70 Evinrude - hard to start & shifts hard

1974 Invader Catalina 15' with 1974 Evinrude 70 hp, model - 70473M.
Difficult starting after initial start "pull choke, prime 3 times, try to start, push choke in, prime 3 times and then engine will fire. Replaced fuel, lines, fuel pump. Shifts hard from neutral to forward or reverse. When shifting it makes a clicking sound then will engage into gear. Any suggestions.

Re: 70 Evinrude - hard to start & shifts hard

Suggestion #1: Change your lower unit oil. At least every year. If it looks real bad, ie cloudy or full of metal shavings or both, change it more often.

As for the difficulty starting.... I would only follow the choking/priming procedure for a cold start.

Re: 70 Evinrude - hard to start & shifts hard

Where did you get those crazy instructions?

1. Choke knob on motor has 3 positions. "In" is choke off. "out" is choke on. Half way out detent is choke automatic. Put it in automatic and leave it alone.

2. Squeeze primer bulb to fill carburetors--then leave it alone.

3. Control in neutral, lift warm-up lever.

4. Lift electric choke toggle below key switch and hold it up while running starter with key switch. When it fires, release both toggle and key. After it starts, if it wants to cough, snort, & stall, momemtarilly raise choke toggle to give it an extra shot of fuel.

5. When it warms up enough to keep running, lower the warm-up lever, and shift into gear and go.

6. Warm motor: Normally, all you have to do is turn the key.

Re: 70 Evinrude - hard to start & shifts hard

Agreed. your hard shift may be from shifting with RPM's too high. Warm-up lever should not be up when shifting--on some set-ups it can do a lot of damage.

Clicking sound-- are you easing it into gear, or jamming? You want to be jammin'. But at low RPM.
If it won't hold the idle at low rpm's enough to get in gear, you probably have ethanol poisoning. Sounds like a carb job is in order.