Finally got my boat motor running after 3 months of tinkering

I've been messing with this old 1998 Evinrude outboard since May. Tried new spark plugs, cleaned the carb twice, even replaced the fuel lines. Last Thursday I finally figured out it was a tiny crack in the fuel primer bulb letting air in. Fired right up on the first pull down at the Valdez harbor. Has anyone else dealt with a problem that turned out to be something stupid simple?

2 comments

2 Comments

leo_carr131mo ago

Well, hold on now. Is a three month battle with a 25 year old Evinrude really that big of a deal? You said you tried plugs, cleaned the carb twice, and replaced lines. That's just basic maintenance on an old two stroke. A cracked primer bulb is a pretty common failure point, especially on a motor that age. I guess I'm just wondering if it was really a tiny crack or if you just overlooked something obvious because you were overthinking it. Sometimes we get so deep into a problem we don't step back and check the simple stuff first.

henrygrant1mo ago

Three months on a cracked primer bulb does seem like a lot. I bet you could've asked any old timer at the boat ramp and they'd have pointed it out in ten seconds. You sure you didn't just get tunnel vision on the carb?