20hp starting

[baconbiscut]

My 1968 Mercury with 11 hrs on it still has original spark plugs and all original equipment but it takes for pulls to start after its been sitting for a week. Heres my starting procedure and it works every time. Turn throttle to start put choke on pull cord twice then turn choke off pull once and it sputters then choke on and pull once and it starts right for a totla of 4 pulls then after that it starts on half a pull everytime for the rest of the day. Is this just one of those things where I should care less or would rplacing the sparkplugs help this. Other than starting after sitting for a week the engine runs great

Any help would be greatly appreciated, Dan

 

[jbjennings]

Re: 20hp starting

Dan,
Since it's sat for so long, a carb cleaning probably wold be in order, but you'd better know what you're doing. We had a merc 20 that would start on 2 pulls in the coldest weather in the morning. Dad would pull once off choke, then pull the choke and it would fire, we'd push it in and be off to the duckblind. That's the ONLY one we ever had that would! Just a thought.....Try having your Dad pull on the choke knob while you crank it and see if it cranks quicker. Sometimes the choke will not close all the way and make it a little tougher to start. I'd sure like to have your motor, BTW, it's really sharp!
4 pulls ain't bad...
Just my opinion,
JBJ

 

[baconbiscut]

Re: 20hp starting

Dan,
Since it's sat for so long, a carb cleaning probably wold be in order, but you'd better know what you're doing. We had a merc 20 that would start on 2 pulls in the coldest weather in the morning. Dad would pull once off choke, then pull the choke and it would fire, we'd push it in and be off to the duckblind. That's the ONLY one we ever had that would! Just a thought.....Try having your Dad pull on the choke knob while you crank it and see if it cranks quicker. Sometimes the choke will not close all the way and make it a little tougher to start. I'd sure like to have your motor, BTW, it's really sharp!
4 pulls ain't bad...
Just my opinion,
JBJ

I think i'll just live with it the thing starts on the first pull once its already been stated I'll rebuild the card towards the end of summer. Oh and I put it on my boat today and i was putting around and I decieded to to check out my hole shot. So I slammed the throttle down and man it went but after i was on plane I couldn't go past half throttle it was to scary. i'm investing in a larger more heavy duty boat.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: 20hp starting

Dan,
You'd be smart to do just that. Too small a boat is big-time dangerous and that thing has so much torque it will break down the transom on even a good boat if you gas it hard a lot. I hope you're careful making sure you're starting it in neutral. If the safety lock out malfunctions and it accidentally starts in gear with a good bit of throttle it will put you in the lake and come back to run over you. NO JOKE!
Laddies can help you get the carb right if anyone can. the little cable operated choke does get loose sometimes and doesn't shut the choke all the way--worth checking. If it's open even a little it will be hard to start.
Later,
JBJ

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: 20hp starting

In all honesty, four pulls on a cold 1968 motor, consistently and reliably, doesn't seem that bad to me! Consider that you have to get the gas going through the carb, through the crankcase, then into the cylinders. Yes, make sure the choke is closing completely, but if you don't know what you're doing with the carb, you might just leave well enough alone--others may see this differently. Oh, and do give it some new plugs, couldn't hurt, and you can put the old ones in your tool box for spares.

 

[hondon]

Re: 20hp starting

Fabulous engines but when they were designed Merc had no idea what kind of crappy fuel they were going to throw at us 30 years down the road.4 pulls on a cold start is a gift and you do'nt even want to even get to that little carb let alone get into it unless you absolutley have to.