im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

sicrx88 · Sep 8, 2009

I have a 1983 Mercury 50hp 2 stroke outboard 4cyl with thunderbolt ignition that won't start. I bought it used and can't get it started. Supposedly it worked the day before I bought it. I have checked everything I can think of. all plugs get a good spark (bright blue) with brand new plugs. I have verified that the float in the carb is not plugged.(bought a rebuild kit) I have sprayed starting fluid in the carb as well as directly through the spark plug hole. I am getting compression and gas is flowing. No matter how long I turn the key, it doesn't even try and fire. Is there something I might be missing? im on my last leg with this thanks in advance

Fuzzytbay · Sep 8, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Don't use starting fluid, get a spray bottle, put mixed fuel in it, and spray that into the carb throats.
OK now you know the spark is there, when you crank it over, do you get wet plugs?
Take the plugs out, remove them from the spark plug boots, put the throtle to Max, have a friend crank it over, can you see mist from the spark plug holes? (best not to light a smoke when you do that BTW

)
If its getting fuel, (we know there's spark) it should sputter at least, fire up at best.
Does the fuel pump get hard, and stay hard?
Does it have a mechanical choke?
Does it have an enrichener, (like a primer pump?)
Are they working?
Seems to me its not getting fuel.
I have known 2 stroke's not to fire on starting fluid, cause ring damage yes, but not really to spark or splutter. Either and 2 strokes don't mix.

sicrx88 · Sep 8, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

it has the primer bulb thing if thats what u mean i dont really know much about boats but i am mechanically inclined so i hope this will be a breeze to fix... but yes when i squeeze it it gets hard and stays hard i replaced everything possible in the carbs it dosnt seem to be getting gas to the plugs they get wet once in a while .....yes it does have a mechanical choke on the key (when u push in) is it right when i choke the carb gas leaks out the backside?? because this happens lol ill deff be shure to try the spray bottle in the am. no more either for me lol

j_martin · Sep 8, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Soak the cushions with WD40. Use a little starting fluid or gasoline for an accelerant. Be sure to throw the match as far as you can so you don't get burned.

hope it helps
John

BLU LUNCH · Sep 8, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

j_martin said:
im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Soak the cushions with WD40. Use a little starting fluid or gasoline for an accelerate. Be sure to throw the match as far as you can so you don't get burned.

hope it helps
John

Betcha that brighten his day..................

sicrx88 · Sep 8, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

im about to that point unless i can find a cheep "STRONG RUNNING" lol 50-100hp outboard for cheep hahahaha

hondon · Sep 8, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Somewhere on that remote control you have the ability to advance the timeing and throttle as well as choke this engine.If you do'nt do both of those things at the proper proporsions this engine wo'nt start on a cold start.Do you know about the warm up lever or throttle only features and how to use them?

j_martin · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

sicrx88 said:
im about to that point unless i can find a cheep "STRONG RUNNING" lol 50-100hp outboard for cheep hahahaha

Glad I got you to laugh. Now hear this. Your boat is like yer dog. It will react to your emotions, so can the chitty attitude, and figure out what's wrong with the loose nut. (behind the wheel)

First off, spraying anything that isn't oily into the engine is really hard on it. All the lubrication is carried in by fuel.

Most of these engines need a definite choke or enrichment sequence to start them. They can be finicky. When I first got my XR4, I had trouble starting it till I decided to study this thing and figure it out. Now I have a dance I do and it pops off within 2 seconds every time. (prime, turn on ignition, hit enricher for 6 - 12 seconds, depending on air temp, crank while holding enricher. )

Are you sure the starter and battery are in good shape? Again, from experience, mine started getting finicky. Then finally the starter motor started dragging to the point it was really noticeable. When I fixed that, she was her good old self again.

Assuming you have spark, it is assumed the kill switch is normal. (gets us all at least once)

Hang around, lighten up, we'll help ya get going.

hope it helps
John

sicrx88 · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

uhm i have no clue as to where the enricher would be or if i even have one or for that matter what it looks like hahahaha

j_martin · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

sicrx88 said:
uhm i have no clue as to where the enricher would be or if i even have one or for that matter what it looks like hahahaha

If all else fails, you might try acquiring an owner's manual.

