ok so i finally got the motor put together and ran. Seems it had a ton of problems to be worked out. First off as you may know im running a 31hp gator -tail with a stage 1 and stage 3 heads. so i get it togther and try to idle it for 30 min or so before i dunk it in water and it will not stay running for the life of me. the idle fluctuates from 1200 about where i try to keep it set down to 700 and then up to sometimes 3500 on it's own. also, when i peg the throttle it takes about 2 seconds for it to actually start spooling up rpm's.

well i drop it in the water and when i engage the clutch it wants to kill if i dont keep the throttle up a little. soo i idle a ways and peg it and it wont get over 3400 rpm at 22mph. but it seems to fluctuate like start to take off HARD and then drop back down to the 3400. there is some backfire if that applies to anything. anyone who has any sugestions? im trying to work it out so i dont have to do a last resort trip to the boat dr.

also the mikuni carb air/ fuel setting is set two full turns from closed. and there is some minor smoke maby some unburnt fuel coming out the exhaust when i open her up

Sounds like you have the jetting pretty screwed up.

Sounds like you got your hands full, bub.

Wish I could say something to help but thats why my chit is stock and will be until I pay someone else to mod it! Just never had confidence in screwing with small engines.

Thats why Hoyt modded my motor.

So i wouldn't lose my temper.

i can rebuild the chit out of them but tweaking chaps my nuts. im thinking i may have a fuel issue. gunna change my lines and look for air leaks in the am. then check for gasket leaks, and if i havent found it by then ill go to the carb. this is the part that sucks..

ohh and by the way i just remembered my tank was full of 87 gas and my machinist said it'll only run on 93 with octaine boost so that may play a part too..

Erratic idle, no power/low rpms with load.....sounds like an air leak. Might check and make sure the intake's flanges are true and sealing against the gaskets/heads/carbadapter.

ok so i filled up some 93 w/ octaine boost. ran it this morning and did find a huge air leak. runs much smoother now. still irratic idle but now it goes to about 2200 then down to killing. when i engage the clutch during idle it wants to kill.

when it goes to wanting to kill if i punp my ball it goes back to idling good.

once back idling good, it seems to suddenly make a backfire blowing sound so i took the air filter off and when it does it a mist blows out the carb where the air filter would be.

also when i rev up the throttle response is good but it takes a good 3-4 seconds after i close the throttle for it to go back down to idle.

when it goes to die when i pump the ball it kicks it back to life, im running 5/16 fuel line, i dont think this is the problem but yall think i should go to 1/4?

the air leak was where the screw in fitting screws into the gas tank it had rattled it's way out 3/4 of the way.

while idling i adjusted the air/fuel screw all the way in and all the way out and all it changed was the idle speed not consistensy. i got it 1 1/2 from closed. i know it's a carb/ throttle issue, im starting to believe the rod that runs through that little sleeve and connects to the throttle cable isn;t shutting all the way thus keeping the idle up until it sinks to closed.

Also I think there is a misunderstanding on what people mean with air leaks;
You said you found an air leak on the gas-line, I beleive but may be wrong, that they are talking about the carb to intake and intake to head connections(flanges).

With the motor running spray some WD-40 on the areas mentioned and if the RPM's rise then you found your "leak"

ok gents i disassembled the engine today and found the leak, seems while assembling the 1st time i must have placed the right intake gasked in upside down... totally my fault. well fixed gasket and reassembled and she runs like a charm now. Idles at 900-950 all day long without killing. does have a slight miss in it and throttle response is pretty bad (when i peg the throttle it takes about a second to start reving up). But im sure my problems now are all about carb tuning, or jets..

Thanks to all that helped, mmt gods really know their shit..

yep, in a dang hurry like always! and my issues wasent tuning, i had a pushrod fall off the rocker. running much better now. ran her for a while today was getting 32 with 2 people and a light/med load on a pos prop.

What I have found in life is ..... problems are a easy fix !!!


Trouble is ..... the Dang Trouble Shootin' !!!!!!

I can't hang with the trouble shootin' ...... drives me to insanity !!

Why is it ... someone like RC comes on here and goes straight to the problem?
Thanks RC fo yore input !!!!!

x2 Mine has 20' of 5/16 from tank to filter and its not a problem.