# 1976 Evinrude 40 HP Model Number 40604A VERY hard to start..



## 11B3G (Jun 22, 2012)

This motor has been giving me alot of greif....Very hard to start and it like to die after running for a few moments.... Laptop battery is about to die..will check back tomorrow and give a better description of whats going on... Anyone know where to get a service manual for this thing without spending around $50 or anything at all for that matter.... Thanks everyone..


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## sixgun86 (Jun 22, 2012)

There are two topics that are pinned to the top of the Motor forum that can help you acquire a service manual. Most likely it will need carb work but other possibilities. If you've got a good spark check it doesn't necessarily rule out your ignition system but pull your fuel line from the pump and check to see the carb is getting fuel. Will it stay alive if you keep pumping the bulb?


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## 11B3G (Jun 22, 2012)

Well....when it finally starts running, it will run for a bit then die all of sudden. Not enough time to pump the fuel...once it dies, it wont start back for quite a while. Also have to spray starter fluid in it almost every time. The other thing is as we are running.across the water it seems like the boat stalls randomly..I push the level on my console for the prop forward and keep my hand on it and that seems to resolve the stalling issue....sorry if thus is random..the site isn't working too great on my phone at the moment..


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## Pappy (Jun 24, 2012)

Is this a "new to you" engine?
If so, plan on doing a complete ignition and carb rebuild on it. After that you can also expect to install a complete new water pump or at the least a new impeller. Check the gearcase and you find water in it at which point you may need to reseal the gearcase. 
Bringing the older engines back into service properly will take time and some money. 
Do not use starting fluid to start one. Starting fluid has zero lubricant added to it and can damage the engine. Use a squirt bottle of gas and oil mix. 
Second, if the engine has to have starting fluid then you may as well stop now as there are probable carb issues you need to address. Get to work!


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## 11B3G (Jun 24, 2012)

Thanks pappy......Yes, its a new to me motor...this is my first boat so I'm a little lost in the sauce...Looking for a local small engine repairer today.


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## 11B3G (Jun 24, 2012)

What should the fuel/oil mixture be?? Any recommendations on what oil types to use? I am a virgin boater...couldn't find the proper mixture online anywhere ...Thanks!!


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## nomowork (Jun 24, 2012)

I had a 48 Special Johnson which I think shares just about the same mechanical components as yours. The gas/oil ratio is probably 50 to 1. I had a hard start condition once and it only started when spraying gas/oil into those tiny air holes in the air box. Even then it varied in performance and would die while running.

Over a period of time of trouble shooting and running, things I found that caused my motor problems was a pinched rubber fuel line just under the bottom carb that fed the log manifold from the fuel pump. I also found that the float levels in both carbs were way off.

Good luck.


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## Pappy (Jun 25, 2012)

You get what you pay for in oil......period. I use nothing but manufacturers oil. All oils start out with the same base stocks but the manufacturers go way beyond the minimums required to obtain a simple TCW3 endorsement. The additive packages and bright stocks are very expensive to add into the oil. Only oil I will not use is Yamalube. Your ratio is 50:1. I always use more than necessary.


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## 11B3G (Jun 25, 2012)

Very good to know... I've never owned a two-stoke anything, nor a boat until ths point... I just want to get the engine running good... then eventually move into the awesome things I'm seeing on this website ( the decks w/ livewells/coolers and so on... I do a lot of fishing around the Wabash and White Rivers in southwest Indiana..as well as the bigger lake that we have...just wanted something versatile...not real happy with the width of the boat (beam??)..but it's a great starter. Thanks for the info..


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## 11B3G (Jun 26, 2012)

OK.... So I mixed some new fuel in a little one gallon container..drained the old fuel from the motor.. removed the carb and cleaned it.. put it all back together and ran the new fuel through it...I am able to get it started after 3 pulls the first time I start it and then in 1 to 2 pulls there after... It's running but it seems like it is flooding out a lot.... I went through 1/3 of a gallon, and I only had it running 30-40 seconds at a time, and I had only started it maybe 4 times...It is spitting fuel out the front end of the carb then dying... I checked the float in the bowl and its not sticking so...my question:

Could it be the low speed adjusting needle on the top of the carb? Some models came with a high speed needle located at the bottom of the bowl but this model does not have that...btw, this is a pull start model.

