Re: 1985 johnson 150 not easy to start
The primer bulb will get hard when you pump it up. As the engine runs, and the pump draws fuel, the primer bulb gets somewhat softer- but should not collapse. Your fuel filter sounds normal. An occasional misfire at idle may be a "lean sneeze". That's a lean condition in the carb, not an ignition issue. Possible you still have a minor restriction (dried fuel) in one of the small carb idle passages. When you cleaned the carbs, did you pull them completely apart, including the jets, and spray some carb cleaner (like a Gumout product) through all the passages? Make sure the cold start choke solenoid is actually working. It should pulse fuel through those small hoses to the top of each carb when the key is on, and the key is pushed in.
