Martin
Where do you live? Perhaps there is a member nearby that might be willing to guide/help you with this project.
To do a basic spark check, remove both plugs, then reconnect them to the high tension leads and let the plugs lie on a good engine ground. Please be very careful to make sure there is no fuel spilled or anything that might ignite, might be best to do this outside in the dark. Have an assistant pull the recoil rope while you watch the plugs, you will see them arc if there is spark. Keep in mind that a bad spark plug could cause it not to show spark during this test. Yes, I realize this is not a proper test, but it will tell you something. Just because the plugs show spark, does not mean it is good strong spark. But, if either/both plugs show no spark, you can be pretty sure you have an ignition problem.
OK, so you have plastic fuel tanks. Probably best to drain them out completely. Fill one tank with the proper fuel/oil mixture, have a look at the fuel line. Is it stiff/cracked? If so, you may need to replace it. If the fuel line seems “OK”, I would simply insert a small wooden dowel into the fuel connector check valve, then pump the fuel bulb. The stuff that comes out initially will probably be stinky and a brown/orange color. Keep pumping until you have clean fuel/oil mix running out of the connector. Again, do this outside with the connector aimed inside a pan or something to catch the stray fuel coming out. Once the fuel line has been purged, reinstall the spark plugs, being sure to get the proper lead on each plug. The plug with with a metal “up” band goes on the top plug.
Next, go ahead and drain the gear lube, removed both big slotted screws, one on the skeg, the other just about the horizontal AV plate above the propeller. Try to keep the screws in the same hole you got them from, this is because there are gaskets on the screws. But, the gasket may be stuck in the gearcase. So mixing up the drain screws could cause one to have two gaskets, the other to have none. Now, you have just created an oil leak. You will find one of the following conditions when you drain the gear lube, again you will need to remove both of the large slotted screws.propeller. You will see one of four/ conditions: brown/gold gear lube draining out into the pan / Milky colored gear lube draining into the pan/ raw water mixed with gear lube draining into the pan/ or perhaps nothing will drain out . Needless to say, water in the gear lube spells trouble. Seeing nothing drain out probably means the gear oil leaked out, water leaked inside, and the internals are rusted. Refilling the gearcase is a little tricky, you will need a fairly large tube of gearlube, with a pointed applicator so the lube can be squirted/forced back into the gearcase. Again, both screws need to be removed in order to fill the gearcase. The gear lube must be squirted in from the bottom hole until it starts dribbling out of the top hole, you can not fill the gearcase from the top hole down. It is best to have an assistant for this operation. Once the gear lube starts to dribble out of the top hole, have your assistant reinstall the top screw while the tube/applicator is still inserted in the bottom hole. This will create a vacuum so that when you quickly remove the tube from the bottom hole, you won’t lose much lube while reinstalling the bottom screw due to the vacuum condition. Now make sure both screws are snug/tight.
Let us know how you make out performing these tasks, feel free to post pictures, then we will go from there.
