Last weekend on our campout, the kicker motor on the boat was running rough.It was hard to start, and chugged along - it wouldn't speed up when we hit the throttle - it just chugged at the same low RPMs.
Its a newer Merc 9.9 motor, so we suspected either bad gas, a fuel filter, or a dirty carburator.
The carb came off really easy - just two long bolts holding most of the assembly together.A pretty small, efficient piece of equipment.
Four more screws and it was apart. The carb looked pretty clean, but there are so many small ports and nozzles to it that it could have been gunked up.We blasted off the carb with cleaner, and let it sit.
We also took a moment to replace the fuel filter. It was easy, and only about $6.
After going through the carb then reassembling it, we were ready for a test run.These smaller jobs are fun with the boys - they are eager to learn more about motors, and the 2nd or 3rd set of hands is a real help.
It is great when everything goes back together, too. No left over hardware, either!The motor ran STRONG! It really made a huge difference - alot more power than we ever remember.
I think it was the fuel filter, but its hard to say.