I feel as if I have made slight progress towards getting it running..just not sure how to restrict the fuel to the point where its not pouring out the front end of the carb..any suggestions? Thank you guys!!


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## 11B3G (Jun 26, 2012)

Well...upon closer inspection I have discovered that there are packing washers and such missing from the low speed needle..and the lower end in the bowl there is supposed to be a high speed needle that threads into the high speed nozzle that runs vertically through the carb down into the bowl...not sure how the guy managed to keep the boat running with so many parts missing in the carb but he did... I found a website that sells a completely built carb ready for install but it says call for pricing.... To me that means it cost a boat load (pun?) so I guess I will be renting a bass boat or pontoon from the lake for this fishing trip.... Curious as to if that engine is worth spending $400 on to put on a new carb or rebuilding it...


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## Pappy (Jun 26, 2012)

At this point you have "cleaned" the carb but I am guessing did not put a kit in it?
Why is that?
Second. There is no vertically adjusted high speed needle in that carburetor. 
By 1976 there was a fixed high speed jet. There is a vertical high speed nozzle but is not adjustable in any way. No needle threads into it at all. 
The only vertical needle in that carburetor is the needle from the needle and seat assy.


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## 11B3G (Jun 27, 2012)

I did a very detailed cleaning of the carb..wasn't hardly dirty at all... I did not put a kit in it at the moment because I have yet to be able to locate the correct kit... I was under the impression the high speed nozzle that runs from the carb body down into the bowl had a control needle because when I looked over the manual it showed it in the schematic for the carb. Once I determine the correct rebuild kit I will be ordering one.... unfortunately, due to my job in the military, there is no a whole lot of time to mess around with the boat until I take my fishing trip...My brother is coming up this Friday to look at it. I do have a decent working knowledge of fuel systems and engine repair..just not with 2 strokes really, and trying to figure out how to dial in the carburetor is becoming a bit of a challenge as well.. Thank you for all the suggestions, I am open to any and all.


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## Andrew04 (Jun 28, 2012)

Carb kit will inlude the packing material that you need to secure the fuel leak, as well as the gaskets to put it all together again.


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## Pappy (Jun 28, 2012)

No need for a new carburetor. 
An OEM kit includes a new float, needle & seat assy., packings, gaskets, nozzle well seal, bowl gasket and various other parts. 
All parts are alcohol fuel resistant except for the coating on the cork float. That is about the only kit left in the line-up that still utilizes a cork float for some reason.
"Will fit" parts only include part of what is really needed.
Almost any BRP dealer should have the kit in stock.


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## 11B3G (Jun 29, 2012)

I am going to look into the getting the kit... Will I need anything other than the model number of the engine...or will I need the model number of the carburetor as well?


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## Pappy (Jun 29, 2012)

You will need the engine model number. There were several suggestions for things that need to be looked at and attended to in my first post............not just the carb.


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## 11B3G (Jul 6, 2012)

I will be doing a full run through on all the things you mentioned... The packings, and washers shown in the diagrams were definitely missing. It has brand new coils and spark plugs... I'll open up the gear case and check the impeller this weekend. Just got back from our fishing trip about an hour ago.. Had a great time..didn't get to do as much fishing as I would have liked to do but we had my two boys (6 and 3 1/2 years old) and my brother and his 4 yr old daughter. Thanks again.


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## 11B3G (Jul 6, 2012)

Haven't found the carb kit yet though... The model number is a 40604A there is another set of numbers, but after doing research I have found that the aforementioned is the actual model number..not sure what the others listed below are.


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## 11B3G (Jul 6, 2012)

Found the model number on the carb.... 379486....... I have been told the rebuild kit (part # 0439075) is the best one to go with.. Any opinions on that?


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## 11B3G (Jul 6, 2012)

11B3G said:


> I will be doing a full run through on all the things you mentioned... The packings, and washers shown in the diagrams were definitely missing. It has brand new coils and spark plugs... I'll open up the gear case and check the impeller this weekend. Just got back from our fishing trip about an hour ago.. Had a great time..didn't get to do as much fishing as I would have liked to do but we had my two boys (6 and 3 1/2 years old) and my brother and his 4 yr old daughter. Thanks again.




What type of damage/wear should I look for?...besides cracks and completely broken...


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