[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by fleschs

Hello all,
New guy here, glad I found this board. I fish mostly JPP and Nickajack being in Murfreesboro. I am a new to me boat owner. A 1989 Tracker Magna 17 with a 60hp Mercury. I Know the original owner and have fished this boat many times. It has always run great, and still does, but it also has been hard to start over the last 5 years, and still is. My friend and previous owner is not a great mechanic and did very little to help this since it never left him stranded, he was good. I'd like to get it to a easier starting state. I changed plugs and shot some seafoam deep creep in the cylinders as well as run some seafoam thru it. It now runs at the top end much smoother but still hard to start. Any ideas? Is this just normal for a 25 yr old 2 stroke or does it sound like dirty carbs?
Thanks in advance.
Sean

Sean, trouble shooting outboards on a forum page is like me trouble shooting one over the phone ... I very seldom do it .. I like to feel it see it hold it and taste it ... No wait a minute that is a cold bottle of Miller High Life ... You have got to remember I am getting old ..

If everything is working properly there is no reason why this motor shouldn't start at the touch of the key ... No Matter OMC/Bombardier Johnson/Evinrude Mercury, yammy's etc. ... 2 stroke/4 stroke etc. ... Since the 70's I have owned 15 new and used Merc motors ... from a 2.5 HP to my last one a 250 HP ... in 2007... If properly set up and proper maintenance maintained ; There should be no starting issues ... Merc was my preferred motor all of these years ... Until I retired and started working and restoring outboards ... Is yours the 3 cylinder or 4 cylinder model ...

I agree with most of the guys that has posted ... With a 25 year old motor that has Carbs and a two stroke and dealing with ethanol ... I would recommend going through the carbs with new kits which includes new needle and seats and floats ... Merc's use a Fiber or plastic float ... ..

How long has it been since the water imp has been replaced and the lower unit serviced ?? (Which has nothing to do with your starting issue) ..

Since it runs well after the initial hard to start ritual ... I am going to suggest this and this holds true to all carbed motors not Fuel injected ... Halli touched on this subject ... When trailering the motor it is usually tilted or on a motor totter ... Okay think about this. These carbs have bowls some fuel is lost and the floats fall ...

What you need to do before launching is lower the motor as low as you can get it in the Running position while it is still on the trailer ... Vent the tank and pump your fuel bulb until it is firm ... Raise the motor if it has T/T to a safe transport/launch position ... I do not recommend the starting of the motor out of the water ... The reason being the unlubricated dry blades take an excessive wear at the open and bend point in the water pump (Yes I have done it tooooo!!) But the main reason not to do it is because when the motor fires the driveshaft thrusts vertically and will burn the upper part of the impellor which opens up a larger gap in the pump which reduces the pump flow action of the pump ... Now if you replace the imp every year you won't see a problem any longer than that you are really taking a chance of frying a motor ...

Also after launch and before starting the motor ... Lower the motor and pump the bulb firm before you start it ... Now some Mercs have chokes some have a pulse primer injector .. When the motor hits, don't choke it any more .. Try starting it again with out the choke ... (A continuous choke floods the motor) If it doesn't start choke it once more until it hits ... Hope this helps ... <'TK><