Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

[PrinceValium]

Hi everyone...since getting my 1975 Mercury 1500 (150hp) running again I am having cold starting issues. Once the motor finally starts, all it takes when the motor is shut off is the turn of a key and it starts immediately. (like it should)

I have been using the electric choke button and have not been using any fast idle. It takes about 45 seconds or so doing this to get the motor to start. What would cause this motor to not want to start well cold, but start immediately when ran?

Thanks!

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

That is just the way they are. Pump the primer hard, motor all the way down. Use full cold start, and hold choke button down until it fires.

 

[red240z]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

With the innition on and the motor not running ,make sure you hear an audible "ckick" when you press the choke button. If there is no click the choke butterfly is not closing.

 

[red240z]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

With the ignition on and the motor not running ,make sure you hear an audible "ckick" when you press the choke button. If there is no click the choke butterfly is not closing.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

I do hear the click of e choke engaging. So should I have the fast idle lever all the way up for starting? I do pump the bulb very firm before starting.

 

[AllAboard]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

I do hear the click of e choke engaging. So should I have the fast idle lever all the way up for starting? I do pump the bulb very firm before starting.

Yes.

 

[roncoop75]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

I do hear the click of e choke engaging. So should I have the fast idle lever all the way up for starting? I do pump the bulb very firm before starting.

I can't believe your getting it started without using it. I have the same cold blooded I6 with a better cold starting system (enricher) and that's the whole reason I changed my throttle control out, warm up lever function was shot.

And ya, it STILL takes me 3 or 4 cranks to get it going. And just like yours, starts with a quick flip of the key when warm.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

I can't believe your getting it started without using it. I have the same cold blooded I6 with a better cold starting system (enricher) and that's the whole reason I changed my throttle control out, warm up lever function was shot.

And ya, it STILL takes me 3 or 4 cranks to get it going. And just like yours, starts with a quick flip of the key when warm.

Ha....basically all I was doing was holding the choke and turning it over. It would slowly sound like it was starting and then it would fire up. I will try going back to using the fast idle lever while starting. I stopped using it when I thought I was flooding it one day.

Can you explain what the enricher is? I am interested in knowing.


Thanks for all the replies thus far everyone!

 

[roncoop75]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

With a choke you have plates that cover the carb throat. Less air with the same amount fuel and you get a richer mixture for starting.

With the enricher system you have a solenoid that, when activated, opens up a path for fuel to flow directly into the crankcase. Same amount of air with more fuel and you get a richer mixture for starting.

Two different ways of achieving the same thing, a richer mixture for starting. Supposedly the enricher was an improvement over the choke system.

Edit:
What I usually do is:
1) Pump ball till firm
2) Lift warm up lever and crank with key pushed in (choke/enricher)
3) It usually doesn't even pop at this point so I pump ball a time or two again and hit the starter. Usually the second crank and I get a pop that kicks the starter out
4) This next crank is the crank that does it. Once it kicks the starter out without starting I know that the next crank (this one) it will usually start.

 

[lathehand]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

On 2 of the 3 carbs on that engin you have choke butterflies .So you have to prime real good and push up the fast idle .

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

Ok I will try going back to the fast idle setting while cranking it over using the choke again. I used to start it this way all the time...however since I went through all the issues getting this motor to run right, I sort of strayed away from that for some reason.

Roncoop...where did you get the enricher system you put on it? Who makes it?

The other thing I wonder about is if the starter is starting to go...how fast should the motor crank over? I have two batteries for starting (one 750 CCA the other 875 CCA)

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

Enricheners came on newer models of the inline six and other Merc models. You might be able to retrofit one from a newer model with some drilling of the carbs and some junk parts.

 

[roncoop75]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

The other thing I wonder about is if the starter is starting to go...how fast should the motor crank over? I have two batteries for starting (one 750 CCA the other 875 CCA)

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here but I think I remember reading that it's about 400-500 rpm.

