I am having a problem with my fuel line losing pressure or prime when I stop to fish for only a few minutes. If I get it pumped up and running it works fine until I stop and shut the motor off for a short time. I then have to repump the bulb and choke the engine to start. This really gets to be a pain. The motor is an 1986 Evinrude, 60hp. It was VRO but an outboard mechanic disconnected it and plugged it off and now I mix my oil. I have checked all attachments up to the motor (on each side of bulb and each side of glass filter and at the motor connection). I can leave the fuel line unattached and the bulb will stay firm even after sitting a while, I can attach it to the motor, pump it a few time and it will be firm, after it sits a while you can see air space in the glass fuel line. I am guessing it is something in the motor. Any suggestions before I take it to the shop and be without it for a month!

Whoa, don't take in in the shop yet. Get you a new fuel line, including the bulb. Those lines and bulbs can develop small pinholes in them. When you are running, the motor pulling the fuel helps keep the bulb tight. When you stop, there is no pressure on the fuel line and bulb. If you have a small leak in the line or bulb, this problem can occur.

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Gig 'Em, Aggie class of '94.

I forgot to mention earlier that I have taken the cover off the motor and I can see no visable signs of any leakage inside the motor when I pump the bulb. As far as replacing the the fuel line, I did that in September and as I mentioned, when it is not hooked up to the motor, it stays firm quite a while. I hope that it is something simple like the fuel line. They are pretty cheap and I might as well start there. Any other suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks for the response.

Could be an air leak at the connector or some place in between it and the carb. You pump it and fuel presure seats the gasket but when it sets the presure relaxes and allows air to leak in. Combine this with the idea that I havn't seen a GOOD primer bulb in years. The check valve will leak and not do its job. When you disconect it and pump it up the check valve in the connector seals the system and it stays pumped up. Last on the list of posibilities would be a pin hole in the diaphram of the fuel pump allowing a poorly working check valve in the bulb to leake gas back. In any event the first thing I would do is take a good look at the o ring in the connector with a magnifieing glass.

I went and got a complete new fuel line including connector. I replaced this and checked the fuel line connection at the motor connection. I feel like that up to that point we are in good shape but it still loses pressure. We took it to the local lake about 7:30 pm and just got back and it is still doing the same thing. In fact, it lost pressure while idling waiting on me to back the trailer in while my son was in the boat. I think it is between the connection and the carb. I have never been into one of these. Does anyone know if it is something the average person can work on??

Depends on how mechanically inclined you are. This kind of leads me back to the fuel pump perhaps having a pin hole in the diaphram or (If so equiped) your carbs leaking down. If the fuel pump is healthy the carbs should have enough fuel in them to allow the fuel pump to draw gas when it starts up. The whole idea of the bulb is to fill the carbs with gas after they have been drained.Check around the drain plug on them to be sure they arn't leaking. You can buy a rebuild kit for the pump for around $20.00. Or a new pump.
Let me add one thing more. Check and or replace the fuel lines from the connector to the fuel pump and from the pump to the carbs.

[This message has been edited by stripermagic (edited 06-13-2002).]

Thanks for the help. I feel I am fairly mechanically inclined, just never have tore into an outboard. Question? Is the VRO pump and the fuel pump one in the same?
As mentioned in the original post, the VRO for the oil has been bypassed. Is there a seperate pump for the fuel? The carbs were rebuilt in August after sitting up for several years. The boat has run fine until the last couple of trips. Thanks for the help.

[This message has been edited by lonestar (edited 06-14-2002).]

I'll bet if you replace the fuel line and the bulb, this will fix your problem. Bulbs go bad over time. I would try this first before tearing into the engine. Be sure to use good hose clamps.

Thanks for the reply. I have already replaced everything from the tank to the motor, including the bulb and this did not fix the problem.

I have the same setup.. a 60 Evinrude w/ the VRO bypassed. It doesn't have any idleing problems, but is very cold blooded. It requires a lot of choke and warm-up before idling well. I was told by a outboard mech..if I understood him right..that the reason the oil pumps were abandoned by people on this motor was because of diaphram leaks between the oil and fuel side of the pump leading to not enough oil and seizure. This seems to indicate that the fuel pump is common with the oil pump. I don't know much more about the mechanics of the pump. I will watch this string to see what you find as I may be in for the same problem eventually. Thanks..........

Spent a while today checking out all the fuel lines from the motor connection to the carbs. Found two that were dripping slightly and took them apart and trimmed the ends and reattached. Kept the fuel line pumped up for several hours. Took boat to the lake and ran a liltle while and it started all over again, losing pressure on the line. Got home, went back in the engine, found one of the carbs pouring out gas when I pumped the bulb. Took this carb off and went in to it and found a small piece of trash between the needle and seat on the float. Cleaned it and put everything back together and the bulb has stayed firm for a while. Going out in the morning, hope st stays that way. I'll let you know. Thanks for the help folks!

I would like to enter my 2 cents in here. First of all the VRO system on your boat is the best system out there for a carbed engine. The VRO is the fuel pump and oil pump. You can disconnect the oil side if you wish but I would not recommend it. If your pressure is leaking down you best be looking into the VRO pump. If it has a hole in the diaphram it will leak fuel back into the motor casing, not out where you can see it. How old is your motor? Has the VRO ever been changed? Did you ask for the VRO to be disconnected? If your mechanic suggested it, find a new one. If you have checked all the hoses and replaced the hose and bulb, you need to check the VRO. Micheal

Michael,
The boat is a 1986 that I have owned since 1988. It has always ran well but I let it set up for about five years and didn't even start it. I reworked the boat and then took it to the shop for motor service last August and had all the standard stuff done to one that had been sitting up. Yes the mechanic suggested disabling the VRO. It ran well the few times I had it out in the fall and winter. This spring it started being hard to start after I stopped to fish a while and it has gradually gotten worse. I find I must pump the bulb each time I stop and restart. Another thing it is doing is acting like it having problem getting fuel and it will take 30 seconds or more to get up on plane. I thought I found the problem with the dripping hoses but I took it out and same problem. While it is running the fuel bulb will go soft and if idling, it may die. I'm thinking VRO pump now. I bought a service manual that covers this engine and it says the VRO is not servicable and must be replaced. Does anyone know for a fact and about how much does one of these beauties cost?
Thanks for the good advice, keep it coming!!
Randy


[This message has been edited by lonestar (edited 06-17-2002).]

Lonestar, The manual is right. The VRO is not servicable. It must be replaced. The new ones are very reliable. If you change it, hook your oil system back up. The other way of doing it if you don't want to hook the oil up is to put the old style fuel pump on. You will have to get a tech to do that for you. The cost of the VRO will be about $175.00 plus labor. The old style pump will be about$60.00 plus parts. My suggestion is go back to origianl config. Micheal

lonestar, you've got mail!