Outboard fuel dump!?!

I did a little research on this, and I apologize if my post is a dupe, but it seems to have gone missing...

I beached my boat the other day (intentionally) and raised my motor as I got closer to shore. The kids played. Great time.

I noticed a little bit of that red fuel color dripping from the cowl hood cover and into the aqueduct transom well...

Figured I better put it back down.

As I put the motor back down into the normal operating position, from horizontal, all of the fuel that I believe we in the carb bowl, spilled out into the well...then right into the lake...

I felt like crap because there were a ton of people playing around... So i backed out of there and high tailed it as soon as I could...

Seems like that is normal operation for the fuel to dump when raised into that horizontal position?

Sounds like that if you are to want to raise it, pull the fuel line, run what you have left in it... let it die, then raise it....??

My problem is that when we shoot carp and get into the shallows, we like to raise it up and down several times to get to certain areas...

Doesn't sound like that is going to be an option anymore...

One motor, the saddle tank four horse, if the vent is left open will leak fuel when tilted. No idea if yours is similar.

I remember reading your other post. I'd say it is a carb float issue. It is sticking and the pressure from your pressure tank is forcing the fuel out until the pressure is lost. The float needs to be readjusted ( also a good time to clean the carb since your going to have to take it off to do this ) in most carbs there is a little metal tab that can be bent up or down to adjust where the float sits. It would also be a good idea to open the cap to relieve the pressure on the tank when the motor is going to be up. Carry a fire extinguisher up front, you don't want to have a fire and have no way to put it out.

Yeah, this shouldn't happen. It sounds like the float valve is sticking and then the overflow tube is filling then dumping somewhere within the cowl. It's really the only thing I can think would cause that. Unless you have a leaking fuel line or fuel filter but those would be easy to diagnose.

Spoke to my mechanic yesterday, and he confirmed what you are all saying. Stuck float in the carb.

He also mentioned exactly what you said CCM, to open the tank cap and release the pressure so it does not continue to feed.

I dont know much about repair, and I dont want to spend another $XXX on having my mechanic tweak it... I just had it tuned up this summer, so maybe I can live with it for this year, and worry about it next time around.

I am sure it is a simple tweak, but not ever having gotten my hands dirty in my outboard, I dont want to screw myself out of my maiden summer.

I think I can just be more conscious about when and how I decide to lift my motor.

thanks guys.

I had a similar problem with my 2hp mariner, though not a pressure tank engine it had a gravity fed tank on top. My first trip ever with my boat ( motor ran great before hand ) I stopped 2 miles up a creek to fish for some spring crappie. I turned on the fuel nock and go to pull start the motor and fuel runs out. long story short the motor flooded & I had to paddle back to the launch. My Dad & me took the carb off ( my Dad is the mechanically inclined one in our family ) took it apart & cleaned it & re adjusted the float ( there is a small metal tab and you can bend it up or down to get the float to set just right ). We put it all back together & the motor has run perfect ever since. Now there can be several issues with carb floats. The float could have soaked up some fuel ( not very likely since they are no longer made from cork like they were back in the day but still a possibility if you got an original motor that hadn't been touched in years ( carb cleaned but no new plastic float installed) ), Its a newer style float but defective ( small pinhole in it therefore absorbed some fuel), or the float just needs to be adjusted. I believe your problem is the float just needs to be adjusted at this point. It's running fine otherwise & not flooding out so I wouldn't work on it or have it worked on until later on. Just relieve the pressure when you go to tilt it up. Sorry about the length just wanted to give you some more insight if future problems arise.