1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

[reelfishin]

I just bought a boat with the above motor, it's a short shaft 18 HP with only the recoil starter. It starts fairly easily but is super hard to pull. It feels as if I am going to yank it off the transom when I pull start it. It starts and runs good but it feels like it's going to snap the rope each time. It has the over the flywheel style starter and the motor has 140 psi per cylinder. It's a low hours motor that runs strong, it's just super hard to pull. I have pull started my larger motors with no problem, but this one is a real bear.
It's my only older motor. I can't imagine that this is the way it should be, I nearly have to put my foot on the motor to keep it down when starting it. I have a later 25 hp that runs good and don't pull nearly as hard.
Can I convert this to electric start? Was there a compression release or different style pull starter for these? The motor is not 'tight" it just feels like I don't have enough mechanical advantage over the compression. My other manual start motors all have the low mounted style recoil. The compression didn't seem too high to me and the motor spins free with the plugs out. It came to me on an older boat that sat for years, but it started right up and I have used it several times with no running problems. I had it running for about 4 hours straight the last time out and it did great, and it restarts with only one pull, but still takes all you have to hold onto the handle and spin it over.
Was this just normal for this motor?
As far as I know this is all original, and nothing looks changed or out of place. I bought it from a guy that said he bought it new and rarely used it, it was collecting dust in his garage for years. The boat was slightly newer than the motor but the motor is a good match for the boat. I took the recoil all apart and lubed all moving parts with no change in the feel or pull needed to crank the motor. It does have a ring gear for a starte on it already and it don't feel all that hard to spin by hand if I grab and turn the flywheel with the hood off.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Since it runs good, there is nothing wrong with it. Are you locking it down? That way it won't tilt up when you pull it and you can use both hands on the rope. Before you object, the tilt lock will release if you hit bottom. That is what the big spring is for on the rear of the swivel bracket.

 

[kmk_7110]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

I have one that is 4 years older that isn't that hard to start, or at least I don't think so I've never pull started anything else before so I really don't know.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

I have a 1973 25 hp that is easy to pull and starts just as easy, the only real difference is the style of recoil. The '68 18hp is just plain hard to pull, I am 260 lbs, 6' 3" tall and it's hard for me to pull. It has a bit more compression than the newer 25 HP but not enough that would make it tough to pull.
The motor is locked down, but often releases when trying to start it. It's not the motor that I am worried about, it actually tears up my hands pulling it. I have considered putting one of those huge snow blower style pull handles. I've been pulling out some extra rope and wrapping it around a piece or broom stick to lessen the shock. Once it makes a complete revolution or two it starts right up, but even the first pull is tough. I am most worried that the rope will break when I am way out on the river fishing with no way to start the motor, this one don't have the plain rope option like on my 25 HP.
Someone suggested that maybe it was supposed to have some sort of compression release for easier starting? I've seen a few older twins with the mechanical compression release on the cylinder heads. I certainly don't want to do anything to it to lessen the power, this thing runs circles around my other 18HP and would probably keep up with my newer 25HP.
Is there a way to convert this to electric start? Even if it's just a starter and button without a charging system. I normally only start it a few times a day, so a battery would last all day or longer with no problem.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

brp doesn't show a optional starter for that engine. it would have to be fabricated. possibly parts from a later 20 or 25 hp. maybe even the earlier engines would have a bracket that would fit. wiring the starter is easy, the mechanicals is the hard part.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Reelfishin, there is something wrong here. After reading your second post, I am convinced. At 6'3 and 260 pounds, surely you can crank a little ol 18hp. So it's gotta be the motor. They normally just aren't that hard to crank. Even releasing the tilt lock when pulling? Wow, that is hard pulling!! I have no idea what it is though. Somebody been messing around trying to hop it up? Is the recoil hard to pull when off the motor? Should be pretty easy.

To answer your specific question, the compression releaf was on the 35 and 40 horsepower motors and is not even close to your model.

An electric starter will fit your motor, but they are in a lot of demand and might be difficult to find a whole kit.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

I go along with F R here, as when you said in the second post you were over coming the hold down lock. 140# compression does'nt sound right either. I would remove, and take a look at that cylinder head. Just for testing, bolt you 25 head on the engine, and see what it pulls like. I have both a 18, and 25 HP engines, and they pull much the same. Both engine are the same displacement, by the way.

 

[AWWALKER]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

I have a 15hp of same vintage...and sometimes have similar problem.... Are you sure that the motor is in neutral when attempting to start it? (don't ask me how I found how hard it is to start it when in gear!!

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Awwaker: What 15 do you have of that vintage? If his engine has a neautral lock out on the rewind, you will not pull that engine over no matter how hard you try if it is in gear. The starter is simply blocked.

 

[itstippy]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Those 22 cube motors have an ingenious pull starter that uses an eccentric (oval) pully and a starter rope that's EXACTLY the right length. The leverage you get out of the pull starter is matched to the top of the compression stroke of the cylinders by the oval shaped pully. If your rope length isn't right then you end up with the least leverage just when you need it most. I know - I replaced a rope in one without cutting it to the correct length. I'm 140lbs and I couldn't pull that sucker at all. At that point I got out my manual.

