rough idle.....

i have a 1980 johnson 25 hp, is there another way to adjust the idle besides the low speed adjustment knob(lean/rich)? i put a carb kit in it and i cant get it to idle without a sputter about every 5 seconds or so. it doesent die but its not completeley smooth like it was before the kit was installed. and on a side note i want all of you to know i will give my right arm and half of the left one if anyone can tell me where to find a gearcase housing/skeg without having to buy the lower unit new or used, or a shot lower unit that i can take it off of. ive been trying to find one for a year and have searched everywhere under the sun with no luck.

First off, adjustments should only be made with the engine in the water at the static height the engine will normally see. If you are adjusting on land on a hose or in a bucket you are pretty much wasting your time. Second, the float height can have a definite effect on your rich/lean adjustments. A Low float level will take your adjustment range to the lean side and vice versa for a high float level setting. Check yours and raise it if needed. Third, depending on how well you cleaned your carb and each individual passageway there could still be debris partially blocking your fuel side of the idle circuit. Improper spark plugs can degrade your idle as well. This family of engines was designed using Champion Spark plugs from the design stage throughout testing and into production.

very informative and detailed response,thank you very much!!! i will post my results when i get it figured out....thanks again.