Choke won't stay out?

[snapshotmd]

I have a 1982 Mercury 9.8hp, manual start motor. The motor is hard to start because the choke won't stay out. I would pull it all the way out, but it won't stay pulled out. Sometimes it will stay out, but then when I pull to start it, it will retract back in. I've been wedging a towel between the choke button and the fuel line to keep the choke out while starting.

Is there a condition where the choke will not stay out? how can I get it to stay?

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Choke won't stay out?

Did you pull off the cover to what is going on. take a pic of the choke area and post

 

[snapshotmd]

Re: Choke won't stay out?

I see no way to tighten the actuator arm to close the choke. I take the fuel line off and let the motor die sometimes if I know I'm not going to use the boat for over a week. The choke stay out when I'm home, and it feels like it is a positive hold. But on the water it slips and retracts. When it does stay out on the water it feels loose, like it will slide easily when jarred.
View attachment 189721View attachment 189722View attachment 189723

 

[snapshotmd]

Re: Choke won't stay out?

One of my buddies says that if the bulb is hard, the choke will stay closed, if the line isn't primed the choke won't stay closed. Is there any truth to this? Because the opposite is happening. This must be a rare problem because the search I did online didn't give me much. Just my luck!

 

[carholme]

Re: Choke won't stay out?

Have you disconnected the cable from the choke mechanism to ensure that the cable operates freely?

Gerry

 

[Laddies]

Re: Choke won't stay out?

Either the detent in the choke cable is bad or you need to loosen the bolt on the top of the carb that holds the cable in place and readjust it to the point that the cable detent just holds the choke closed if it's to tight the cable won't go into the detent and the choke will not stay closed.