Boat motor questions/advice……..

Hi, I have a 99 Honda 30hp 4 stroke motor that I bought from a friend last year. He had it stored outside for a couple of years with gas in it. Anyway I got the boat and motor out on the water this summer and it starts up but has idle issues and bogs out if I hammer on the throttle then bogs in and out all the way across the lake.

After buying a snowmobile this winter that has sat since 03 it had very similar issues and a simple carb and jet clean did the job and it runs like new. I’m pretty sure thats the problem with the boat motor.

MY questions are how difficult is it to get to the carbs and jets in a motor like that? What would be the best way going about it and the products/process to do it? Also, how much would a marina charge me if i brought it in and told them i needed my carbs and jets cleaned, just a ball park figure?

Thanks

Sounds like a carb issue.If you did your sleds carb you can probably do your boat motor carbs.Although boat motor carbs usually require more work to get off.Sometimes not always you can just pull the jets out if you can get at them and spray them out with carb cleaner with the straw.Although it is usually better to have them off to clean out the bowls and make sure the floats arent stuck.You also have to make sure the jets are replaced to the same specs.

A friends dad and I did the carbs in the sled, I’m not very mechanical and don’t have much for experience dealing with motors and what not but i’m learning quick. Doing the carbs and jets in the sled was pretty easy but I heard doing ones in a boat motor was more complicated.

The boat is in storage right now or I’d just take a look at it quick and see how tough it will be, the carbs in the sled weren’t that bad, just a simple spray with some carb and choke cleaner and she was good to go. It sure doesn’t take much to make them not want to idle or be boggy.

What is the stuff you use to let the carbs and jets soak in for a few hours? I take it that is different then just the spray? I’d like to get down in there and get it all apart so i can soak everything and make sure its all good and clean, check the floats, ect.

If its to much of a hassle I’d just bring it in unless they are gonna charge an arm and a leg, if thats the case I’d rather try to tackle it myself.

Im guessing you are looking at about $300 in a shop.You could probably get a better deal now then in the spring seeing they are a little slower.Boat carbs arent really any different just usually more work to get off.Ive done a lot of carbs off of a lot of stuff and never soaked one and very seldom put in a kit unless I break some gaskets.I just spray all the orifices out with carb cleaner and use the straw as it creates a lot more pressure or blow them out with an air compressor.Anothe option to save money is to take them off yourself and then take them in to have them cleaned but if youve done one carb before you can probably do these.They are really pretty simple if you take your time.

Yeah I want to have this boat fully prepared for spring fishing this season, so I figure I either have to get on it myself or get it in some place soon. With the warm weather coming in the next few days I should go atleast take a peek I guess.

I’ve only cleaned a couple carbs before but its pretty easy if they are similar to the ones I’ve done, my only issue is I don’t really have a way to run the motor to see if what I do helps, especially in the winter.

Just a guess but I think they could do it in about an hour @ $95 plus parts. But then again that is just a guess. It seems when I have something done something else is also found to cause another problem…

hmmmmmmm, made it over to where the boat is stored and took a look at where the carbs are located, I’m thinking it might be a good idea to bring it in somewhere or bring it to someone that knows what they are doing lol.

UPDATE!!!

you were pretty close castaway….my total came to $379.

the guy said it was some of the worse carbs he’s ever seen lol…i also got a couple new rollers on the trailer and a new set of straps…one of my old pair broke on the way to the shop so when i would take a corner the boat would lift off the trailer on one side.

they said it took 4.75 hours to get everything all done at $70 an hour….they said it runs like a brand new motor on the hose and to run a can of seafoam through there every other tank or so.

so basically the whole cost was pretty much labor but its worth it to me…anytime i can save a headache and a bunch of running around wasting time i’m happy.

i can’t wait to hit some open water and give her the true test!!