89 Evinrude 8hp help

Through an internet search I've found my "new" boat has a 1989 Evinrude 8hp outboard. We are having a little trouble getting it to run smoothly. It will usually start with the choke out and run for a little while (less than a minute) it then seems like it loads up and dies. Sometimes feathering the choke or throttle helps but eventually it dies. Then sometimes it is very hard to get restarted. Does this sound like a carb related issue? Any good guides online to rebuild one of these things? I assume it's just take apart, clean, replace, and reassemble.

Best advice you will get around here is to go through the carb with an issue like that. Also, get yourself a new water pump impeller and change the lower unit oil. Grease your engine as well. This engine is new to you and you have no idea when it was last properly serviced. Until you have it done or do it you will be boating with crossed fingers wondering if that old impeller will fail today or maybe tomorrow. A good servicing is much cheaper than a blown powerhead.

I second Pappy. What condition is your fuel line in and does the bulb stay hard when it is running?

Picked up a carb rebuild kit today. Gonna get into it maybe tomorrow. Fuel line looks good and the bulb stays hard when running. Prob will put in a couple of new plugs too. I only see one adjustment screw on the carb. Is that correct? How do I adjust it after the new kit?

I noticed you neglected to mention the impeller. Probably the single most important service part of your new engine. They are cheap compared to frying your powerhead.

Well, got the carb off tonight. The kit I was given was the wrong one so we just cleaned it up and put it back together. Found an o ring missing from the shaft of the cam follower. (found that on the schematic. I would have never known what it was.)
It is running much better now but we just can't get it to idle correctly. It starts easy and as long as you keep it revved up you are ok. as soon as you try to idle it down it wants to die. All you have to do is just barely open the choke and it picks right up but if you don't do that it just dies. We did the 1 1/2 turn out on the slow speed idle screw and went from there but nothing helps except pulling the choke ever so slightly.
Any ideas?

I've been thinking about the impeller too.

Another unfortunate find...fuel pump has a crack in the corner running to the middle of the pump. This is one of the plastic blocks sandwiched together in the pump. I guess this could be causing the issues.
Any option other than a $90 fuel pump?

I just superglued a nipple back on my fuel pump. I was tired and stupid, and broke it.

Seems to hold ok now, but don't know the nature of the crack, or if you can manage a fix without messing something internal up.

Worth a try, if you are wery wery wery caweful, and not me. :?

Best wishes.