Kicker/fuel issue

[Barfly1382]

We have a new to us 2019 R23, with a 9.9 kicker motor. I ran a fuel line from the second outlet on the fuel/water separator to the kicker so that we wouldn’t have to use a remote tank. It starts and runs fine until I lower the rpm’s to put into gear, and then it dies. The primer bulb does not get hard and I’m wondering if I may have an air leak somewhere? Has anyone else set up their kicker like this? (I drilled a hole through the transom to run the fuel line and the battery cables)
Thanks
Richard

 

[Mike and Sarah]

Did the kicker come with the boat? Old fuel may have caused a passage in the carburetor to get plugged if not run for some time.
If the kicker continues to run at faster rpm but is more of an idle problem then I’d look more at the carburetor. I have a 9.9 on my fishing boat that gets regular use 4 months of the year and after 5 years I have to clean the carburetor passages as they get restricted and will not run at low speeds.
As far as the primer bulb not getting hard. I have found that you need to raise one end of the bulb higher than the other to get the bulb to harden. Seems like if I raise the other end it never gets hard.

 

[scgck]

Does it run normally with a remote tank ?

 

[scgck]

Does it run normally with a remote tank ?

 

[Barfly1382]

The previous owner used it with a remote tank. I haven’t tried that yet, but I probably should.

 

[Pandion]

We have a new to us 2019 R23, with a 9.9 kicker motor. I ran a fuel line from the second outlet on the fuel/water separator to the kicker so that we wouldn’t have to use a remote tank. It starts and runs fine until I lower the rpm’s to put into gear, and then it dies. The primer bulb does not get hard and I’m wondering if I may have an air leak somewhere? Has anyone else set up their kicker like this? (I drilled a hole through the transom to run the fuel line and the battery cables)
Thanks
Richard

You have installed your kicker fuel line the same way our factory-installed kicker is set up. Our primer bulb does not firm up the same way the bulb does on our other remote-tank outboards, but it doesn't seem to have an adverse effect on the motor.

Our experience with the Yamaha 9.9 mirrors Mike's. They are carbureted and can be finicky to get dialed-in. Ours didn't run well at idle when it was new and required some tweaking. You may just need to raise the idle speed a bit, which is relatively easy with a screwdriver. With an unknown history of usage and what type of gas that was run in it, it may be worth it to tune it and clean the carb so you know where you stand. Our kicker has only seen non-ethanol gas and we regularly use fuel stabilizer, yet we can still get a low-idle issue on occasion despite pretty consistent use throughout the year.

 

[Barfly1382]

Thanks for the help and the info. It has minimal hours on it, probably under 20, but it is 6 years old, so I’ll try some carb work and see what happens.

 

[scgck]

Before you dive into the carburetor you might try running on a remote tank with an additive like Sea Foam in the fuel.
If the engine runs fine at higher RPM run it hard for 15 or 20 minutes and then see if this effects your idle.
We have the same kicker on our 2021 R27
I always run the kicker for at least 15 minutes every time we are out and then run it out of fuel when not in use.
This seems to ensure it starts and runs well if we were to really need it.
It seems all small carbureted outboards suffer from lack of use and fuel evaporation in the float bowl when stored.
Good luck !

 

[Barfly1382]

That’s a great idea, thanks! I suspect it wasn’t used much, but I’m a salmon fisherman and plan on using it often for trolling. So id like it to be reliable.

 

[Barfly1382]

Does this engine have a fuel shut off valve? How do you run it dry? (Or do you just pull off the fuel line?)

 

[scgck]

Just remove the fuel line and wait for it to quit.