Check idle and hi speed needle settings.
Idle needle setting is one turn out from gently seated
Hi Speed needle is 1 1/2 turns out from gently seated
These settings are initial settings...fine tune after engine is warmed up
and under load.
Note: 6 ounces of TCW 3 outboard oil in each gallon of unleaded gasoline

If squirting fuel mix in thru carburetor throat after starting prolongs engine run time the problem is fuel starvation...check fuel system from tank thru to
carburetor throat. Cooling water discharges into manifold to quench hot
exhaust gases..if water jackets are warm but not hot should be okay.
Smell of burnt paint is not okay.

If your WD4 has been stored for some time it is usual to have storage related
problems and or problems that caused outboard to be taken out of service.
Takes a certain sort of person who has the time, patience and perseverance
to stick with it until all is well.


Several years ago I replaced Mercury KE3 single impeller that had crumbled with a new impeller.
Recently I had to repair broken ear on water jacket...inside was a little bit
of impeller vane...I had not run engine prior to changing impeller.
Don't know how that chunk of rubber worked its way up water tube into water
space around cylinder...water outlet tube smaller than inlet...even use of
wire to check inlet and outlet water tubes or even air pressure could not
have caught potential problem.