pclark
Well-known member
I purchased a pontoon boat from my elderly neighbor a couple of years ago. The motor, a 4 stroke, i thought would be awesome but it's never ran quite right, just can't seem to get the RPM's where they should be. It runs like it has a fouled plug, very boggy. Before I put it away and winterized it last fall I changed the plugs hoping when I got it out and filled it up with a fresh tank of premium gas it would run better. No such luck, however, on our way back from dinner about a month ago we were cruising at about half speed and it just kicked in and ran perfectly, just like it should. I was encouraged to say the least. Next time out it returned to it's not normal boggy performance. I did prime the bulb on the fuel line before I went out next time and it ran perfectly until it was time to slow down or stop somewhere and it bogged down again. Checked fuel filter, the gas line is brand new, the bulb is brand new, yes, it is installed correctly. If I prime the bulb before using it runs perfectly until i stop and then it bogs down again. By running perfectly it tops out at about 5800 RPM's and by bogging down it runs at about 4200 RPM's. I talked to a local mechanic who I respect and he said it most likely the carburetors that need to be torn apart, cleaned and rebuilt (cost $600-$800, about a six hour job) I have researched forums on this particular motor and found that a lot of people with the same motor experience the same symptoms, It probably didn't help that the neighbor only used it about 4 times during the summer and it sat the rest of the time. The boat is a 820 Sylvan with onboard fuel tank in perfect condition. Any suggestions or guidance is appreciated. Thanks!
