The primer bulb should get hard the first time you pump it at the start of each boating day. Once the engine starts and runs, it will start to draw fuel through the hose. The bulb will soften, but should not collapse on itself. That's normal. If the bulb never gets hard, try holding the bulb so that the arrow on the side of the bulb is pointing skyward-when squeezing. (that arrow needs to be pointing in a generally upward orientation.) If the bulb never gets hard, it's possible the ball valves inside the bulb may be bad and the bulb may need to be replaced. The bulb may also not function normally if it's laying downhill in the splashwell of the boat. Sounds odd, but the orientation of the bulb is important, esp on older hose bulbs.
