150 txrb main jet removal

[Donnieboy]

I have seen great comments on this and other forums and hope you will give me some advice. I have a 2003 Yamaha 150 txrb having power issues. I have removed and cleaned the carbs without removing any jets. After reading your posts from January and March, I tried to remove the main jets to clean them better. The first one became apparent that the screwdrivers are either to narrow to get the slot all the way from side up side, or ate too wide further up the blade to get through the cover bolt hole. Is there a special tool for these? I tried to remove the first on and the screw driver slipped enough to seriously worry me that I was going to mess up the jet. Any advice gratefully accepted.

[rodbolt17]

you have to make a special tool.
I have many many ground up screwdrivers for various functions.

[Donnieboy]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[Donnieboy]

you have to make a special tool.
I have many many ground up screwdrivers for various functions.

I got them out and back in testing it out Sat. I hope this works. The tip I found that you gave for the Yamaha combustion chamber cleaner was awesome. That really worked great too.

Thanks again.

[Donnieboy]

Rodbolt,

Got the boat running great thanks to your advice. Full top end screaming. On vacation scalloping at Crystal River. First two days ran 40 miles per day. Awesome. Today rough idle then pulled the wife skiing. Now smoking a lot and running rough especially at idle. Almost died coming back into port. Thoughts? Any ideas greatly appreciated.**update**running a little better. cleaned the plugs - port top two fouled. filled up with fresh gas thinking too many additives (seafoam, startron, stp fuel treatment - I know, prob dumb but I was desperate before cleaning carbs). Also reset slow idle jets to 1&1/4 turns except bottom port which was at 1&1/2 turns when i tore down the carbs so i set that back to 1&1/2. I'll update once I can run it again. Thanks.

[throrope]

. . .Today rough idle then pulled the wife skiing. Now smoking a lot and running rough especially at idle. Almost died coming back into port. Thoughts? Any ideas greatly appreciated.**update**running a little better. cleaned the plugs - port top two fouled. filled up with fresh gas thinking too many additives (seafoam, startron, stp fuel treatment - I know, prob dumb but I was desperate before cleaning carbs). . . .

How do your fuel hose, etc. from tank to outboard look? If like me, you could be cleaning the carbs only to have disintegrating fuel hose (thanks to ethanol) undo your hard work. For me, clogged pilot jets caused the rough idle. Managed to clear them in place with carb cleaner and compressed air. BTW, replacing the hoses, bulb & pick-up was the cheapest job yet. And to play that broken record once more, if you don't have one, I suggest a 10 micron water separating filter.

P.S. Thanks rodbolt17.

[Donnieboy]

Hoses all look great. Added water separator before cleaning carbs. Ran smoother late yesterday. We'll see. Thanks for the help. ***update*** Still running rough at idle and at higher rpms will drop 200 rpms and then come back up within a second or two repeatedly. I am thinking I may have two issues : 1) the oil pump connection to the lowest carb has a linkage arm that connects in one of two holes. I thought that it was one hole, but the manual showed it in th other. Maybe too rich oil mix?; and 2) fuel/water separator clogging with bad fuel and additives or air leak somewhere in fuel system. What should the fuel system check at on a fuel system gauge?

All help gratefully accepted !!