Choke primer

stevehendo34

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Aug 7, 2010
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92
My 1988

My Evinrude starts very hard when cold but runs fine after that. Can you please give me proper sequence for starting. I see it has electric primers instead of manual chokes.

Do you pump bulb, set fast idle and then hold in key and turn together until it starts.

Is the electric primer output hooked to all 3 carbs and where dose it go into the card, a special jet, Do they flood easy.

If the primer is pumping gas into a can when the hose is unhooked would you rebuild carbs--rebuild looks easy as any car or motorcycle.
 

kofkorn

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Jul 1, 2011
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For me, it depends a little on the temperature. If it's particularly cool, I'll pump the ball, then turn the key to run and push it in for 3 or 4 seconds without attempting to start it. This squirts all of the pressurized fuel into the intake. Then, I'll pump the ball up again and proceed to start by turning to start while pushing the key in. It will usually fire quickly this way.

If it's a warmer day, I'll pump the ball then turn the key to run and hold it for a few seconds. Then while holding the key in, I'll attempt to start. Again, it doesn't usually take more than 2 or 3 turns of the flywheel to get it going.

the primer is usually just a small opening just past the throttle butterfly. It doesn't have any jetting or valving, so when the primer solenoid is activated, it will squirt as long as the fuel line is pressuried (Via fuel pump or ball pump).

I haven't had any issue with flooding starting this way.

Good luck!
 

w2much

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Go to "Frequently Asked Questions" there is a thread on starting OMC motors.
 

kofkorn

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Just noticed something in your post. Is the primer allowing fuel by even when you aren't pushing the key in? If it is, then you probably need to flip the manual primer lever to off. It's the little red lever that is on the side of the primer solenoid. It's intended to be used when you have a dead battery, a cold engine, and you need to pull start your motor. In other words, never. :)

However, if it is flipped to manual, then the solenoid is being forced open and you would constantly be pumping raw fuel into the intake. That will definitely flood your motor fairly quickly. The red lever should be pointed toward the main body of the solenoid. If is pointing away, it's in manual mode.

Good Luck!
 

jakedaawg

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Jun 26, 2012
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For me, it depends a little on the temperature. If it's particularly cool, I'll pump the ball, then turn the key to run and push it in for 3 or 4 seconds without attempting to start it. This squirts all of the pressurized fuel into the intake. Then, I'll pump the ball up again and proceed to start by turning to start while pushing the key in. It will usually fire quickly this way.
This is wrong. There is no pressuized fuel if you are not actively squeezing the bulb or cranking the engine. period, right hand, true story!

Many people belive that by squeezing the bulb that this builds pressure that is then released when they push the key in, it does not work that way.

By squeezing the bulb you are simply filling the carb bowls which are vented to atmosphere so therefore can not build pressure. By squeezing the bulb you are also filling the fuel hose, but its just a fuel hose, with rather thick not stretchy walls, it does not build any noticeable pressure. Some say "sure it does, haven't you had fuel spray when you pluged the line in?" yes, but chances are that was spray caused by vapor from sitting in the sun, not pressure built up from squeezing the bulb.

So..this brings us to how it really works...

The electric primer is just a valve, not a pump, that is actuated by a solenoid. When you press the key in, while at the same time squeezing the bulb or cranking the engine, a small amount of fuel is sent into the manifold just behind the throttle plate. This richens the mixture and aids in starting.

Go to the sticky top secret file and click on how do I start my motor link. Its a pretty decent tutorial that will work for most motors. Saves one of us from having to write it out
 

kofkorn

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I respectfully disagree. When I get to the ramp, I plug my fuel line in. No pressure in the system, no pressure due to temp change. I pump the ball up, then push the key in. I can literally hear the fuel being released into the carbs. Listen, you'll hear the bubbles running through the primer inlet on the carb.

You are a little incorrect in your fuel system description. The carb bowls are vented to atmosphere as you state, but the whole purpose of the float needle is to stop the fuel from coming into the bowls when they are full. So you pump the fuel into the carbs until the floats rise. Then the needles shut off the flow of fuel into the carb. When all of the carbs are full, this is when your fuel bulb gets hard. The fuel bulb didn't just change material properties and get hard, the pressure of the backed up fuel is what is causing it to get hard. If the needles didn't stop the fuel, the bulb wouldn't get hard and you'd get fuel running out of the carbs.