 

[CVX20SPRINT]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

Doesn't sound to me that the enrichner system is much of an improvment over the choke.I'm hoping that by spring I'll have a primer hooked up to all 3 carbs that will actually pump fuel into the carbs instead of dribbling it in like the enrichner.It will probably be a manual pump mounted in the lower engine cowling.I will probably use a primer off of an older snowmobile engine.Don't think I could find an electric pump that would fit under the hood(too bad because you could run it off of the choke solenoid wire).
The only thing you will see externally would be the knob of the primer pump.I just have to figure out get the primer lines into the carbs.You could either drill the carbs and install nipples to hook the lines to ,or mount nozzles directly into the throat of the carbs.Once you get used to how many times to pump the primer it should start first flip just like when warm.I'd be surprised if someone hasn't done this before.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

Doesn't sound to me that the enrichner system is much of an improvment over the choke.I'm hoping that by spring I'll have a primer hooked up to all 3 carbs that will actually pump fuel into the carbs instead of dribbling it in like the enrichner.It will probably be a manual pump mounted in the lower engine cowling.I will probably use a primer off of an older snowmobile engine.Don't think I could find an electric pump that would fit under the hood(too bad because you could run it off of the choke solenoid wire).
The only thing you will see externally would be the knob of the primer pump.I just have to figure out get the primer lines into the carbs.You could either drill the carbs and install nipples to hook the lines to ,or mount nozzles directly into the throat of the carbs.Once you get used to how many times to pump the primer it should start first flip just like when warm.I'd be surprised if someone hasn't done this before.

Hmm that sounds interesting...I wonder if that would work?

 

[CVX20SPRINT]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

It'll work.Just a matter of sorting where to run the lines into the carbs.On snowmobile carbs there is a nipple close to where they mount to motor with a very small hole.They just tap into the fuel line with an inline 't'.A very small line(approx. 1/8 inch inside dia.)runs from there to the primer pump and then the line splits to however many carbs you have.Each pump of the primer(just a small plunger)shoots a small amount of fuel into all of the carbs.If it will start a snowmobile motor(first pull) at 25 below zero Farenheit it'll start an outboard.I wish I had done this last winter when I had the powerhead in the basement and the carbs off.Didn't know at the time that they were such a pig to start as I bought it just in time to store it last year.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

Well after typing my response earlier I went out and put the muffs on and pumped the build very firm, put the fast idle lever all the way up and choked it while starting it....it fired up after 4 seconds! I was absolutely amazed! It had never done that before....so it seems I have worked out most of the kinks with this motor. Now I just need to order my gauges tonight and get a true rpm and speed at WOT to get the right prop!

Fatwing if you do it let me know how it turns out!

 

[waynelk]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

Inline 6's are hard to start cold but are nearly impossible to "flood". They need a lot of gas. You can get a motorcycle electric fuel pump to fit under the hood. They are small. I fed only the bottom carb with a small copper cap tube adapted to the 1/4 inch fuel line,(Like from a thermocouple) and ran it through the carb screen on the side the butterfly opens. The pump was fed from a T in the fuel line from the premix tank. Fast idle up, Push the button for the fuel pump 3 seconds, Hit the key. Starts right up when cold. I did use a squeeze ball at first but wanted to be able to start from the drivers seat without having to go back and squeeze the ball. Part lazy and part makes my wife more comfortable when I dont have to poke this, squeeze that, and say a prayer to start the old 1973 inline 1500. She doesn't understand keeping old motors running. Her idea is buy a brand new motor for $15,000.

 

[shwoop_soobie]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

i am able to get my carbs to overflow with gas using my squeeze ball... for cold starts i squeeze the ball hard and a few extra, choke on and pump the throttle a bit while i crank... fires right up (knock on wood)... i love it when people are around in their nice new boats and see young me and my old boat and watch it fire right up and purr out of the marina... nothing wrong with the old tower of power!

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Cold starting issue Mercury 1500

i am able to get my carbs to overflow with gas using my squeeze ball... for cold starts i squeeze the ball hard and a few extra, choke on and pump the throttle a bit while i crank... fires right up (knock on wood)... i love it when people are around in their nice new boats and see young me and my old boat and watch it fire right up and purr out of the marina... nothing wrong with the old tower of power!

I think that is how my middle carb is...it drips just a tad of fuel when the bowls are pressurized. I guess that means the goat is a tad bit too high because from what I understand it should not leak at all when pressurized.

I am a bit proud of this motor now and that I got it to work right, it was a long hard road there that is for sure! I went out to show the wife how easy it started and first attempt it kicked out and then fired right up. It sounded great!