I have a problem with my 4-stroke Merc outboard. When trailering, I lay it inside the tow vehicle(on the specified side, of course)and usually install it last. If I'm going to sail that day the tow vehicle is still attached to the boat and the motor is dragged out a side door. In nearly every situation, once I get to the water the motor will not start easily. When I do coax it into life, it is with the choke off and the throttle full on. AFTER this initial start, the motor will jump to life for the rest of the day-even hours later- with one pull and no choke. The next day, if I'm lucky enough to go sailing again that soon,the motor is already locked on the the mounting and it only needs one half pull with no choke and a full pull with the choke on to cough to life. I had a new carb installed at the end of the season and always use stabil in the tank. Any Ideas?
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T
Timo42
Are you running the motor dry before storage?
Sounds like it is flooding from being on it's side, I carry mine in the bed of the truck same side down, and have no problems, I do hang the motor first, so maybe letting it settle in an upright position helps, maybe the float is sticking. Tim
Sounds like it is flooding from being on it's side, I carry mine in the bed of the truck same side down, and have no problems, I do hang the motor first, so maybe letting it settle in an upright position helps, maybe the float is sticking. Tim
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AXEL
Do you run it out?
When your finished with the motor and ready to trailor the boat home, do you disconnect the fuel line (or shut the fuel valve in the case of engines with internal tanks) and run the engine until it's out of gas?
When your finished with the motor and ready to trailor the boat home, do you disconnect the fuel line (or shut the fuel valve in the case of engines with internal tanks) and run the engine until it's out of gas?
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ITMaster
My Owners Manual Says
Do not use gas with ethanol or methanol in it, but you indicate that you put a stabilizer in it. It says as Axel pointed out to always shut off the valve and let the carb run out of gas until it dies. I would check and ensure the stablizer you are adding is specifically for ethanol laden gases, and I would also check to make sure you have fresh gas and try to use water zorb if you keep the gas around any water or in a humid environment.
Do not use gas with ethanol or methanol in it, but you indicate that you put a stabilizer in it. It says as Axel pointed out to always shut off the valve and let the carb run out of gas until it dies. I would check and ensure the stablizer you are adding is specifically for ethanol laden gases, and I would also check to make sure you have fresh gas and try to use water zorb if you keep the gas around any water or in a humid environment.
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oldiesrocker2001
Thanks for your input so far..
Thanks so far for the input. Last season I did indeed run the fuel out at the end of each use. By the end of the season the motor wouldn't start at all. According to the tech guy that replaced the carb,keeping stabil in the fuel and NOT running till dry would likely prevent rust from forming in the carb over storage. Many of my gas powered devices for the home have developed the same problem under the same conditions: Generator is always run dry - now needs to have ether sprayed at it to start at any time; large leaf blower is in the same condition - but small blower(2-stroke) always has fuel and usually starts at any season I care to use it no matter how long between uses; ditto for both lawnmowers.
Is it possible that the carb is flooding(needing full throttle for that first start gives that impression)because the motor may be inadvertently upside down by a degree or two when being dragged out the vehicle door?
Thanks so far for the input. Last season I did indeed run the fuel out at the end of each use. By the end of the season the motor wouldn't start at all. According to the tech guy that replaced the carb,keeping stabil in the fuel and NOT running till dry would likely prevent rust from forming in the carb over storage. Many of my gas powered devices for the home have developed the same problem under the same conditions: Generator is always run dry - now needs to have ether sprayed at it to start at any time; large leaf blower is in the same condition - but small blower(2-stroke) always has fuel and usually starts at any season I care to use it no matter how long between uses; ditto for both lawnmowers.
Is it possible that the carb is flooding(needing full throttle for that first start gives that impression)because the motor may be inadvertently upside down by a degree or two when being dragged out the vehicle door?
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Timo42
If you have fuel in the float bowl
and put the motor on it's side, the float will drop and fuel will flood the carb, and when it evaporates it will gum up more places than if you drained it before putting it on itts side. The gas we get nowdays is nasty corrosive stuff with a short shelf life. Maybe you should fire it up at home before you load it. Do you store it on it's side? I rigged a handtruck with a 2x4 to hang the motor on, I can stick a bucket of water under the motor to run it on the stand and it's easy to move around the garage and store upright. Tim
and put the motor on it's side, the float will drop and fuel will flood the carb, and when it evaporates it will gum up more places than if you drained it before putting it on itts side. The gas we get nowdays is nasty corrosive stuff with a short shelf life. Maybe you should fire it up at home before you load it. Do you store it on it's side? I rigged a handtruck with a 2x4 to hang the motor on, I can stick a bucket of water under the motor to run it on the stand and it's easy to move around the garage and store upright. Tim
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oldiesrocker2001
I store the motor...
I actually store the motor upright on a rack that I built for it in my storage shed. The motor is on it's side for about 2 hours in transit. The exception is a recent trip to Lake George with 24+ hours on it's side and a couple of years ago with the original carb to Florida.In both of these cases the motor started up fine. Also in both of these cases the ambient temperature was cooler than average even for Fla while here in NJ the climate was horrible. Could excessive heat be causing faster evaporation even inside the engine and leaving the cylinder gummed up or even simply expanding the fuel enough to flow into the cylinder/combustion chamber? The latter may explain the flooding symptoms. If this is actually the case, then the final step of my setup/rigging procedure which already takes FOREVER would be to remove the plug and crank the engine a couple of times wide open to clear the cylinder of extra fuel.
Keep those ideas comin' and thanks.
I actually store the motor upright on a rack that I built for it in my storage shed. The motor is on it's side for about 2 hours in transit. The exception is a recent trip to Lake George with 24+ hours on it's side and a couple of years ago with the original carb to Florida.In both of these cases the motor started up fine. Also in both of these cases the ambient temperature was cooler than average even for Fla while here in NJ the climate was horrible. Could excessive heat be causing faster evaporation even inside the engine and leaving the cylinder gummed up or even simply expanding the fuel enough to flow into the cylinder/combustion chamber? The latter may explain the flooding symptoms. If this is actually the case, then the final step of my setup/rigging procedure which already takes FOREVER would be to remove the plug and crank the engine a couple of times wide open to clear the cylinder of extra fuel.
Keep those ideas comin' and thanks.
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