Need help with engine not starting correctly

[jwilkey84]

I have a 1975 40 hp evinrude. Model number 40555c. I just put a new carb kit on and a water pump kit, now the motor doesnt want to start. It started before I installed the waterpump kit but it wasn't circulating water so I changed it out. Now I go to start it to see if she pumps water and it wont start. Here's what i do know:
1. there is gas getting into the carb bowl
2. fuel pump is pumping
3. lean/rich know is turned out 1 and 1/2 turns
4. I have good spark at the plugs
5. when I put a little gas into the cylinders and put the plugs back in, it will start for about a second, then dies
6. My fuel isnt making it from the bowl through the intake.
7. I need help on this one, I need to have the motor ready for a river trip by thursday, Help!
8.THANKS

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

are you sure you have gas in the bowl. sounds like float needle is miss adjusted or stuck not allowing gas to carb. you have spark, and the only thing you work on that would keep it from running is the carb.

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

I am positive there is gas in the bowl. I took out the bowl drain scres and gas poured out, I drained it completely. Then I pumped my bulb on the fuel line and took the screw out again, and once again it was full of gas. I can tell when the bowl is completely full because the ball gets to where you can't squeeze it anymore. I did notice that the new float valve doesn't look like it goes up and down quite as far as the old one, but it has to be working or gas wouldnt be getting into the bowl at all, correct? I also did have the motor running after I rebuilt the carb, but like I said it wasn't cooling properly, so I wouldn't let the motor run for more than about 20 seconds. Now it wont even start unless I put gas in the cylinders

 

[jtexas]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

are you using the choke?

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

I have tried the choke, it doesnt' seem to change anything. It doesnt even try to do anything but crank and crank and crank. I double checked the lean rich knob, it is 1 and 1/2 turns out. I am stumped. I suppose I'll take the carb off and take a look, but I hate to do that because I have to take so much stuff off to get to it. Any other ideas?

 

[larky]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

reed valves or leafs as they call them. just a quess

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

but that wouldn't make sense, since it started about two weeks ago just fine. I rebuilt the carb, because I wanted a new float. And I rebuilt the water pump because it wasn't pumping any water, three of the impellor fins were broke off and lying in the bottom. Surely it wouldn't be the reed valves, would it?

 

[jtexas]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

Is it electric choke and if so, do you hear the solenoid "click" when you activate it? Did you make sure the choke valves were closing off properly when you reinstalled the carbs?

make sure the battery is fully charged - insufficient cranking RPM's mean inadequate spark.

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

The electric choke is working, but I have tried the manual choke as well. It has adequate spark or it wouldn't start when I put fuel into the cylinder.

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

anyone else got any ideas?

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

you can pull the screw out of the bowl and the gas in the bottom of the bowl will run out. That does not mean you have the bowl full. It take more than just what is laying in the bottom of the bowl to start and run. The pickups on the carb do not lay all the way in the bottom of the bowl. I would check you float valve again.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

the ball will stop pumping when the needle valve closes. It if is closing too soon it won't fill the bowl.

 

[bgbass.1]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

you said you put a new float in did you adjust to get enough fuel?

 

[F_R]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

Take a look at the most obvious. Check the orfice plug in the bottom of the carburetor bowl. It might have sucked a piece of crud into it. If it ain't clean and unrestricted, it won't run.

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

The carb is totally clean. I didn't adjust the new float any, so I'll take it apart and look things over one more time. So, I want to adjust the float so that the needle valve isn't seated until the bowl is completely full? That makes sense, but I am not for sure how to adjust the float. I guess bending the piece of metal that it is connected to would offset the movement of the valve, so I'll try that. Hope it works

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

Alright, this may be the stupidest question of all time, but I have to ask. I was just lookin at some pictures before I tear my carb apart again, and I noticed that in two different pictures, the needle valve is installed two different ways. One has the rubber pointed tip pointing up, and the other shows the needle valve installed with the rubber pointed tip facing down. Which is the corrrect way? Mine is so the rubber pointed tip is pointing up, which is how it was when I took the old one out. Could that be my problem?

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

the rubber tip goes down into the hole. The other end should have a notch in it that a little clip hooks to. The clip goes into the notch and the attaches to the float. When the carb is upside down the float should be level with the carb base. If not there is a little tang on where the float attaches to the float valve that you bend to make the float sit level.

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

Thanks. I'll try it.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

Take a look at the most obvious. Check the orfice plug in the bottom of the carburetor bowl. It might have sucked a piece of crud into it. If it ain't clean and unrestricted, it won't run.

You need to also pay attention to what FR said here. The pickup that takes the gas from the bowl to the carb and thus the engine has very small holes in it. You need to soak it. then spray it out with carb cleaner or compressed air. It needs to be completely clean.

 

[jwilkey84]

Re: Need help with engine not starting correctly

ok, i adjusted the tang tab thing to adjust the float level. It was pretty close to level but i adjusted it a little. Something doesnt seem right to me. My needle valve onlly moves like a 16th of an inch, is that normal? I also checked the tube that takes gas from the bowl up to the carb and it is fine. Should there be more than 16th inch of play in my needle valve from seated to as far open as the float will allow it and still be level with the carb base ?