This pressure remains in the system until you release it via the fuel solenoid or when the floats drop down and allow the extra fuel in, or eventually when it leaks by the needles or ball checks in the fuel bulb. The pressure is held by the flexibility of the fuel bulb, the return spring in the fuel pump and the fuel lines in the system which I agree is not a lot, but it's enough. If your lines were hard plumbed, pressure would drop immediately and there would effectively be no "squirt" of fuel until the fuel pump starts operating.

Simple test, Pull off one of the primer lines off the carb. Pump the ball until it's hard and then turn your key to run and press it in. I GUARANTEE that you'll get fuel squirting out. It won't be a lot, and it will die off pretty quick which is the reason for my Pump, Primer, Pump procedure above, as I can't reach both the pump and key at the same time.

I agree that the solenoid is simply a valve. But if you wan't the motor to fire quickly, you want to richen the mix as early in the starting procedure as possible. It will certainly start the way you describe, but you are now waiting a few additional turns of the motor for the fuel pump to push more fuel into the primer. Either way will work.
 

stevehendo34

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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92
If I disconnect fuel line from primer and and push key in can I see it squirt some fuel from the solenoid.

"a small amount of fuel is sent into the manifold just behind the throttle plate."
​Could I look under the throttler plate to see some fuel cumming--may bee the hole is plugged.

"if it is flipped to manual, then the solenoid is being forced open and you would constantly be pumping raw fuel into the intake, flooding"
Could very well be this
 

ondarvr

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I respectfully disagree. When I get to the ramp, I plug my fuel line in. No pressure in the system, no pressure due to temp change. I pump the ball up, then push the key in. I can literally hear the fuel being released into the carbs. Listen, you'll hear the bubbles running through the primer inlet on the carb.

You are a little incorrect in your fuel system description. The carb bowls are vented to atmosphere as you state, but the whole purpose of the float needle is to stop the fuel from coming into the bowls when they are full. So you pump the fuel into the carbs until the floats rise. Then the needles shut off the flow of fuel into the carb. When all of the carbs are full, this is when your fuel bulb gets hard. The fuel bulb didn't just change material properties and get hard, the pressure of the backed up fuel is what is causing it to get hard. If the needles didn't stop the fuel, the bulb wouldn't get hard and you'd get fuel running out of the carbs.

This pressure remains in the system until you release it via the fuel solenoid or when the floats drop down and allow the extra fuel in, or eventually when it leaks by the needles or ball checks in the fuel bulb. The pressure is held by the flexibility of the fuel bulb, the return spring in the fuel pump and the fuel lines in the system which I agree is not a lot, but it's enough. If your lines were hard plumbed, pressure would drop immediately and there would effectively be no "squirt" of fuel until the fuel pump starts operating.

Simple test, Pull off one of the primer lines off the carb. Pump the ball until it's hard and then turn your key to run and press it in. I GUARANTEE that you'll get fuel squirting out. It won't be a lot, and it will die off pretty quick which is the reason for my Pump, Primer, Pump procedure above, as I can't reach both the pump and key at the same time.

I agree that the solenoid is simply a valve. But if you wan't the motor to fire quickly, you want to richen the mix as early in the starting procedure as possible. It will certainly start the way you describe, but you are now waiting a few additional turns of the motor for the fuel pump to push more fuel into the primer. Either way will work.

I agree, not sure why some people can't under this.
 

stevehendo34

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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92
One more thing.
"this is when your fuel bulb gets hardt"
I can't get the fuel line bulb pumped up hard like my merc dose before I do anything.
Built in gas tank on pontoon.
I herd you have to hold the bulb vertically to get it to pump fuel and have check valves work, is this true
 

kofkorn

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Jul 1, 2011
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I herd you have to hold the bulb vertically to get it to pump fuel and have check valves work, is this true

I've had difficultly with various fuel bulbs in the past. Holding them vertically with the arrow pointing up does seem to help. For me, it usually only happens when the fuel has drained back into the tank. Once the fuel is in the bulb, I don't normally need to hold it up any more.

