Tuning High Speed / Low Speed needles 1989 48 Evinrude VE48ESLCER

[puffer fish]

OK my motor is running great now, except it wants to stall out in neutral sometimes.

Its a 2 carb system , 1 above the other..... both are set at 2.75 turns ...

I believe my needles are wrong , just compared based off other setting of other motors lower amount of turns but this is assumption

1. Which 1 is for idle? Is upper unit high speed / lower is low speed ???

2. I assume I need to tighten it down to like 1/2 turn and then back it out to find what feels best? If anyone knows the correct starting point for me i appreciate it,

3. Also my friend was showing me some flathead screw nowhere near the carb saying i need to tighten down that is the idle adjustment screw.... I am still learning but that feels incorrect


Thanks everyone for your help.

1989 48 Evinrude VE48ESLCER

 

[racerone]

Wrong.-----Each carburetor feeds one cylinder.-----The high speed jet is fixed and found inside the carburetor bowl.---Not adjustablle.----The needle you see is for the idle mixture.----Your friend was showing you the idle stop screw that you use to control timing in order to regulate slow speed.-----Maybe your idle speed needs to be bumped up by 50 RPM

 

[Joe Reeves]

As "racerone" indicated the adjustable needle valves on the carburetors are slow speed fuel/air mixture needle valves To adjust, seat them gently, then back them out to an initial setting of where you've been running the engine, in your case 2-3/4 turns which I think is too much but you can use it as a starting point.

(Top Carburetor First)
Start engine and set the rpms to where it just stays running. In segments of 1/8 turns, start to turn the S/S needle valve in. Wait a few seconds for the engine to respond. As you turn the valve in, the rpms will increase. Lower the rpms again to where the engine will just stay running.

Eventually you'll hit the point where the engine wants to die out or it will spit back (sounds like a mild backfire). At that point, back out the valve 1/4 turn. Within that 1/4 turn, you'll find the smoothest slow speed setting.

(Now, the Bottom Carburetor - Repeat the above process)

When you have finished the above adjustment, you will have no reason to move them again unless the carburetor fouls/gums up from sitting, in which case you would be required to remove, clean, and rebuild the carburetor anyway.

NOTE: That flat head screw you mentioned... If it is pressed up against some housing, flange, something immovable... that would be the idle stop... a setting that makes it impossible for the idle to drop lower on its own. To adjust the idle stop screw, back it away from whatever it's hitting momentarily.

Now, locate the adjustable threaded trunion on the throttle cable... the cable that leads from the control box to the engine. At the engine, the threaded trunion is clamped in a "U" shaped space. Loosen the clamp so that you can turn the trunion to set the idle where you want it.

When the idle is where you want it (tighten the clamp screw)... Screw in that flat headed screw (idle stop screw) just to where it seats which will keep it from dropping any further. That should do it.

Let us know how you make out.

 

[puffer fish]

Racer and Joe, Thanks for your time and knowledge!

Here are some pics to confirm what I discussed so you can tell me if this is the correct screw... also it looks like there is not much more room to screw it down

The brass fittings are the needles i plan to adjust

Thanks again!

 

[Joe Reeves]

The second picture, the one with a lock-nut on the screw.... I can't see the other end but I assume it is the idle stop screw as it appears to be screwed into the vertical throttle arm. The thing is... if you tried to adjust that "before" adjusting the idle trunion on the throttle cable as I instructed, you would most likely put pressure on the throttle cable that would affect the control box... always one thing leading to another!... So loosen that nut and back the screw away from what it's touching... count the turns out, lock it there, mark the turns out down, just in case.

 

[juno pierrat]

search this on Youtube " [h=1]Linkage Adjustments: 1989 and Newer 40, 48, 50 HP Johnson / Evinrude" on brandons garage maybe helpful[/h]

 

[puffer fish]

Thanks you guys so much! Between wife, 2 kids and work its hard to sit with my engine alone and teach myself how it actually works. I have been taking the boat out and dealing w the poor performance and stalls.

I printed out your great explanation Joe reeves and I watched that video Juno recommended.

Home on vacation so the kids were at school so I could focus ... lol

Idle running f-ing perfect! WOT running great!

Saved the needles for 2nd, and since its running great, decided not to adjust them yet.

Thanks so much for your help I could not have done this without you guys !!!!!

Joe you made this very easy for me I owe you 1

( A local mechanic said 3 hours x $90 to adjust this for me lol... on an engine worth like $400-700 )