Quick update.
Have replaced the plugs, and put on a new rope.
And as many of you had assumed... The carb rebuild did the trick. =D>
Seems to run fine and dandy (in the backyard anyway) now. While removing the starter, I noticed that a guide rod was installed incorrectly and fixed that too. Also, my manual said not to lube any parts of the starter, and there was apparently grease put all over it at some point, so cleaned all of that. The motor looks kinda rough on the outside, so I will be painting it eventually, and hope to put it on the lake soon. I also need to fab or buy the knob that adjusts the lean/rich adjustment.
This motor is intended for my new rig, but is there anything wrong with putting a long shaft motor like this on a short transom? The new rig is not ready for the lake, but I'd like to put it on my v-hull for my next tourney and to test out the motor at WOT.
Thanks