Ran the boat today. It was having idle speed issues. Got it to WOT and ran fine. When I pulled throttle back, the engine died back as if it lost fuel. The bulb stayed firm. Tried repeatedly to start, but will not do it. Just continues toturn over as if kill switch was engaged, it isn't. I checked plugs and it is getting spark. Compression is same on all cylinders. Have had carb problems in the past, butthen it would at least try to start. Curious as why it will no longer start after running so well.

did you check to maske sure it getting fuel. may have sucked something into the full line as well but if your have compression and spark on a 2 cycle last thing would be fuel. and air of course but usally on a outboard thats not an issue

Dirty carbs, I'm guessing. Low speed jets clogged. Try running some seafoam in the fuel, but you're probably going to need to clean and rebuild the carbs.

One way to find out is to put some of your premix ( gas/oil) in a spray bottle and spray a little bit in the cylinders through the spark plug hole. Reinsert the plugs and hit the starter. If it starts and dies....it's dirty carbs.

Isn't the 97-75hp a three cylinder, single one barrel carb? If it is, you may have trash under the fuel inlet needle or possible alcholo fuel has ate up your diaphram in the fuel pump or closed your fuel line. Also, you say that the primer bulb stays hard. It's not suppose to once the fuel starts to move. Then the check valves in the primer bulb dislodge and the bulb now becomes nothing more than a fat spot in the fuel line. It does not stay firm, at anytime after the carbs are primed and the engine has been cranked,so it could be a bad primer bulb.

Oldfrog- I will try to spray some fuel in the cylinders and see what happens. thanks, I didn't think of that.

Mike, I replaced the bulb last week. I also changed the diaphram in the fuel filter a few months ago. I will try and go through the fuel line more thoroughly and see if I find any blockage. And yes, it is the 3 cylinder with 1 carb.

Fuel MIX ! Gotta have the oil in it, too ! BTW, Mike is a pro. I am NOT. I'm an old ( ex) 2 stroke bike mechanic with a love of outboards.

So pay attention to what he says.

We put an Atwood primer bulb and Acholol resistant fuel line on a boat last August, today, the primer bulb is so hard that you can't squeese it. Reason for saying this, is the bulb may be bad, and the acholol could have ruined your's already.