Merc 6HP 4 Stroke - only runs at speed with the choke out ??

I have a 6hp 2004 Merc 4 Stroke that doesn't want to run much faster than idle.  I did a search of the site and most guys seem to have the opposite problem, that is engine won't idle without the choke out, but run fine at faster speeds.

Mine starts up fine and idles fine, once it is a little warm, but if I give it the gas it will bog down, coughing and sputtering and will even shut itself off unless I back it down to idle.  IF I pull the choke all the way out, and leave it out,  it gets up and goes fine.

I drained the bowl using the drain screw, shot a little carb cleaner in there to flush it out but it doesn't help.  At first I thought it may be the fuel line (I don't like the fit of the connection from the fuel line at the motor) but getting fuel from the tank shouldn't be a problem if it runs fine with the choke out....should it??

My next step is to run some sea foam thru it. 

Do you think this thing needs a carb rebuild or ???? what.  Any help will be appreciated.  Thanks!

RustyReel

 

OK, here are some pics, hopefully.  I removed the black screw at the bottom of the carb bowl and flushed it out a couple of times with carb cleaner.  The gas that came out of it when I first opened it looked clean. 

Haven't had a chance to mess with it any more but hope to do so over the weekend.

 

Those open hose connections had me wondering as well.  In case you have not figured it out, I'm not much of a mechanic.

Searched Merc parts sites for pics of the carb.  They all had the same drawing with not much detail, those ports were not shown.

Did an Ebay search and found two listing for the same year and size motor with pictured detailed enough to see the carb.  Both of those motors also had these ports uncovered.  So I'm guessing that is the factory set-up?

They must do something, however, as this AM when I had the motor at idle I covered them with my fingers and the motor started to sputter.

I don't know.  Still gonna give the seafoam a try when I can get around to it.  Some guys claim it works wonders....others not so much.

Thanks guys.

 

Thanks NoeTtica, that is the one I found. Doesn't show the vacuum ports on the top of the carb and what, if anything, gets attached to them. Tks, and sorry for the jumpin' thru the hoop.

 

Thanks guys.  Sea Foam did the trick.  Roarin' to go now!!  Actually, I'm still puttering along since it is only a 6 horse, but better than before.