2000 RX - can't keep it idling

[1994mgoblue]

So, I just pulled the my 2000 RX out of the garage for the first startup of the season. Last winter I stablized the fuel and drained as much as I could out of it. Yesterday I added some fresh fuel (about 2 gallons), took off the fuel filter canister, cleaned it and the fuel filter.

It's turning over great and fired up after a couple cranks, but I can't keep it running. It seems starved for fuel. It fires up, I can rev it once or twice and then she dies. If I wait a minute or two, I can repeat the whole process. I've tried giving it full choke as it starts to sputter, but that doesn't seem to help revive it.

The only thing I did "new" this year (shame on me for not doing it previously) was opening up the fuel canister in the front and giving the filter & canister a good cleaning. There was some crud it in, but not horrible. I checked the canister after several start/die cycles and it's full of fuel again.

Ideas? I'm considering temporarily removing the filter just to see if it's to blame.

Thanks - first time poster - be gentle.
Jamie

 

[dghal]

If the filter is full of fuel again, then the pump is drawing fuel from the tank,, that is working,,

However there may be plugged jets as this is usually what happens when fuel is allowed to evaporate out and it leaves a gummy crud,

You may need to pull the carbs open them up blow out the passages and re install them..

Good luck

 

[1994mgoblue]

Well, hopefully a simpler fix. I put in a different set of plugs (not brand-new, I was hoping to keep the new ones for after the winter fogging had burned off). I turned it over at WOT for a few seconds, it fired up and stayed running this time. It ran a bit rough the first 10-15 seconds but then smoothed out.

Hopefully I can get it on the water tomorrow.