You must have some sort of choke or enricher setup. It may be a button, or pushing in the key when it's on. It should click audibly.

hope it helps
John

sicrx88 · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

hey thanks john for the help i tried the premix in the spray bottle but with little results i been working on this all morning for one vr0o0o0o0o0m ( for 3 seconds lol) this happend when i sprayed the premix directly in the cylinders and had it at WOT it did nothing when i sprayed it through the carbs..... yes the motor has electronic choke in the key u push it in thats all i think.... the serial # is 5683644 if this helps any i also put a carb repair kit in and it did nothing i figured no gas = carb problems so i replaced all the internals in the carb with no luck

j_martin · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

sicrx88 said:
hey thanks john for the help i tried the premix in the spray bottle but with little results i been working on this all morning for one vr0o0o0o0o0m ( for 3 seconds lol) this happend when i sprayed the premix directly in the cylinders and had it at WOT it did nothing when i sprayed it through the carbs..... yes the motor has electronic choke in the key u push it in thats all i think.... the serial # is 5683644 if this helps any i also put a carb repair kit in and it did nothing i figured no gas = carb problems so i replaced all the internals in the carb with no luck

You have to get gas to the carbs. Fuel pump, hoses, pickup in tank, tank itself,etc.

Did you thoroughly clean and blow out the carbs when you put in the kits?

Are there choke buterflies in the carbs? If not, then there's an enricher circuit. Either one should audibly ckick when you turn on and push in the key.

Hold a piece of paper over the carb venturies one at a time and crank the engine. It should suck the paper against the carb, but not blow it away. If it blows,......bad reeds. That would keep it from starting.

I hate it when it does that.

sicrx88 · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

yeah we cleaned the carbs so good you could eat out of them lol plus the new parts it looked factory

but yeah the carbs has choke butterflys they activate when u push the key in i just went out and tried the paper trick and the paper held on both carbs so its not the reeds what else can i try? i think i tried everything well it seems this way hahaha

j_martin · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Does it crank briskly, or does it do a ugghhh--crank routine? Perhaps put a voltmeter on the starter terminal and read it while it's cranking. Should be north of 10 volts.

Thought is slow cranking = weak spark.

Assuming brisk cranking, good compression, gas and spark, the next thing is to get formal on the link and sync.

I have to ask one more possibly irritating question. Are you sure you have good gas, and it's not phase separated?

hope it helps
John

sicrx88 · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

when i crank it it spins fast new batt

starter is good as well.. and for the gas lol i just went out this morning and picked up premium gas ($3.00 a gal here wtf lol) mixed up some new 50:1 so that rules that out haha now what about syncing what

199675hpforce · Sep 9, 2009

Double check your landyard switch

Double check your landyard switch

Could be in off position

sicrx88 · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

the motor is down like as if it were to be in water and the kill switch is in the run position so rule thoas out

Iandayen · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

not sure on yours, but on my '68 it has a fuel pump that uses a diaphram mounted on the side of the block.

Rebuild kit for it was $9 and it fixed my problems, takes like 10 minutes to do.

Faztbullet · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Take a timing light and attach it to one of the spark plug wires and crank it over, I am going to bet that it does not flash. From information that you have posted you have weak spark that cannot jump plug gap under compression. This can be caused by dragging starter or bad stator. I am leaning towards stator. If you take plugs out or check with gapped tester arc will likely be blueish/orange. I have seen this several times on customers engines.

sicrx88 · Sep 9, 2009

Re: im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

my fuel pump that uses a diaphram is located on the carbs i replaced everything in and on the carbs.......the plugs are the funny flat ones so no gap to be set but when i take the plugs out n ground it it makes a bright blue spark should i have different plugs in like ones i can gap ???

im about to burn this this boat 1983merc 50hp wont start

Cadet

Chief Petty Officer

Cadet

Admiral

Lieutenant

Cadet

Lieutenant Commander

Admiral

Cadet

Admiral

Cadet

Admiral

Cadet

Admiral

Cadet

Petty Officer 1st Class

Cadet

Seaman Apprentice

Supreme Mariner

Cadet