'98 130 HP bad idle question

[Bandy]

Looks like a great place to get answers here, so here goes...

My 98 130 HP motor has had a problem cranking over the last year, so bad that I've used engine starter to get it going. This last weekend though it went from bad to worse. Any time I placed it in neutral to shift it would cut off. Is there an easy fix for this? Some sort of 'carb bath' or shock treatment????

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Bandy

[Ken]

Bandy,
Your carbs are likely clogged up with varnish/gum. You might try a shock treatment with Seafoam - scroll down thru the posts and find where I describe the procedure.
If the shock treatment with Seafoam does not fix the problem, try removing the needles of the jets of the carbs and squirting Berryman's Chemtool into the seats to dissolve gum/varnish.
If the above does not work, then carb removal and rebuild is in order.
Good luck,
Ken K

[Bandy]

Ken,

Thanks for the response. I've never heard of this 'Seafoam' before....where do I get it? Can you describe where these "jet needles" are and how I can get to them SAFELY?

Bandy

[Bandy]

FYI, while I was sitting here at my desk I pulled the only needles I could find (after verifying that they were one full turn short of being fully seated) and cleaned all the ports. I then pulled the bowls and found that they were nasty. I'll spray them down good this evening and pull the other carb for a full cleaning. I'm excited about possibly having an easilyp-cranked Yamaha finally.

Wish me luck and I'll let you know how things go in the morning.

Thanks for the responses.

Bandy

[Hamfisted]

Bandy pull all the brass fittings you find on the bowls. The larger fittings are the main jet, you have one in each bowl. I like Berryman's Chemtool (Walmart) for cleaning carbs. Remember, for each passage you spray into you should get a corresponding spray coming out another opening. For that year I believe the idle jet is screwed into the base of the main body, if you're not getting a good idle make sure that idle jet is cleaned out. You should be pretty happy once you get it all back together. Run some fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank to help prevent future problems. Good luck.


Mike

[Ken]

Bandy,
I purchased Seafoam locally at Advance Auto - other major auto stores should have it.
I looked up the pilot screw setting in my manual for a 2000 130 hp and it is 7/8 turn out from lightly seated - yours is probably the same.
Good luck,
Ken K

[Ken]

Bandy,
The hard starting you are experiencing may be related to choke malfunction - fairly easy to check. Remove the air breather from the front of the carbs and watch the butterfly valve when you pull on the manual choke - it should close all the way - if not, adjust the linkage to make it so. Now, engage the choke with the remote switch and observe the butterfly valve closure (this is gonna take two people unless you have really long arms) - if it does not close fully, adjust linkage.
My brand new 2000 C115 was real hard to start until I found out that the choke solenoid linkage was not closing the valve completely - the manual choke did just fine. Check both of yours.
Good luck,
Ken K

[Bandy]

Ken,

Things were much better when I put that carb back on last night....fired right up. But when I took the other carb off and cleaned it, then placed it back on the motor it struggled again. Before I pulled the needles I checked and they were 1 full turn out. Will 1/8 of a turn make that much of a difference? I will probably repull the carbs and clean them with the Berrymans Chemtool this weekend. Still, it was great to hear that motor fire up!!!!

Thanks again,

Bandy

[Ken]

Bandy,
No, that 1/8 of a turn won't make any difference, because the manual lists 7/8 plus/minus 1/4 turn.
Are you installing a carb kit, or just tearing down and cleaning? You might want to consider a kit with all the new gaskets, etc.
I would also recommend you get a Yamaha shop manual since you are obviously doing your own maintenance - it will pay for itself many times over. Go to www.yamahapubs.com for online ordering.
Ken K