And speaking of when it is working, I am wondering if anyone has had the same symptoms as I have had with my motor. I am in the middle of trying to get it to run properly. It is a 2002 Yamaha four HP four stroke. It had not been used for a coupla years prior to our buying it about three weeks ago.
At first I thought it was just tune up related. Changed the plug, no help. Then I did a carb kit and cleaned everything all up. No help either. Then yesterday when my son and I were having a good look at everything we discovered the engine is burning oil. In fact, a couple of times when the outboard was kept in the back of the van it leaked oil as well...externally.
Based on the way my Honda 2HP behaves, I'd still guess at a gooped-up carb. I needed to have mine professionally cleaned (still don't know what I was doing wrong). The oil lives in the crankcase and can leak out -- my Honda can only be stored in certain configurations, and if you leave it on the wrong side or end then the oil falls out. Giles Morris