...having lived with that engine for 8 seasons I will let you in on a secret. It is absolutely unable to digest any water in its fuel! Being a small 4-stroke with tiny little jets is the issue. And we all understand that ethanol attracts water right out of the atmosphere right?
We finally settled on a blend of Startron and Stabil in the fuel. This solved 99.9% of our issues. The Startron acts as an emulsifier to allow the water to pass through the jets. It works!
I finally found a 16 year old, essentially unused Yamaha 2-stroke 3 hp that runs whatever you fil it with.
This one is my favorite!!!