Boat start up before I leave home

[R055]

Your carbed boat was not running right if it would stall without warming up for minutes.

I pump my throttle twice to set choke and squirt some fuel, leave throttle about 1/4 up, turn key to start, and once it starts I return it to idle and immediately select reverse and back off the trailer. My boat is carbed.

Most people who have issues with their carbed boats either are using the wrong procedure or have carb issues. Injection is no doubt more efficient and easier starting on the average, but whenever I see people post about having to let their engines warm up for minutes before selecting gears, I cringe.

I have a 2003 carbed mercruiser 4.3 that I have to either run it at 1000rpms for 30 seconds or idle for 1 minute on cold starts before shifting otherwise it'll stall. I plan to clean/readjust my carb but have never done that and scared to in the middle of the season so I'll wait and mess around with it in the fall.

Our ramps are never that busy though and every lake I go to has atleast 3 ramps and usally nobody waiting so even if you're having problems everyone goes on all the other ramps.

When I was working on my leaking timing cover I had to redo it 3 times and tested it in my driveway so got used to pressing the throttle only button. Next time I went out to the ramp took me a good 2 minute after launching the boat to auctally leave the docks because I kept pressing the throttle only button and thought my reverse gear went out or something. Took me a good 2 minutes to realize what I was doing wrong.

 

[iggyw1]

LOL Comparing a boat I live three miles from my local lake, so I do not start it until I get to the ramp. If I am taking my boat on a two hour trip to a lake somewhere, I would make damn sure it starts in my driveway before I leave for that trip. I do not have a POS boat. It is dependable as hell, but still, I am going two hours from home?? No way would I take the chance and not make sure it will start once I get there, at least to the best of my knowledge. I mean, it could start in my driveway and not start at the ramp. After all, it is a boat!!

 

[WIMUSKY]

^^^^^^ Yep.....

 

[Old Ironmaker]

LOL I mean, it could start in my driveway and not start at the ramp. After all, it is a boat!!

So many things can wiggle loose when trailering, especially on some back roads to lakes here in Ontario. Just this spring my fuse for the bilge worked it's way loose and fell onto the floor, how can that happen when I can hardly get fuses out without a puller? But it's a boat and anything that might happen will happen.

 

[Oshkosh1]

A boat is more akin to other "toys" I own; aircraft and snowmobiles. Unlike my cars/trucks which are simply "turn key and go" transport, the others will always be have a general "walk around", the fluids checked, the tires kicked, started and run up prior to departure. Regardless if it's out to the lake, out on the trail our up, up and away. The car analogy is simply wrong.

As others have mentioned; it's a boat. It lives in a very different environment than does your car. Although I'm sure most here take care and maintain their boats to a much higher degree than many...there's always a chance that just the ride home from the last outing could loosen a connection or the like.

A quick flick of the key at the very least to establish "fire" should at least be done prior to heading to the ramp.

A friend and longtime marine owner said that if you're in the habit of replacing your impeller every couple of years, even "dry" starting it at the landing won't be noticed so long as it's just a couple of seconds to establish that it's running prior to backing down into the water. Obviously you're not really "running" it. It's tantamount to starting your car after draining the oil to pump the filter dry prior to removal. A second or two will do no more harm than a cold start will.

Everyone has their own "method to the madness"...

 

[jkust]

Your carbed boat was not running right if it would stall without warming up for minutes.

I pump my throttle twice to set choke and squirt some fuel, leave throttle about 1/4 up, turn key to start, and once it starts I return it to idle and immediately select reverse and back off the trailer. My boat is carbed.

Most people who have issues with their carbed boats either are using the wrong procedure or have carb issues. Injection is no doubt more efficient and easier starting on the average, but whenever I see people post about having to let their engines warm up for minutes before selecting gears, I cringe.

The thing is, it required a bit of a warm up from when it was new. If I put it into reverse instantly, it would stumble while I went ahead back into the neutral lock out selection to keep warming it up. By the time got rid of it at 199 hours, even having had a full tune up at 100 hours, it only got worse. I was pretty adept at the procedure to use it as I was back when I drove cars from the 1970's. Regardless, I suppose, the MPI engine I now have runs like I always wished the carb Mercruiser did. The last carbed vehicle I have is one of my older snowmobiles and that thing really sucks compared to EFI sleds.

 

[HMK]

Always. always use muffs when starting out of the water. I think Garbageguynailed it.