BTW where are the pictures ? :)

My goodness, I'm in crisis mode...my boat is in ICU and all you can think of is pictures! Shame on you! :hide:

Update: I took the boat to a guy down the road who has quite a bit of experience working on outboards. He diagnosed it as have a bad fuel pump (1 of 2). Well this is great news because it is exactly what I suspected.

He is replacing both fuel pumps and I am supposed to be able to pick it up this evening. If I get it in time I'll be off to the lake for a test run. Wish me luck!! I'm ready to get back out there. I haven't put nearly enough hours on it this year.

I wanna see pics. :nut:

LMAO!!

Pictures ARE cool aren't they? No pics. He rebuilt the two pumps and showed me the one diaphragm that had a HOLE in it. He said it looked like our good buddy ethonal caused it.

Yesterday evening as I was about to put some burgers on the grill I got a phone call to meet him at the ramp for a test drive.

**WARNING - WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS SHOCKING**
I reluctantly turned the burger grilling operation over to my wife.
** TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE SHOCKING**
:oh::oh::oh::oh::oh::oh::oh::oh::oh:

From there I headed to the ramp and we dropped it in the water for a test spin. I drove it like I stole it and no hesitation, no starving for fuel, none of that. She purred above 4500. Problem solved!!!

While in the shop I had him replace the impeller, which I had already purchases for $25 (was going to do it myself) and supplied to him. He did that and replaced the o rings around the housing as well. Total out of pocket is $200 for the whole job - 2 rebuilt fuel pumps and replaced the impeller and o-rings. I was like, "is that it, $200?" I think I found my new favorite local outboard mechanic!!

p.s. wifie did a spectacular job on the burgers and I scarfed down 2 of em when I got back. Props to Mrs. Blue! :clap:

Anytime you can have anyone fix anything for $200 is a BARGAIN!.....Good job.

Thanks RW - I fully expected him to say $500.

One thing is I had pretty much already isolated the issue by running on a spare tank....the fact that I could squeeze the ball and keep it going above 4500 helped too. I wrote down all of the things I did on a note and gave it to him when I dropped it off. Not to say he wouldn't have known to look at the fuel pumps first anyway but I like to think I saved him a little bit of time. Who knows?

My dad had him do some work on his 40hp evinrude recently. Rebuilt the carbs and changed the impeller in it for $265!

Geez, I REALLY need to raise my prices. I did an annual on a YAMAHA 225HP 4 strokme a month ago for a guy for $375 which included the oil(CASTROL SYNTEC), filter, water pump kit, MERCURY racing synthetic gear lube, cleaned and inspected prop seal and shaft, decarbed it, and did all the other goodies to it as well as ran a new harness for his electric jackplate.

I payed $1200 for complete tune and work up, VST, Filters, new water pump, gear oil, oil change and filter, computer read, ect... ect...:cen:

Blue, I had a similar ethanol problem two seasons ago....same thing, ethanol fouled the diaphram in the fuel pump......238.00 pay out....not to bad. I have since changed every fuel line in the boat and use the Startron fuel additive to combat ethanol issues.