Way2slow, are you out there?

[Short timer]

Please forgive my ignorance about this, I am fairly intelligent on a number of subjects but this.  About a year ago I bought a 97 ranger r72 with a 115hp Evinrude Intruder that had very low hours on it.  I ran great during the last summer and I thought, due to medical issues, that it would be my last summer to actually use it.  Last November when I winterized it, including fogging the cylinders, I filled it full with alcohol free gas and the appropriate amount of fuel stabilizers. I am starting to get it ready for my last huraah, and noticed the lower unit from the cowl on down is covered with I believe to be fuel and oil.  We have had numerous days of 95 degree weather.  Any idea what is happening? Thank you for your help!

[Short timer]

If anyone has words of wisdom, I would be very thankful, I am sure there are other folks on here with the know how on Evinrude motors.  

[Ski213]

To be clear I have no real wisdom on your engine. I own a same year Johnson 225. That’s the full extent of my wisdom. Pretty much everything I know about it is courtesy of way2slow and his willingness to help on here. That said, my thoughts are if you have the plastic carbs it could potentially be that your carb bodies and/or bowls are warped and leaking. Could also be just a leaky connection in the fuel system somewhere. For a few years I had the leakage. Mine was warped carb bodies. No performance issues that I could tell. Evidently it can get to a point where you’re sucking air and there are performance issues with that but mine was mostly just an issue with everything below the side covers getting covered in 2stroke mix. I resurfaced the carb bodies and bowls and so far no more fuel everywhere.  Hopefully @Way2slow will jump on this and help you sort it out.
 

I hope you have a lot of hurrahs left. I’d probably clean it up and run it

if it seems to run alright. 

[Short timer]

Thanks for the reply Ski213, I will look and see if anything jumps out at me, I appreciate you taking the time to reply!

[Way2slow]

Welcome to the sight.  I will try to help but first if you can pop the cover off and make a good look and see if you see anything obvious it would help.  The next thing I would while the cover is off and to start pumping the primer bulb and see if any gas starts coming out anywhere and see if the primer bulb gets firm.

 

What you may have had was gas being pushed out by the tank if it was full, but before trying to run it, you need to make sure there are no obvious leaks.   

 

If you can pump the primer bulb, it gets firm and you don't see any gas coming from anywhere, then you might want to try running it on the muffs or in a tank with the cover off and see if everything is still free of any gas leaks.  

 

Don't try to start it with the cover on it until you have done all this.  If it does have a leak and the cover is on it to confine the fumes, you might make a nice grenade.

[Short timer]

 Thank you, I will do exactly what you say and see what happens, thanks for taking the time to help!

[Short timer]

Keith, again you were exactly right.  I followed your steps and when I got ready to start it, it started on the first click!  You are amazing!  Please PM your mailing address, I would love to buy you lunch!

Dave

[Way2slow]

No need for that, I really don't mind trying to help when I can.  Just my nature.  Sometime I wish it wasn't, like for the past four days.  

A good friend of my wife and the lady we bought our house from twenty years ago has been going through some hard time.  She's driving a 2006 Kia Sorento and took it to the shop.  They quoted her $4,600 dollars to do all what they said needed to be done.  I told my wife to tell her to bring by and let me look at it before some shop ripped her off.  Got most of the parts in this morning from RockAuto and spent all day and probably all day tomorrow installing them.  I had just spent the past three days tearing it down getting ready for the new parts.  AC compressor, and kit plus condenser. New alternator, Timing belt kit with water pump and new timing covers to replace the ones falling apart on it.  Valve cover and lower intake gaskets.  Spark plugs and two universal joints.  Front brake rotors and pads, and picked up locally the oil and filter to change the oil and a couple of gallons for trans fluid to service the transmission.  

I have spent $1,100 on parts but I'm doing a whole lot more than the shop quoted her for $4,600.  So, according to that shops quote, she's getting about $6,000 worth of work for $1,100.

 

[Shimano_1]

Sounds like you're the kind of friend we all need a few more of! Good for you for helping her out like that, sucks....but not as bad as the borderline criminal way these dealers try to do people!  I'm sure you saved her a ton of stress to go along with the money. 

[Short timer]

I am sure all of you folks realize what a treasure we have here on this site.  Keith saved me a bunch of dollars that I don't have.  Cancer sucks the life of not only yourself, but financially as well.  Keith, you a national treasure!!