1980 15hp cant pull rope to start

Joined
Aug 3, 2008
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just bought john. 15hp (1980) SOMETIMES THE it gets hung up and wont engage flywheel when starting, cant even pull rope. taking the cover off there is a lever i found that i can pull back on by hand to get it to engage. dont know much about boat motors but looks to me like the linkage is haywire. there is a small nob next to where the fuel lines hooks to motor, its kinda hanging there and on the inside it looks like it should be l;inked to something but its isnt. any1 have an idea? i can try to post a pic or 2 of what i'm talkin bout if it helps
 
Joined
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Messages
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Re: 1980 15hp cant pull rope to start

here are a few pics of what im talking about.this is the knob (what is its function?
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this is the linkage or whatever it is thats conects to knob
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and here is the linkage i can pull by hand to engage flywheel to start
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samo_ott

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Re: 1980 15hp cant pull rope to start

Those pics are way too small to see anything. I think the knob is the idle speed adjustment.
 

Rick.

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Re: 1980 15hp cant pull rope to start

crewzinforabrewzin: Your pics are too small but I think I know what your talking about here. Your rewind starter has a built in safety system that prevents starting the motor if it is in gear and throttled to high. I think you will find if you simply back the throttle all the way off, put it in neutral and then give it as much throttle as you can in neutral you will be able to pull the rope. There is a lever arm that mashes into the recoil gear and you will not be able to pull the rope while it's doing it's job. It is the red thing in your picture and its proper place (I can't see it in your picture) is between your starter gear and a small flat post that comes up from the base of the recoil. There is also a very fine wire that comes from the bend in the red part. It's proper place is on the outside of that same small flat post. I have seen so many recoils where that wire can be just about anywhere but I finally figured out the correct location for it to be. That knob you refer to is a slow speed idle control. Again many are not set right. It is a cruise control for trolling and very useful. If your trying to troll at say 2 mph. you can turn it in until it makes contact with the versicle throttle arm and dial it in until you hit 2 mph. From there on you can throttle up move around the lake, shut down your motor or what ever you like but when you turn down the throttle you will hit that arm coming out of the knob and you will be going 2 mph with out having to muck around with the throttle each time. It is a great feature but only for trolling. Sorry about the long winded answer. I'm giving you a couple of links here. One is the BRP site that will show you the complete parts diagrams for you motor and the other is from a man who has written a great deal of information about the OMC 9.9 and 15's. It is IMO a must read for anyone who owns one. I have an 82 - 15 Evenrude that runs like a top. Best of luck. Rick.
http://shop2.evinrude.com/ext/index.aspx?s1=dad905231bf704d4c3112e65e338f8cc

http://www.sschapterpsa.com/ramblings/OMC/OMC info.htm
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
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Re: 1980 15hp cant pull rope to start

thanks for the help:) spent a good couple hours searching this site, i found the second site on my own and got it booked mark. its all kinda making sense to me now. now it seems simple and im thinkin that it was operator error. now i feel pretty dumb, the first time it happened i took the cover off pulled back on that lever, cuttin my thumb open pretty good on the cotter pin in it. then when it released i gave the rope a tug and to my relief it started, that one tug was all it took for my keys to fly rite outa my pocket and into the lake. my only key to my car and my only key to my truck now reside on the lake floor along with all the fish i didnt catch. and all because i thought the linkage was hanging up, and didnt know there was a saftey keeping it from starting:( thanks for the link the diagrams will be a huge help. with them i might be able to make sense of all the info i read hear, over the last couple hours
 
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