That vent hose on top of the VST is it. Pull it off and see if fuel comes out. None should come out if so then the needle seat inside is bad.

Eureka!

On third check of the vent tube gas was pouring out of it. There's a lot ot be said for making sure that fuel stabilizer gets all the way through the fuel system during winter layaway.

Number 8 cylinder was really wet.
Now that I'm into it, I'll be doing a leak-off test of the fuel rail and injectors just to make sure everything else is OK.

Also have to do purge all that raw fuel from the exhasust system. There must be a gallon of fuel in the riser.

Thanks for the help guys!

I love this board.

I have a 454 mag efi with a VST tank. The starboard side of my engine seems to produce more exhaust soot than the port side. Could this be my problem? I looked at all the spark plugs and they seem fine. Not wet and tan. One plug on the starboard side has a little carbon on it. The engine runs great. I hit 5200 rpms, but I just don't like the fact that the starboard side is producing more soot on the transom. The inside of the starboard exhaust tip is darker than the other tip. I'm wondering if this could be my problem or if something else could be my problem? Maybe injectors or something? What is a leak off test and how is that performed. The boat is a 95 baja 24 outlaw. I rebuilt the motor last year. New rod and main bearings, honed block, rings, heads done - new valves, guides, seals, springs, locks and milled, roller camshaft, lifters, pushrods, roller rockers, stainless marine exhaust, reprogram ecu, fuel pressure regulator and flame arrestor.