So 2 weeks ago i picked up my first mud motor and duck boat. Its a 1998 Go Devil 27 hp long tail on a 16/52 with muffler upgrade that brings it to about 30 hp. I took it out last week and had problems keeping the engine running wide open while under load. I figured out that the primer ball wasn't staying hard so I gave it a few squeezes and then she was purrin. But then I could feel and hear it cuttin out and felt the ball wasn't staying hard so I kept squeezing it while I was puttin back in to the boat launch. My friends figured it was the air filter so I replaced it and took it out today. It started right up and i let it warm up. My friend and I went out about 2 miles. I had it wide open for a few minutes till I slowed down to make a turn and head back up the river, it started to cut out again and the ball wasn't stayin hard again. I checked the gas tank hose connection and tightened it and checked the valve on the tank and they seemed fine. Sooo any suggestions? BTW, Yeah I'm a yankee so that means there's NO dealerships round here that service Go Devils or any mud motors for that mattter with the exception of New England Mud Motors which only does surface drives. But the Place that services my Exmark can prolly do engine work cause its a kohler. Any and all info greatly appreciated!

I had a similair problem on my old longtail, and ended up buying a fuel pump from napa and wiring it into the ignition. Things to check are -

-Any connections that could be sucking air. You want to get rid of any quick-connects and put hard connections on everything, quick connects will leak.

-Is it trying to pull all the way from the front of the boat? For a weak fuel pump, that's a long pull.

-Check for cracks in the line and primer ball, and make sure the vent on your tank is clear.

I would do all of this before I started throwing parts at the motor.

X2 on what he said----visually inspect every big of fuel line. If you got the cash replace it.
I personally run a facet 1.5-3.0 psi epump!! No fuel bulb worries

Change the primer bulb, that's what it was on my outboard a few years back. I thought it was the fuel pump also so I rebuilt the pump and it still didn't work.
Changed the bulb and she ran like a champ. It was doing the same thing your motor is doing. Give it a try.

Do you have a clear inline fuel filter? If so, you can look for air bubbles which indicate an air leak. If not, it would probably be a good idea to get one if you're not already running a fuel/water separator.

Thanks Im going to check everything as soon as have the time and $$.

no problem. agree with above. no need for expensive repairs at this point.

Agree with above but you don't need a Go Devil Repair Shop. You have an air leak somewhere in the fuel delivery system is a good bet. Any small engine repair shop that handles lawnmower engines can help you. My guess is you have Kohler 27 Hp so look around your area for a certified repair mechanic if you can't get it figured out. Duckdon

Probably also wouldn't hurt to check the screen filter on the fuel pickup inside the tank. If it had old gas sitting in it, it might have gummed up the screen so that it can't suck up fuel easily.