New(ish) outboard, HAS to choke

jcshores

jcshores

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Hi all,
I posted this on MOTORBOATS and was told that this may be a better place to find an answer.
I have a Suzuki DF4, 4 stroke, 4 horse on a 14 ft aluminum Crestliner, in the waters of SW Florida. The engine MIGHT have 20 - 30 hours on it. In early June I had surgery and have been laid up since. During which time I had the engine inside my garage. I did not drain the fuel or "winterize" it which has proved to be a mistake. A couple of weeks ago I got it out to knock the cobwebs off so I could get at least SOME fishing in before Fall, and here is what it is doing; It will crank (choked)fairly easy. And as it warms up I slowly push the choke in. Once it is fully warm, it will only run with about half choke and then sluggish. It will not idle with the choke all the way in or out. It is burning fresh fuel (Idrained it). I have sprayed into the carb some Carb and Choke Cleaner (SP-3C) I have for my motorcycle, it does nothing to help. Is something sticking? Did leaving it sit for 2 months gum up the float? Do I need to take the carb apart to clean it and if so, is there a DIY doc on the web I can reference?
Thanks in advance.
BTW, turns out the fishing has been bad lately anyway what with all the hurricanes! crud...LOL
 
Had exactly the same problem in similar circumstances with my 4-stroke Honda. You will probably need to clean the carb and the fuel filter - that cured my problem. No ideas re the DIY doc.
Good luck
 
If I understand you correctly you can start your engine , but it runs sluggish. To me this suggests that you have no problems with spark or with electrics. Possibly fuel or carb. Can you keep her going long enough to burn off any deposits that might have accumulated? from June until September is really not too long of a lay-up - it should really run with some preserverance. A good run out should sort it if she will co-operate that much.
 
Sounds to me like the jet is blocked. The choke delivers fuel via a different route so when you turn the choke off you cut off the fuel.
When this happened to my honda I stripped the carb and pricked out the jet. I didn't clean the contaminated tank so it blocked again and I ended up cleaning the carb twice!
 
I have the same engine and had the same problem. A motorbike friend told me it was "varnishing" in the jet...
Remove jet.... soak in vinegar overnight..... blow clean. dry thoroughly... replace.... It worked for me...
 
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I have the same engine and had the same problem. A motorbike friend told me it was "varnishing" in the jet...
Remove jet.... soak in vinegar overnight..... blow clean. dry thoroughly... replace.... It worked for me...

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How old was your engine when you did that?

I have the 2.5 and am less than impressed with starting under choke on hot days and the time it takes to warm up to the point it definitely wont stall at idle. It has been like this from new and I am not sure if I am expecting too much from such a small 4T and maybe that I am too used to starting a 2T.

OTOH the engine starts like a dream with a bit of choke and runs fine from cold if I keep a little revs on... My problem is not knowing if this is a fault or a quirk. Seeing this and other threads it seems to be a quirk, maybe we are all too used to high-tech motors in our cars now.
 
SAWDOC
Yeah, 3 months, and it was inside my garage. That's what has me completely perplexed. The engine is 2 years old and like I said, has relatively low hours.
As for burning off deposits, I have had it running (choked or not) for about an hour total in the last couple of weeks. One day I took it to the lake right down the street and buzzed up and down the shoreline (close to the ramp of course) for about 30 minutes. And it is still doing it. The reason I wanted some opinions is to find out if there is something I am missing, or can do, before I tear it open, dig?
On another note, For the last year and a half I was renting in a house that included in the lease all lawn work. just before moving to that house I had purchased a gas trimmer that I ultimately did not need for awhile. Now I have a house of my own and have to do the lawn...the trimmer is doing the SAME EXACT THING...it only runs at half choke. I must have some sort of wierd curse ! LOL
 
Suzuki 4 stroke 4hp. Bought August last year used for less than 30 hrs. I stored it for 4 months without draining fuel. I initialy thought it was fuel degradation or plug. Drained all fuel and changed plug which did not cure the problem. A friend who has had motorbikes for years said it would definately be Varnishing in the jet which is a common problem with bikes that have been unused for long periods of time. Soaked jet in vinegar as said before and it now purrs like a kitten..
 
Thank you for all of the advice. One more (kinda silly) question. It has been a LONG time since I have had to work on an engine of any type. Do I need to have some sort of carb re-build kit when I crack this thing open? Gaskets and such?
 
Hi. it's very simple on the Suzuki as the jet is exposed just by removing the outboard cover. A small flat head screwdriver is all that is needed no gaskets or spares required. The jet will discolour when soaked in vinegar overnight. The alternative if you need to use the engine soon would be to buy a new jet, I would expect it to be very cheap. It should only take a minute or less to remove/replace. The carb cleaner you have may be a better alternative to vinegar which needs to be left overnight to soften the varnishing. Good luck.
 
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I have the 2.5 and am less than impressed with starting under choke on hot days and the time it takes to warm up to the point it definitely wont stall at idle. It has been like this from new and I am not sure if I am expecting too much from such a small 4T and maybe that I am too used to starting a 2T.


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In your case the idle settings probably need tweaking. Try making the mixture a bit richer if it is adjustable. If not a small increase in idle speed make be sufficient
 
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I have the 2.5 and am less than impressed with starting under choke on hot days and the time it takes to warm up to the point it definitely wont stall at idle. It has been like this from new and I am not sure if I am expecting too much from such a small 4T and maybe that I am too used to starting a 2T.


[/ QUOTE ]

In your case the idle settings probably need tweaking. Try making the mixture a bit richer if it is adjustable. If not a small increase in idle speed make be sufficient

[/ QUOTE ]

You're probably right, it is time it had a run in a bucket anyway, I'll have a fiddle then.
 
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