9.8hp Mercury outboard - NOOB question about starting.

[1969FJ40]

I added new coils to my outboard and hope that is the fix that was needed since they were $75 ea.
I checked and get spark for each plug using a spark tester.
Checked carb and screen is clean and gaskets are new.
It just won't start. It'll cough once in awhile but won't fire up.
I'm wondering if I'm stuck in gear. Like something might be jammed in lower gear box.
I'm wondering this, because when I pull the starter (with the side lever set to neutral and handle on 'start' position) I see the prop turning.
QUESTION; Should the prop turn when I pull the starter cord to start engine?
I always thought that when I'm in neutral the prop is NOT moving. Is that not true? Is it just idled really really slow or do you think I have the shifter stuck and therefore it won't start???

advice or comments on how and/or what to check?

-Travis

 

[tpenfield]

Welcome Travis.

Do you have a serial number or model year for the 9.8.? It sounds like it may be in gear, so see if you can get it to shift out of gear. My 7.5 Merc seems to like choke to start. Also, make sure the fuel line is primed ( primer bulb) and you are getting gas to the carburetor.

Do the spark plugs look OK?

With older engines, you could have a gummed up carb or the fuel pump may need a rebuild. Do you know when the last time this engine ran?

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

a slight bit of surface tension due to gear lube will move the prop slightly

when was the last time the carburetor was cleaned? did you put a fuel pump kit in the carb as well?

Is this an electric start or pull start?

does the primer bulb pump up firm?

my last 9.8 was a bear to start initially, slight bit of dirt in carb. Had to chase each passage with a piece of copper wire. to start, I ended up using a spray bottle with pre-mix in it, sprayed a bit in the throat of the carb, and in each cylinder thru the plug holes, got it to fire.

 

[racerone]

Year / serial # must be posted !

 

[1969FJ40]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies.
Serial number 6264448
1983 9.8 Mercury Outboard
Pull string start.

I do get a spark on both high-tension cables leading to spark plugs.

I was spraying starter ether into carb and on other tries, into cylinder via spark plug holes.

It would cough, and some exhaust bubble up out of water.

It ran some last year but was super weak. I think it was running on one cylinder. I pulled out my coils and the magnetics that wrap around outside were cracked on both and one was cracked a bunch and came out of it's bright red housing in large pieces. So I don't think that coil was sending voltage to that spark plug, hence my thought that it was running on one cylinder.

The year before that It was running strong. I think I had replaced all the gaskets in the carb assembly a few years back. Maybe I should do it again.

I'm tempted to pull it out of my test barrel, and look at the lower end unit to see if it's stuck in gear, but not sure what to look for. I know on the topside, there's the shift lever on left of engine for R-N-F and I can see how it rotates the shift-shaft on right by the throttle cables. I wonder if something is wrong at the top of that shaft though. Maybe I bolted those pieces and that odd shaped wire together wrong. I have a manual, but not a great picture of how that piece goes together.

See photo attached


When my throttle is in the 'start' position, I can see the cables at the engine end move, but I don't see how that could effect the shifting of the gears on the lower unit. Maybe it's just to set the "speed" at the right location for starting so it doesn't start with roaring high RPM's????



I always make sure it's in the 'start' position.


I'm wondering if I put this back together wrong the one time I had it all stripped down. It has run since it's been back together, but like I stated above, it ran weak and replaced the coils. Nice spark on each high-tension cable, but no start.

 

[tpenfield]

I'll take a look at my Merc tonight.

The throttle and gear shift setup is such that it should not go above the Start region on the throttle if it is in neutral. This is a design feature that prevents over revving of the engine.

The shift shaft turns a cam in the lower unit. The cam itself has a steep angle on the detents, so it can be hard to shift. I find it is easier to shift when the engine is running, but if you are in gear and it won't seem to shift, maybe you can try shifting while pulling the starter cord slightly.

My engine is a 1969, but the design stayed pretty consistent for about 20 years. I had to replace the cable harness as the wires were becoming frayed and shorting out the ignition every so often. That may be another thing to check on your engine.

The good news is that with a 1983 engine, you have the stainless steel drive shaft, so it resists rust/corrosion that plagued the earlier Merc's.

 

[Scott Danforth]

agreed, easier to shift with engine running. you can also turn the flywheel with the pull start if the motor is not running to get it to shift from N to either F or R.

my motor is an 85, however identical to your 83.

There is a cam that rides on the shift lever flag. when in neutral prevents advancing the throttle (to prevent over reving as Ted indicated)

NEVER and I stress NEVER use ether to start a 2-stroke. it washes all the oil off the bearings, so that if it does start, it will shorten the motors life really really quickly.

 

[tpenfield]

I just checked . . . My older Merc has the gears for the throttle, not the cables. So, I cannot provide any comparison on your setup.

It would be best to get the boat in neutral and then see if you can start it.

 

[racerone]

" coughs once in a while " ---suggests that maybe wires from cd unit are reversed on the coils.----I think you should only be able to pull the recoil in nuetral .

 

[1969FJ40]

Correct, you can only pull the starter cord in neutral because the shift lever has an arm on it that engages teeth on the starter cord puller wheel. I assume that is a safety thing so that you don't start it in gear and have the boat take off out from under you. So I do have the shifter in neutral, it was just surprised to look down and see the propeller turn while I was pulling it to start. Like stated earlier maybe that is just the surface tension from gear lube and isn't really going to turn when engine is running and idling.

Wow - didn't even think about that starter fluid issue on 2-strokes. Makes total sense. oops

 

[enginepower]

Ran weak last year like running on one cylinder? Have you checked compression? You may have a toasted motor. Starting fluid not really good for a 2 stroke but if it didn't start with that, you have spark malfunction or internal engine trouble.