Carburetor Kit 4 pcs/1 Set For Mercury 60hp 4 Stroke
RICK: I have seen a lot of people having carb problems on the Internet. It seems to be a real problem with these engines. I think the reason is that they have small orifices in the carbs that seem to get clogged. The mechanics I have talked to have cited the same thing. I have heard of ten satisfied owners for every one who has had a problem though.
It would be nice if we could find a way to prevent this. One thing I have read is to pump the throttle rapidly before starting. I guess this forces air into the carburetor and helps to clear out the orifices.
Another thing is to use the full fuel tank if possible. I have also read that using a lower octane gas can help. Is that true? I run 87 usually. I have noticed that if I use the cheap gas I get more of a problem than with the 91 octane.
I have also heard that it is good to use a gas with detergents in the fuel tank. I have not tried that. Maybe it will help a little too. I also have seen that the rubber fuel line can degrade if it is not replaced. This is especially true if you live in California. I am amazed that the rubber can degrade in such a short time. I wonder if the California gasoline has some chemical in it that is hostile to rubber.
I am trying to decide what to do now. I am thinking about buying a new carburetor kit and trying it out to see if it will solve the problem. I have found some places to re-build the carbs and it sounds like a fairly easy job to do. I would rather do it myself than pay a shop to do it for me. If I don't have any luck then I am going to look at replacing the whole carburetor.