Re: Mercury 18XD or 25XD Starting Problems
LOL...no reason at all that a woman can't do this. Heres what you need to know and do. The square thing is the primer....and you need the choke assembly to use it. Get the choke assembly, there is a small nipple on the bottom of the carb that fits into a small hole on the bottom of the choke assembly, then it screws to the face of the carb to hold it in place. To start the motor after you squeeze the primer ball til it's hard, you pull the choke all the way out once (primes the intake), then push it in one click (for full choke), two clicks (for half choke), or all the way back in (no choke), to start the motor. If you pull it all the way out more than once, you will flood the motor. And keep in mind if it's warm weather, you may not need the choke at all.
Mechanical stuff: For both of these procedures, back the boat in the water and leave it secured to the trailer.
If the idle it's self is set too low, heres how to tell. In the water, start the motor with the hood off. Your looking back at the motor at the face of the carb. On the left side is the butterfly lever. Open that lever slightly to see if it will maintain idle in neutral. If it does, and you can hold it open to a point that it's not idled too high and it stays running; look at the rod that attatches to the mechanism that opens the butterly. The end of the rod that attatches to the carb has adjustable ends. Pop that end off with a flathead screw driver and adjust it slightly and pop it back on til you get that idle. Once you get the idle you want in neutral, the put it in gear and see if it will maintain. Keep adjusting it til you get what you want in gear and in neutral.
Carb out of adjustment. In the water, start the motor; put it in gear. Looking at the face of the carb, on the top/front you will see the idle set screw. With it running and in gear, take a flathead screwdriver and adjust the screw with VERY small movements at a time, and leave about 10-15 seconds between adjustments for the carb to react. Turn it clockwise (lean) til it begins to die. Then begin to turn it counterclockwise (rich) til it begins to die. From that point turn it about 1/8th to 1/4 of a turn back clockwise til it levels out and stays at idle. You want it on the rich side of that "majic" position. After you do this, hit the has a few times, let off a few times, let it sit in neutral, gear, gas etc. to put it through the paces and to make sure no more adjustments are in order.
Easy to do, and doing it yourself will save you tons. Just remember, with any adjustment like that it HAS to be in water. Keep us posted on the outcome. Good luck.
