hard to start when cold

[knowles]

hello..I have a 90 hp 1986 6cyl mercury outboard that is hard to start...it spins over really well but as soon as it fires,the ring gear kicks down and i have to try many times to get it to start...i think if the ring gear would stay engaged for another 2 seconds it would start...it starts much better when warm,my problems are when it is cold....i have changed the battery,cables and have had the starter checked and they tell me it is fine...HELP...

 

[coolguy147]

Re: hard to start when cold

i think its like not getting fuel sounds like. well i would make sure all ur choke butterflys r closed. umm open all ur low speed needles probably out a little remember where they were if no change then i guess put them back.

make sure ur priming good. warm up lever up all the way.

remember these engines r pretty cold natured

 

[knowles]

Re: hard to start when cold

i pump the primer bulb until it is firm..engine has one choke on centre carb only.....i push the key in to close the butterfly...it does not have a warmup lever.....any other suggestions...thanks in advance...

 

[henrye718]

Re: hard to start when cold

I dont think a 2cyl engine can start good unless its idled fast at first.


I have owned a few engines now, even brand new ones. none of them started well cold unless there was some way to bring up the idle while starting it.

Perhaps yours has some kind of automatic high idle mechanism for warming it up and it has failed?

Try and use something to hold the linkage in a higher idle next time you start it cold. I think you will surprised. Especially if the engine is worn or not exactly running perfectly.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: hard to start when cold

it only chokes the center carb? not the rest?

i think all control boxes raise the rpm without puting it in gear like cant u push a bottun in a moves up without engaging it in gear?

 

[henrye718]

Re: hard to start when cold

it only chokes the center carb? not the rest?

i think all control boxes raise the rpm without puting it in gear like cant u push a bottun in a moves up without engaging it in gear?

I would hope he knows about the button already if he had it but who knows LOL.

 

[knowles]

Re: hard to start when cold

in the shift lever control there is a button in the center of it that when pushed allows me to turn up the idle with the throttle control...i have tried it at say 1400 rpm to full throttle....hard to start no matter what i try...i am going to try trimming the motor all the way in,(i never tried that before but i always tried to start it with the motor straight up)maybe that will be all it takes but i doubt it...another thing i heard of yesterday is to watch the center carb choke...it should stay closed all the time even when the engine fires and doesnt start..if it opens even when i push the button at firing,the device that holds it closed may be faulty....as long as i hold the button it should stay closed...i understand these engines need alot of fuel for cold starts.....

 

[coolguy147]

Re: hard to start when cold

ok ya these motor r pretty cold natures again make sure ur primed good.

now if all else fails i would go ahead and clean the carbs

 

[henrye718]

Re: hard to start when cold

in the shift lever control there is a button in the center of it that when pushed allows me to turn up the idle with the throttle control...i have tried it at say 1400 rpm to full throttle....hard to start no matter what i try...

Yeah thats to warm the engine up and keep it running instead of stalling while cold and idleing but, it at least has to fire to get there. Yours sounds like its not firing at all.

pushing the key in while cranking spits gas in if you have a primer solenoid so push that keep mutiple times. Sounds like when you push the key in yours just closes the butterfly to choke it, basically trying to do the same thing as primer by sending more gas in.

If all else fails think I would do a compression test, then a spark gap test to look for a weak spark.