Good luck!
 

Fed

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Apr 1, 2010
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I think pre-priming the primer is a waste of time, at the very best it would save you one starting revolution of the motor.
250 Milliseconds @ 240 RPM cranking speed, insignificant and probably get equal results doing a little voodoo dance before cranking.

A hard bulb means fuel in the bulb not pressure in the bulb, the moment you let go of the bulb it depressurizes.
 

ondarvr

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I think pre-priming the primer is a waste of time, at the very best it would save you one starting revolution of the motor.
250 Milliseconds @ 240 RPM cranking speed, insignificant and probably get equal results doing a little voodoo dance before cranking.

A hard bulb means fuel in the bulb not pressure in the bulb, the moment you let go of the bulb it depressurizes.


Some people feel that way, but I can tell you after running these motors since they came out, and showing many people how to more easily get their Crossflows started, that on some, probably most, pre-priming helps to get them started sooner when cold. If it doesn?t help on yours then don?t do it (if you have one).

When hard the bulb and system is pressurized, if you don't think it is, pump the bulb up and then push the ball in on the end of the fitting, point it the other way first.

The pump, prime, pump, prime method works well on some too.
 

Fed

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Some people feel that way, but I can tell you after running these motors since they came out, and showing many people how to more easily get their Crossflows started, that on some, probably most, pre-priming helps to get them started sooner when cold. If it doesn?t help on yours then don?t do it (if you have one).
Yes I have a v4 90 and although I've tried the pre-prime I found no noticeable difference, I no longer bother with it.

When hard the bulb and system is pressurized, if you don't think it is, pump the bulb up and then push the ball in on the end of the fitting, point it the other way first.
Pressure in the fuel line doesn't mean pressure in the bulb.

It's really splitting hairs ondarvr and not worth the confusion factor for someone wanting to know how to start a 2 stroke.
Just laughing to myself here I saw a post recently where the guy was pre-priming his butterfly chokes, internet voodoo.
 

racerone

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Dec 28, 2013
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Something as simple as an electric valve and it is mis-uderstood by many.-----Clearly dealers have an easy time of selling the new style ( expensive ) motors.----The owner does not need to know / learn anything about how things actually work.-----You just turn the key and everything is thought out by the computer.
 

interalian

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Jul 23, 2009
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I'm going to put a primer button on the cowl of my x-flow so I can prime it from aft of the helm whilst massaging the bulb and not have to pull the cover off. I'll use a stop switch off a small motor. Just for those extra cold days you know.
 

ondarvr

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It's really splitting hairs ondarvr and not worth the confusion factor for someone wanting to know how to start a 2 stroke.
Just laughing to myself here I saw a post recently where the guy was pre-priming his butterfly chokes, internet voodoo.


Again, your opinion, if it doesn't help on your motor don't do it, if helps someone else?s motor to start then they can do it, that kind of makes sense to me. I don't assume that just because something didn't work for me it's not going to work for someone else.

Old cars had the same variance, some you just turned the key, others needed one pump of the peddle to set the choke and get a squirt of fuel, others liked several peddle pumps. If it helped your car start cold it wasn?t bad.
 

Fed

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Please explain.
Primer bulbs have check valves.

My opinion is that pre-priming doesn't stack up ondarvr.
Not when you consider that the motor cranks at ~4 Revs per Second which is 4 fuel pump strokes per second compared to any 'extra' volume that may be in the fuel system from expansion in the fuel hose and fuel pump.
What I'm saying is the pre-priming is negated in less than the first second of cranking.
 

ondarvr

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The check valve to direct flow to the motor is located between the tank and squeeze bulb, so pressure in the bulb is directed to the motor, the bulb and fuel line from that point on see the exact same pressure.
 

ondarvr

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If it needs that extra fuel up front to start, as in more than is being supplied by the primer on those first couple of revolutions, which some motors appear to need, then yes it will start sooner.
 
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