'86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

[deadhead]

Low hours engine owned since new but have had it in threee different times in the last five years...carbs rebuilt, new coils, computer boards..whatever, It's memorial weekend cold & damp sitting in the water here dead in upper MI., yesterday it was cool & dry, it started right up in seconds on the trailer in the garage so I launched it, it started and ran perfect...today not even a pop...once started it runs perfect every time...This pattern has been repeated for years...fustrating...Others must have delt with this issue so I'm asking for any insight.

tia

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

Are you familiar with the Choke concept? There's a whole generation that has never had to deal with it in cars since EFI came out in the 80s and it's become a lost art.

You did have muffs attached to a garden hose when you fired it up in the garage, right? Lack of water to the water pump kills outboards dead.

 

[deadhead]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

Actually I'm looking for input from anyone that has delt with this model or strange issue before, asking me if I supply water to it in the garage or if I understand what a choke is after I've owned the engine for twenty some years is of little or no value to anyone....once started and running it's a nice set-up on a 16.5' Lund Preditor.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

Forgive my skepticism, but I recall clearly an older gentleman that bought a 402 Merc new and always had trouble starting it. He would push the choke button twice to set the automatic choke and crank away til it either started or the battery went dead. If it did start, it was not a problem the rest of the day. Having owned a Merc for twenty some years, I'm sure you realize that Mercurys of that era don't have automatic chokes. Just as I am confident that you must know that a water pump starved of water is a dead water pump. Yet I see this scenario several times each summer by people that I'd think would know better.

How old is your gas and when was the last time the motor was tuned up? Gas we get these days gets old over the winter and stabilizing it isn't always a guarantee it won't go bad. These last few years seem to be particularly problematic in this area. I've already had several boats this season with gas that didn't smell bad, yet would not burn. Spend a day at any busy launch ramp and I'll guarantee you'll see somebody test-fire the motor out of the water before launching. That's begging for a tow-in with a siezed motor.

I'm trying to help with honest questions based on thirty-some years of experience.

 

[deadhead]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

Willy.

I'm sure the gas is old but after sitting all winter yesterday I charged the batteries and it popped and ran on the trailer in less that three seconds, then I launched it and it ran perfect...just as I stated in my first msg. on this thread...I'm wondering what the weak link is on this model. obviously it's a old motor but I'm trying to solve the starting issue in cold damp weather because it's cold and damp here alot..if I can just fix that it will be perfect.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

Those need to be force fed gas in cold conditions. If you have power trim, run it all the way down so every drop of gas runs into the motor instead of out the front. Squeeze the primer bulb til it's firm and then some. Then give it a little throttle with the warm-up lever and choke the daylights out of it til it fires. Then immediately let go of the choke or it will flood out. You might have to tickle the choke a few times til it keeps running by itself...for the first minute or so. Once the motor has warmed up, you might not need to choke it much at all the rest of the day.

Good luck and happy boating.

 

[deadhead]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

In the past I've had luck cold starting at full throttle but it was still 'iffie' at that point I've been already unsucessful at a normal start..if that's what the problem is...like it's been very 'touchy', that's unacceptable as a engine needs to work on demand..no?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

Don't forget that it's a Classic Fifty. Old technology. That basic design started out in the fifties. There are some significant improvements, but they only go so far. Truly on-demand starting is quite a new concept in outboard technology. You'd need something made in this century to get that. They took a long time to make the giant leap, but in many ways they surpass automotive technology nowadays. Chrysler looked into Direct Injected 2-strokes, but it'd be a hard sell to car customers. When OMC was having problems, Roger Penske was very interested in getting their technology for his racing interests. But George Soros made a higher bid and finished OMC off in just a few years. Thank goodness Bombardier saved it. Merc only survived thanks to the deep pockets of Brunswick. Yamaha borrowed a lot from the automotive industry in their DFIs and use conventional sparkplugs and oil. The rest have versions of these three. Plus 4-strokes of course.

 

[deadhead]

Re: '86 45hp 4cyl. 'Classic Fifty' starting issues

O.K. put a 50 amp charge on the batteries, whamo, fired right up, so replaced the old batteries (from May 1997)....could it be the old batteries weren't powerful enough to spin the flywheel fast enough to create a hot spark combined with old fuel???? launched again and burnt out the fuel (bout an hours worth), added another fresh gallon and scortched it..won't be back for a couple weeks so hoping this was it. The weird thing about all this is once started it ran like a sewing machine even on the old fuel?