Honda BF20 4stroke stalls when idle or low rpm

[azzurro]

Hello!

I'm starting the boating season but it seems I have a bad winterized outboard.
Model is Honda BF20 4 stroke year 2010 manual start. No more than 30 hours. Last summer it started on first pull and worked fine.

It is hard to start and only with choke on. When choking off, engine stalls, even after 10 minutes. Tried to choke off slowly but stalls. Even choked on after some minutes, when geared forward the engine stalls. If I open throttle it will push the boat but not smoothly, sort of pulls.
I've changed both spark plugs but same problem.
I'm afraid I'll have to get the carb cleaned... any clues before doing that?

Thanks!

[jyasaki]

Coming off a winterization, I'd suspect carb. Sounds like your idle speed is way low, so opening the choke drops rpms to the point where it dies.

Might try carb cleaner int the throat, but I kind of doubt that'll do it (certainly worth the 6 bucks [or whatever you pay over there] for a can of cleaner though.)

jky

[azzurro]

Fixed!

- Start on choke (not so easy!)
- Slowly take to wide open throttle (not so easy, it stalled several times).
- 30 seconds there and then push choke! Stay there 30 secs.
- Slowly close throttle, until you have it running on idle.

Then I get it there, ocassionally opening throttle. I tested many times it before going for a ride (warm start, cold start, idle, WOT, etc.). Now it works as it used to be.

Now I will explain why it happened (PLEASE, A HONDA GURU TO CHECK! I'm not an expert and may be wrong).
1 - Toooooo much fogging oil in the air intake
2 - "Starter enrichment" feature from Honda BF20D engines (and all of the small Honda engines with a "D").
The "choke" in these engines is not a traditional choke. Instead, it makes the fuel pump to push both air and fuel. This allows the engine to start on choke, even if the air intake is blocked: but as the main air intake is blocked, the engine "hesitates".
When on high rpm, the cylinders sucked the oil and cleaned the air intake.
3 - (And probably the main cause): my first winterizening and awakening a winterized engine.


Thanks to jyasaki, somehow he pointed to the air intake.
Although I do not need it now, I will get a carb cleaner spray. It's the worth trying it before having the engine serviced during my holidays.