From the 1967 Evinrude service book:

REPLACEMENT OF STARTER ROPE
a. Pull starter handle until rope is fully unwound. Pulley can be locked by aligning the small holes in housing and pulley and inserting a nail or thin rod through them.

b. Pry rope anchor from handle. Disengage rope and remove handle. Grasp knot at pulley end and pull out old rope.

c. Cut new rope to a length of 72 1/4 inches. Using a match or cigarette lighter, fuse nylon strands at each end for about 1/2 inch. Rope ends must be stiff to hold in pully and rope anchor. Tie knot in end of rope and thread through pulley and housing.

d. Apply OMC Type"A" lubricant to handle end of rope. Using Evinrude Starter Rope Threading Tool #378774 (yeah, right), thread rope through handle. Press rope into channel in rope anchor, with end of rope butting firmly against end of channel. Press anchor into handle.

e. Tug on end of rope to seat the knot against the pulley. Remove locking pin and allow rope to wind slowly onto the pulley.

f. Pull starter rope out a few times, then check timing. When the starter is properly timed, an arrow on the housing will align within the limits of a box marked "E" on the pulley. NOTE: A new rope, being stiff, may cause timing marks to misallign slightly. This conmdition normally corrects itself after using the starter a few times.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

itstipsy: Could I pull the rope out to the proper starting point, and than it would get easier? I thought the timing mark on the pull starter was so you did'nt pull out a 1/2 ft. of cord before the stater pawl's engaged. Help me out here. The pull starter, in proper time with it's oval starter pulley would possibly help to some degree, but this engine come's out of lock-down engagement when cranking. I would look some where else.

 

[itstippy]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

The rope winds around the oval. If it's not alligned right then when the motor is at it's highest compression the rope is at its least leverage. It's only a little better than winding a rope around the crank itself. No leverage. You'll pull the motor into the boat before you get the crank to turn. Believe me, if that rope is not right the motor is about impossible to pull over.

From the book:

"The Eas-a-Matic starter design incorporates the lever principle to overcome starting effort required when the pistons reach the top of their compression strokes. Leverage is increased and decreased by using an oval shaped pulley and a starter rope cut to a precise length to time the starter with the pistons. The Fastwin starter rope is color coded on the ends in red to avoid replacing with the wrong size rope."

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Our rope came in spool's with no color code. Did I put those things' together wrong all those years? Note that I mentioned the oval pully. Imtipsy is sounding about right.

 

[itstippy]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

I got out the parts diagram. Now I'M wondering why it cares about the rope length so much! Hm. Only one pawl, on one side of the oval pulley. Only two places inside the flywheel for it to catch on. The flywheel is timed wit hthe pistons. You are right - regardless of rope length, the pawl shouldn't engage the flywheel unless the rope is pulling on the other side of the oval pully, in the proper position, and the pistons are in the correct positions.

But I did replace a rope without measuring length, and I could not get the thing to pull over. I got out my book. I read about how important they consider the rope length. Took it apart again and replaced with the correct length rope. It worked. Why????i

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Rope length could be a problem, the rope on this is short, it runs out of rope on a hard pull. The eccentric makes sence, the 25 hp I have and this 18 feel the same when turning the flywheel by hand, it's only when pulling the rope that the 18 feels like it's got 200 pounds of compression. I will check the rope length and timing.

 

[F_R]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

As suggested somewhere, there are only two places for the pawl to grab the flywheel. Rope length cannot change that. But it does affect how far it pulls out before catching. Once it does grab, the force required to follow through does not change.

 

[itstippy]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

F_R and R_Johnson are the guys to listen too. I'm just an amateur who must have gotten lucky and "fixed" a balky recoil by changing the rope. Further thought and gentle rebuke by the pro's has convinced me that the service manual is just plain anal about rope length, specifying it to the 1/4" and color-coding replacement parts and the like. My second disassembly/reassembly to replace the rope must have freed up some other binding problem.

Assuming the rope pulls easily and freely with the sparkplugs out, you must not have a binding problem with the rope start and its function. Which brings us back to the 140# compression readings. That's where we were before I threw in the red herring about rope length. 140# is very high. Something is amiss.

 

[itstippy]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

With the recoil removed, the flywheel has a notch in it where you can use a length of rope with a knot in the end as an emergency starter. Take a length of anchor rope and tie a knot in the end and wrap it around the flywheel a few times. With the sparkplugs in but the sparkplug wires disconnected, give your emergency rope start a pull. Does it turn the motor over like it should?

The manual calls for a length of starter rope 72 1/4" long. That's 6 feet - a lot of rope. As the rope wraps around the pulley it increases the pulley's diameter, providing more leverage. A short rope would cost you this leverage. Also, the two notches in the flywheel where the starter pawl engages are formed kinda funny, probably for strength & balance. The way it's shaped there's a possible "notch" or catching point for the pawl a couple inches before the correct notch. Look at the flywheel and you'll see what I'm talking about. Does this "false" notch have a bright spot on it where the starter pawl could be hooking on it? If that's happening then the starter timing is off and the leverage isn't there at the top of the compression blah blah. Take a look, anyway. That situation, coupled with too short of a rope, could be adding to the problem.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

Something is amiss here. But it sure seems like everything has been tested and tried already. I have several 18's and use my 1960 every few days. It is not that hard to pull. I bet my wife could come close to starting it. 140 psi sure is high though. I dont think mine is near that high.

As previously mentioned you can remove the recoil and use a 'emergency rope' with a knot in the end to start on the water if the rope breaks. I have had to do this on my QD19 10hp before.

 

[mikesea]

Re: 1968 Evinrude 18 hp hard to pull start

One othe possibility,are you sure the recoil isn't worn ,or maybe have a bunch of caked up grease,just a thougt.Worked on alot of outboards,later yrs.got spoiled with the little key.But sure glad I read this post.This all makes sense know.I remember 6cyl with pull starts and always wondered how it was done,even with compression relief.Ya learn something new each day.