I've been scouring the webs and have run across multiple similar posts to what I'm about to describe, but mine is a little unique.
We have a 2011 Larsen with a 4.3 TKS. This summer the first day out on the lake the motor didn't want to idle. Basically in neutral or when going slow through a channel it would die, and when it doesn't die it feels rough. Giving it throttle kept it going, so at cruising speed it runs fine. The day started fine, then it wasn't until we anchored for a bit, then started it again did we have trouble. On the way back to the ramp we heard a very audible single click noise from the engine (my wife and I both looked at each other at the same time when it happened) and it magically fixed itself. The motor instantly started running smoother at idle speed and did not die. The next weekend we went out it was fine the entire day, no issues at all. Fast forward another 3 weeks and we go out again and the same thing is happening. It dies at idle speed. Unfortunately it did not magically fix itself this time.
I have looked at the carb and every bolt, screw, throttle cable, attachment etc and nothing seems obviously loose or broken. I'm not a mechanic, so my skills are very limited when it comes to this thing. The most I've done with motors is change various filters and spark plugs and know when a starter is broken. I took the filter thing off the top of the carburetor and it looks really clean on the inside (from what I can tell without taking the thing apart). I've read similar stories about water in the gas, dirty carb, etc etc, but given that we heard a mechanical click sound that fixed the issue, its obviously something else, but I can't tell what it is. I'm feeling like something is getting stuck in a position its not supposed to be in, and then somehow it released itself when we heard the click. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Thanks for any help provided.
We have a 2011 Larsen with a 4.3 TKS. This summer the first day out on the lake the motor didn't want to idle. Basically in neutral or when going slow through a channel it would die, and when it doesn't die it feels rough. Giving it throttle kept it going, so at cruising speed it runs fine. The day started fine, then it wasn't until we anchored for a bit, then started it again did we have trouble. On the way back to the ramp we heard a very audible single click noise from the engine (my wife and I both looked at each other at the same time when it happened) and it magically fixed itself. The motor instantly started running smoother at idle speed and did not die. The next weekend we went out it was fine the entire day, no issues at all. Fast forward another 3 weeks and we go out again and the same thing is happening. It dies at idle speed. Unfortunately it did not magically fix itself this time.
I have looked at the carb and every bolt, screw, throttle cable, attachment etc and nothing seems obviously loose or broken. I'm not a mechanic, so my skills are very limited when it comes to this thing. The most I've done with motors is change various filters and spark plugs and know when a starter is broken. I took the filter thing off the top of the carburetor and it looks really clean on the inside (from what I can tell without taking the thing apart). I've read similar stories about water in the gas, dirty carb, etc etc, but given that we heard a mechanical click sound that fixed the issue, its obviously something else, but I can't tell what it is. I'm feeling like something is getting stuck in a position its not supposed to be in, and then somehow it released itself when we heard the click. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Thanks for any help provided.
Last edited: