'87 Mariner 115hp questions

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Ser #OA976142.
Backstory, I just acquired this engine, according to the po - it ran as it should - when he parked it 15+ years ago.
I got it home, it fired up. Had fuel coming out the front of some of the carbs. The good news is, it ran.
I've since replaced the following parts ,
-water pump kit
- fuel pump kit
- 3 carb kits (for the 3 carbs)
- spark plugs (6 cyl)
When I replaced the spark plugs, the old ones had caulk/ sealant around them.
Got it back together last night, fired it up. When the fuel primer bulb got firm, fuel came out of bottom carb. Then stopped.
After running, I trimmed it up, fuel came out of some of the carbs.
What do I have set wrong?

Remember the part about sealant around the original plugs? Had either water or fuel dripping out of the top spark plug. I didn't notice this until after shutdown.
What does this mean? I couldn't tell which, as I had fuel on me.

[JOE54]

sounds like float level too high or trash in inlet ,should be no fuel on back of engine around plugs water jacket covers bad about leaking there though

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If it was water dripping from spark plug (bad jacket cover?), What does that mean? Fixable? Replacement part? Sell the engine for parts?

[JOE54]

very fixable have done many usually just a gasket and lots a scraping

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Thank you very much.

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Is there anything else you'd recommend to change, when doing this?
The bolts by cylinders #5, and especially #6, look like they'll be a real PITA ! Does this look like the correct part? https://www.marineengine.com/newpart...MER27-72142++1

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https://www.marineengine.com/parts/m...7115726/278_15

End cap\ manifold\ exhaust cover diagram.

[JOE54]

#22 is gasket for back of block that seals around spark plugs/ you have to remove all of the brackets that are attached to lower cowl so it will drop down

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water jacket 1.jpg

water jacket 2.jpg

water jacket 3.jpg

Joe54 - Thank you very much!
I got it apart this morning, the above pictures show what i found. Gonna get gasket (#22) ordered. Anything else, while I'm at this stage?
When i re-assemble, anything to know? What did they do, that let the gasket deform around the spark plug holes?
Is it just the gasket? Not sealant, like someone else put on it?
As for the one of the carbs letting fuel by, I looked in the book (should have paid attention the first time), i missed the step about setting the primary and secondary lever tolerances. In this process, some nasty looking fuel came out. Brown color. Could this be because of the water jacket gasket issue?

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Could the discolored fuel be from the engine sitting for 15 years? And it needs to run ?

[JOE54]

gasket likely just dried and deteriated over time , fuel problem is diff not caused by gasket

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I was afraid of that. What would the culprits be?

[JOE54]

old gas in line or tank/s clean it out

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Just replaced the fuel lines, all of them I could find. I'll check the tank. I'm hoping it's that. And not a cracked block, or bad seal.

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When you said "lots of scraping", you weren't lying! Holy crap !!
What's your secret tool for this? Other than time and elbow grease.

[JOE54]

paint stripper aerosol

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Aahhh, that would've been easier.

For the fuel - I had bad fuel. I unhooked the line, pumped into a bucket, brown. Thankfully that's what the problem was.

As for the carb rebuilds - I pulled them back off, adjusted all of them. Both the primary and secondary levers. Put them back on, bottom carb still has fuel dripping from it, when I squeezed the primer bulb. I pulled the top off the bottom carb again, measured, all good. What am I missing?

[JOE54]

maybe priming bulb too hard remember your pushing against small spring on float , could be lil trash , did you use oem needle and seats ???

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I could've squeezed to hard. Yes to oem needle and seats.

[JOE54]