1974 Merc 115 help with starting procedure

[badbowtie]

I have a new to me 1974 mercury 115 2 stroke that runs great and doesn't even crank just fires right up after you get it finally started for the day. When it is cold it is a nightmare to get started and have a feeling it is due to not knowing the secret. I have a lever on the shifter that is just fast idle and I also have electric choke button. I would like to hear the secret once I prime the inline primer bulb to get it to fire right up. I am heading to the lake tomorrow morning to go fishing and don't want to get there and have starting problems.
Thanks in advance.

 

[GA_Boater]

Pump the bulb until it's hard, raise warm up lever maybe a little more, turn the key and push the choke button until it starts to pop. Many Mercs like a lot of gas when cold and bulb needs to be hard

 

[badbowtie]

That is how I tried it the other day and cranked and cranked and it never hit like that I figured I had it flooded with idle raised and had it choked the whole time. I finally had to hit the middle carb with some starting fluid to get it to fire and then ran great and I hated to hit it with starting fluid.

 

[racerone]

Look into installing an ENRICHER or an OMC / BRP electric primer.------The BRP electric primer would be like " hitting it with starter fluid " from the helm at the touch of the choke button.----------Gone will be the hard to start condition.

 

[badbowtie]

Well I went fishing today and did get it started trying multiple ways of choke no choke half throttle advance and full throttle advance and finally did get it to start but sure did allot of cranking. I am going to look into installing a brp electric primer setup to make starting easier.

 

[Chris1956]

OK,before you install an enrichener system, try this:

Clean all your battery connections to assure you have +12VDC on your ign system, and the starter spins her at proper speed. Set cold start all the way up. primer bulb should be pumped until hard and a bit more. Now, make sure the choke plates close, and hold the choke button, while you crank her.

In real cold weather she will take 20+ sec to fire up. Warmer weather should be faster.

 

[badbowtie]

I will try to start it tomorrow when I get home from work which outside temp will be about 60 and I will pump up primer till hard then little more and bring idle lever all the way up and hold choke while confirming the carb plates are closing and see what happens. I know all battery connections are good rewired and replac3ed all battery eyelets.

 

[merc850]

Have you checked the distributor for corrosion etc. don't pull on the rotor it's molded onto the shaft.

 

[badbowtie]

I have not seen any corrosion on the distributor once you get it fired up it runs great and will idle for ever I left it idle while i tied up to dock and went and and got my truck and took it up to park and once you get it started and as long as you start it back up after shutting it off with in a hour or so it doesn't even crank just fries right up. So for as good as it runs I didn't figure it was any kind of distributor problem. I am not able to pull out of garage tonight and get a hose hooked up since it is raining still so I guess I will have to try tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[badbowtie]

Well today it was not raining when got home from work so I went ahead and pulled boat out primed primer bulb like normal till hard then death gripped it two more pumps and had little fuel coming out of carbs so I went ahead and raised fast idle lever and pushed choke and cranked it fired right up with in 2 seconds. So I guess the extra fuel it really did like. Thanks I may try again tomorrow and make sure it was not a fluke.