Fuel Pressure Issues

[761lofton]

Hopefully someone will recognize this problem and save spring fishing.

I have an older motor (1989 Evinrude XP150). I prime the bulb and get the motor running (runs strong). It will run for a little bit then start to sputter out. Noticed the prime bulb seems to get soft. I can keep priming it and the motor will run fine. As soon as i stop attending to the prime bulb it will start to lose prime and want to stall out.

Any ideas? I replaced the fuel line last fall. thought that was the issue as it seemed very soft from years of service. Thanks for any advice you can throw my way.

[ChampioNman]

Did you use a BRP primer bulb?

[761lofton]

Its the original bulb. I cut the bad line and spliced in a new section. Is it possible this didn't fix the original problem?

[Toolmanii]

could have been the bulb. My motor isn't a 150, it is just a 50, but happens to be a 1989 also. Mine was doing the same thing....had to pump the bulb a few times every couple minutes. It was the fuel pump. I took the pump apart and the diaphragm had two small splits in it. No idea if your 150 has a diaphragm type fuel pump or not, but might be worth checking in to.

[316jughead]

Yep, sounds like a fuel pump, but it could be the primer bulb, use only BRP parts.

[761lofton]

Issue continues. The bulb looks good no cracks; almost looks new. No leaks that I can find. took the fuel pump off today. Diaphragm looks good. Is it possible for the fuel pump to be bad even when both sides of the diaphragm looking good?

[ChampioNman]

Very possible it is almost 30 years old.

[761lofton]

Rebuilt fuel pump .Problem solved. Thanks for all the help!

[ChampioNman]