Issues with my 40

[Outkast]

Hi, have a Tracker Johnson 40hp tj40elesr having issues keeping it running at idle will run for minute or two then stall out, and at high idle will die or die after returning it back to idle. It will also take off at high idle without moving the throttle, but will return if I cut back to idle?

 

[jakedaawg]

Sounds like a bad float to me possibly. Take a fuel sample into a clear container. Report back. With engine off squeeze bulb til firm then keep squeezing gently. Does bulb continue to depress? Report back

 

[Outkast]

Now that you say that I did notice the primer bulb never realy gets hard. Could a stuck float be caused by bad gas? Last time I was at Chickahominy Lake I got a tank full of mostly water lol ever since then I've been having trouble.

 

[jakedaawg]

Time to rebuild the carbs. Bad gas does all sorts of nasty things to carbs.

 

[Silvertip]

How did you know you had mostly water and why didn't you drain it and fill with fresh water-free fuel. Water doesn't burn and it also doesn't compress very well -- and it makes an engine run really poorly.

 

[Outkast]

Because I still had about half a tank of good gas roughly 3gal. After I filled it we went for a cruise up river, and noticed the engine started to bog out. Got half way back to the cabin and she died. Wouldn't restart didn't want to fire at all. Checked the tank and it was half empty again was only running for 10-15 minutes. Got gas at another station then was running better but not as good as it used to. My Durango even ran like crap after filling there.

 

[jakedaawg]

It was probably phase seperation. Not actually water. Either way,get a couple carb kits, install them and go boating.

 

[Outkast]

Yup going to order them this week

 

[oldboat1]

Fuel is drawn from the bottom of a tank, right where water or other contaminants are. You need to get the stuff out of there.

You can use gasoline antifreeze like Heet for small amounts of moisture (alcohol mixes with water and will burn through), but it's mostly for incidental moisture from condensation. Don't be tempted to throw in a bunch of decarboning solvents to clean up your fuel system. You will likely invite more short term problems than long term improvements, and still have a water problem.

You may be able to drain your carb and tank, then run fresh fuel for the rest of the season. A carb cleaning and rebuild is preferred, but again may cause some issues for you if you do not quite know how to do it. Longer term storage is another issue, but not there yet.