I bought this motor used from a good dealer. 2013 Mercury 4HP. It runs perfect. The problem is it locks up when I pull start it. Talked to the dealer and he said there is a hydra lock or something and I should pull the cord slowly full cycle than start it normal.. Well sometimes it works fine but a lot of the time the lock stops the cord short even after I have cycled it through. Than It takes a LOT of short pulls and the motor has actually started on a slow pull or even a short pull. If I pull the cord slowly it doesn't lock up. I'd have to say 70% of the time it causes me problems.. Other times it's perfect. The dealer is a ways away from me so before I drive back there does anyone have any suggestions.
Mercury outboard hard start
- Thread starter Windcree
- Start date
Sounds like your first pull is on the compression stroke, so it's causing force on the cord as you're trying to manually create compression. It depends on the last cycle when you cut the motor off, so is somewhat random what stroke you end up on. By pulling the cord slowly, you'll get over that initial compression stroke. Hydraulic locking indicates that there is some fluid above the cylinder head that is not compressible, and that does not 'go away'.
Yes I thought the same thing. It is truly in Neutral. Triple checked it. I can pull it slowly full cycle it's just happens when I pull it faster. But thank you for the response...
I agree that it sounds like a pull starter problem, not an engine problem. But then, I'm not there pulling it! Have you opened it up and taken a look? Perhaps the neutral safety mechanism is broken or out of adjustment.
Try giving it a pull while it's in reverse.
Try giving it a pull while it's in reverse.
Nope.. It stays on the dingy normal in up position. Someone mentioned a compression release valve or something
Re-reading the original post I think it must be the recoil starter assembly, the neutral interlock being broken or out of adjustment. Take the cover off, find the lock pawl, and watch it as you shift from reverse to neutral to forward. Then watch it as you pull the cord in neutral. See "b" in the pic below:
Thanks very much. I will check it and see what happens..Re-reading the original post I think it must be the recoil starter assembly, the neutral interlock being broken or out of adjustment. Take the cover off, find the lock pawl, and watch it as you shift from reverse to neutral to forward. Then watch it as you pull the cord in neutral. See "b" in the pic below:
OK.. just checked it out. My motor is different from the picture HOWEVER the shifter linkage rod was right there. I tried holding it steady while I pulled the starter and it moved almost perfect. I think this linkage is out of adjustment. Have you or anyone ever adjusted this linkage?
I have. If it's what I'm thinking of, it's down on the shaft between the upper and lower units. There will be a soft cover on the shaft housing that you'll pull off exposing a clamping screw or bolt on the shift shaft.
Experiment with the location of the screw or bolt on the shaft.
HTH
I just looked at the service manual. just shows the way it is installed. When I have time I'll delve into it more. Don't think the rod is bent but will consider that as well.
Is the shaft supposed to be loose? Mine is a bit loose and it's when I steady it that I can pull it almost normal. There was a fine line when holding it between normal pull and partial lock up. I checked the service manual and it shows how it's installed but no adjustments.
Don't know what you mean by "loose". It (the shift shaft) must be able to move to change the gearing in the lower unit. The clamping screw/bolt is loosened and moved up or down the shift shaft and then re-tightened. There's a sweet spot where the boss on the flywheel won't interfere with starting when in neutral.
I think...
You are thinking of the wrong shaft. The one you are thinking of is the shift shaft going to the transmission. The one the OP cares about is a slender piece of stainless piano wire that actuates the neutral interlock for the recoil starter, under the cover.
The rod I am talking about starts at the shift lever and goes to the top of the motor right next to the start rope coil