) but I did take the top plate off. I checked the larger passages that are accessible.

On the small passages (pin size) I used various sizes of fishing line to try and clear any blockages. To be honest, I couldn't tell if I was clearing any blockages. However, after reassembling, there's a big improvement in idling. I'm able to take the revs down much further before it cuts out.

When it's in neutral, the idle speed is somewhat tricky to maintain. The throttle seems very sensitive and it will stall quite easily. When in gear, it seems much more stable at low rpm.

I'm still not satisfied with the carb. It should idle smoothly in neutral. So I'll probably go ahead with the carb rebuild.

Also, there is a white plastic cylinder in the gas line - I'm assuming that it's a filter. I'll check this out & will replace it. I'm thinking that, if it is clogged with crud, this might contribute to the problem.

 

[Al-53]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

Well seeing that a little cleaning improved it..you know you are due for a good cleaning and rebuild.....get all the scale and salt out of the accellerator pump....just u playmng and cleaning more showed improvement so a good cleaning amy be the ticket...

and the white thing maybe a inline filter....used on the 4 strokes....i would replace that....just to be safe....its 9 years old....

its better to take a day and do the carb....than to have it not run right....salt can raise havoc on a motor if not flushed....

Good Luck..Post when your done rebuilding and hope it cures your problems..

Al

 

[RadarRick]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 5hp 4-stroke won't idle

I rebuilt the carb this weekend. It's now idling nicely.

There was some grunge around the needle valve - sludgy green slime. Judging from the improved idling, there were likely other issues that were resolved with cleaning.

I'm stilll going to play with the adjustments - when I raise the throttle to just above idling, the rpm's wander a bit. It seems to gradually increase rpm without me touching the throttle.

I cleaned out the water tube at the bottom of the carb (leading to the tell tale). It still had some salt deposits that I hadn't reached earlier.

In any case, I'm real happy with the improvement from cleaning & rebuilding the carb. There seems to be a lot of garbage in gasoline and it sure makes a difference to keep it clean

Thanks!