Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

rooooney

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
155
I'm trying to troubleshoot my 9.9 4-stroke that won't start. It's dead at the dock and I'm doing my best with limited access. it cranks but won't fire up. The only thing I noticed out of the ordinary is that the primer bulb is tight and solid, even after sitting for 3 days. Any suggestions?
 

fullblown

Recruit
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
2
Re: Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

If it has set for a while and is firing then it is more than likely the pilot jet stopped up in the carb,only way to fix is pull the carb and tear apart and soak it in carb clean and blow out with air pressure,see it alot with the gas we have nowadays.
 

BatDaddy1887

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
463
Re: Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

Borrow someone else's portable gas tank and hose to see if there is any fuel delivery problems with yours.........also, squirt some gas into the carb to see if that starts the ball rolling (if you have no spray bottle maybe hold the hose up to the carb and squeeze the bulb).
 

MacDaddy21

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
280
Re: Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

that wont work unless you can hold the stopper down with a screwdriver and hold it close enough to the carb and pump the bulb all at the same time. Best bet is to do as fullblown says and disassemble the carb and soak it and rebuild it. Also, if you have a fuel pump, that will need to be disassembled, soaked, and rebuilt. The diaphragm and check valves probably need replacing. good luck.
 

rooooney

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
155
Re: Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

I guess It could never hurt to clean the carb. Do I need to buy a carb repair kit or can i just soak it? The fuel pump is brand new as of last year so I'm hoping that is not the problem. Could an old fuel filter stop gas flow enough to kill the motor? Thanks for the help guys.
 

MacDaddy21

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
280
Re: Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

I would recommend that you rebuild the carb. It is a cheap rebuild and it will be worth it. I would buy the gasket kit (4 or 5 bucks), a new float (~10 bucks), and a new needle and seat (5-9 bucks). An old fuel filter could reduce flow, or it could have an air leak (if you have one of the plastic ones). I highly recommend the Moeller fuel filter from Academy. It is 13 dollars and is glass and stainless steel with a filter inside, and you can buy replacement filters. It is excellent and will not leak and is easily cleaned. If the fuel pump is new or newly rebuilt it should be okay. Also, since nobody asked, I just want to make sure you had the vent open on your fuel tank?
 

rooooney

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
155
Re: Primer bulb hard- Engine died on the water.

I have made the gas tank vent mistake before but it is defiantly open. i just ordered a rebuild kit for $43 and a new fuel filter. Should be running by next week, I hope. I have never rebuilt a carb but their seems to be some good threads here I will defiantly check out.
 
Top