What's up guys, having some troubles diagnosing this problem. My inline fuel filter cracked fishing the other day dripping gas everywhere so I took it off on the water and just hooked gas line straight to carb. Wasn't long it started running like shit but I made it to the landing. Got a new filter when I got done fishing and put it on when I got home then it wouldn't crank. Gas everywhere leaking out of my blown exhaust gasket. So I pulled the carb and sprayed the jets and needle and everything out real good and also put a new set of plugs in it, put it back on still won't crank. Pulled a valve cover and could smell the gas all in the oil. Valve lash is tight as a nats ass couldn't even get the .015 feeler gauge in it at all. Ran out of day light today. What you guys think

Valve lash needs to be set at .004-008 depending on engine setup and valve (intake or exhaust). A .015 shouldn't ever fit if they're set correctly. Gas in the oil isn't ever a good thing. Blown head gasket, ring issue, valve issues would be things to start exploring.

Okay I wasn't sure on that, i thought it was 15 last time I did it, it's been a year since I had to set the lash

Should be something you check regularly unless the engine hasn't been cranked. Preventative maintenance.

10-4

when the exhaust starts to open set intake, when intake is closing set exhaust. .004-.006 is spec. make sure you have a vented tank, newer tanks will swell up and push fuel past the carb float and leak into your engine thus filling the crankcase with fuel. Keep a small crack in the cap to allow the tank to vent to the atmosphere.
Remove each jet from the float bowl keeping them in the appropriate location, clean, spray, and re install. Do not allow cleaner on the bowl gasket it will enlarge and not seal. Get engine to fire up and run a couple minutes to "warm up the oil" and drain it warm. Fill the case up with fresh oil and a filter, and let the engine get to full operating temperature. This is all part of routine maintenance if you plan on keeping this thing running reliably. Turning the key will just get you in a bind eventually.

In my opinion, Gas coming out of a blown exhaust gasket almost always means that you have a problem with valves. Its sucking gas in, cant compress it and ignite it because you have a stuck valve....then shoots it out the exhaust. I would just pull the heads and look at what the real issue is.

Order you new head gaskets while your at it...

If there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the heads then check the CAM. Maybe something bad happened in there.

Sounds to me that you have a bad exhaust valve....

I would drain that oil too..

The hardest part about diagnosing the problem on one of these motors is taking the stupid heat shields and shrouds off the motor...haha

Please let us know what you discover.

Certainly sounds strange that it went from running fine to not running fine just by replacing a fuel filter...

10-4 at first I expected trash in the carb by passing that cracked filter but I did clean the carb yesterday and put back on then discovered it was still getting too much fuel and not cranking

Gonna pull both valve covers today after work and see if the valves are opening. Will report back

Update! She's alive! Dumped the oil and she was full I mean slap full of gas. Drained all that out, pulled the plugs, disconnected fuel line from carb, put fresh oil in, adjusted valve lash it wasn't off much at all. Turned it over with plugs out to blow rest of gas out of it, put new plugs in and fired like a hot pistol. Let it run a bit and connected fuel line back. I believe she's good to go. Just need a new oil filter.

I believe while I had that in line fuel filter off and fuel line straight to the carb the tank swelled and flooded the shit out of it. I kept trying to crank it that's where I got the fuel coming out of exhaust. I'm gonna see about putting a inline fuel shut off valve close to the carb and a well vented tank to completely eliminate this problem from ever happening again

Thats's from a NON vented fuel tank.. Ive seen it more than once. Glad you got it fixed up man.

I use 2 original OMC metal 6 tanks complete with OMC connections for quick change out, these tank never have a pressure problem and have a fine screen on the pick up in the tank!!! Keep water out and fuel in them and they will not rust!!!