I am SO angry right now.......

[powell&hyde]

It sounds like you have a fuel problem. If you are using gas that has ethanol in it, you need to use that fuel within 2-4 weeks if used in a vented tank, the reason is ethanol attracts water. Even if you use Stabil in the fuel with ethanol, it can still attract water, if you are one of the lucky ones to buy fuel without ethanol, you can use Stabil in the fuel and be ok. Pull the float bowl off the motor (Newer ones are injected) and get a can of carburator cleaner and insert tube of carb cleaner into main jet an inch or so (it has a hole) as this part sits at the very bottom and is immersed in fuel at all times with float bowl installed. After that, take and fill your float bowl with carb cleaner about 3/4 of the way and reinstall bowl onto carb. Start motor and let idle for a few seconds, then throttle it a few times and than shutoff.

If main jet and idle air passages weren't solidly crystalized (white specs on aluminum) than you should be go to go. One other thing, if you are using gas with ethanol, it is very important not to let it sit over 4 weeks as the ethanol will start to eat away at the fuel pump diaphragms which are made out of thin synthetic rubber.

When you store or put away your outboards for the season, I have used the following,
1 oz. of Marine Stabil per 6 gallons
1 oz. of Mercury Quickleen per 6 gallons
1-2 oz. of Sea Foam per 6 gallons

As you get towards the bottom of the above formula, I also foam (Engine fogging oil) the engine by pulling the air filter off a squirting directly into carb with engine at fast idle and than when engine shuts off, (it will smoke alot) I pull and drain all fuel lines. After that the engine is lubed (fogging oil) and ready for fresh gas next year.