Mercury 60hp bigfoot outboard

[dionfl]

I have a 1999 Mercury 60hp bigfoot engine on my pontoon boat. It would not start, not a sound unless you took the cover of the motor off, then I could hear a ?clicking? sound. (but sometimes it would start fine without any problem) It was coming from the solenoid. I discovered that by pushing on the solenoid and having someone turn the key at the same time that it would crank and the engine would start. But I didn?t want to do that all the time. I bought a new solenoid, installed it and all was fine?so I thought. I started having the same problems as before. So I thought the solenoid wasn?t the problem after all so I just reinstalled the original solenoid to see what would happen?.It started on the first try. But I?m sure that isn?t the end of the problem. My question is: What could be the wrong?

 

[JB]

Re: Mercury 60hp bigfoot outboard

It only requires a few milli-ohms of resistance in the starter high current circuit to prevent enough current to operate the starter, dion.

That can be invisible corrosion in a connection. The worst offender is the connection of the battery ground cable to the engine block, but all other connections, and the cables themselves, are suspect.

Remove and clean all connections of those big wires (cables), both ends.

Let us know what you find.

 

[dionfl]

Re: Mercury 60hp bigfoot outboard

You were absolutely correct, after reading your response I found the negative wire that was located on the starter to be corroded. I disconnected it, cleaned it with a wire brush and sandpaper. Worked like a charm, thank you.

Now something else is happening that I can't figure out. I only take the boat out one day a week...my point is that it sits seven day without being started. The day that I take it out it starts up right away and runs great the whole time that I am going down the river. I take it down the river full speed for about twenty minutes and then stop the engine for about a half hour...start it right up again and head up the river then anchor for about three hours. (never starting the engine while anchored).

When I try to start the engine to leave, it just turns over and will not start. It does send fuel into the water but I can't determine where it is coming from. It seems to me that it is flooded, but I really don't know if that is the fact. Then I have to give up trying to start it and get someone to tow me into the dock.

Your thoughts?

 

[stovepipe]

Re: Mercury 60hp bigfoot outboard

I'm having the same problem with my 2000 60 hp bigfoot. It was running fine then when I was idling it starting running rough so I shut it off for about an hour the tried to start it but it would just spin over and over then it blew the fuse on the motor. I replace the fuse then it just spend over and over. after about an half hour of trying it it finally cranked. Just idles rough and shaking what could be the problems is it flooding do I ne carburetors cleaned?

 

[skip4926]

Re: Mercury 60hp bigfoot outboard

Wow same problem here. Gonna change my plugs this weekend, ill keep you posted. Did you fix your problem?

 

[dionfl]

Re: Mercury 60hp bigfoot outboard

The way that my problem was fixed was having the carburetors rebuilt, now it the problem is solved and it runs better then ever. The older engines were not build to deal with the ethanol that is used in todays gasoline, thus causing build up in the carburetors. You can use http://www.fuel-testers.com/marine_additive_gas_treatment.html