1995 60HP Mercury hard to start...

[Jake Blood]

Hey guys, long time viewer here with not any posts...in need of help.

I have a 1995 60hp Mercury outboard that started and ran great until this weekend. I can always start the boat pretty easy... turn they key... let it idle for a bit, war up and off I go... once in awhile I have to turn the key after a stall from idle, but only when the boat is real cold.. Anyway, my last trip out, I went to take off and noticed the water was not streaming out the back... I always check it as I get going and a few times during a longer run... Since I was with my daughter, I had to motor to the shore... about a mile.. no alarms went off, but it did not 'p*ss' the entire way. I shut the motor down, went and got the truck and the boat started fine again and I got her on the trailer.

So, I get her home, check for a clogged line, no.. so imediately thought impeller. I changed the impeller, no issues there... but it took me about 45 seconds of cranking to get the boat to start... it has NEVER taken that long.. when it started it ran fine... and the stream was strong as ever.. so that appeared to be the issue.. however, I shut it down and it took me another 45 seconds or so of cranking before it turned over... it sounds like a no spark crank.... (or no fuel)... but then eventually starts... I have not had a chance to run it at the lake.. just a water filled barrel in the yard.. so I don't know how it runs... it idled ok once started, but again... so hard to start, and never ever took that long... Any thoughts at all... ??? Thanks in advance.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1995 60HP Mercury hard to start...

Do a compression test
Did it smoke much when restarted?
check your primer bulb holds firm with engine off
check spark on all cylinders
After all that you should have a indication as to the cause

 

[Jake Blood]

Re: 1995 60HP Mercury hard to start...

It did smoke a little bit more than usual.. it always smokes some...
The primer bulb does hold firm when the engine if off...
All cylinders have spark..

As for compression, I will need to go buy a compression guage and get back to you on that one... you have me nervous though. Do you know what kind of compression I am looking for? Or just compare the three cylinders and look for the low one ( if.. knock on wood )..

I did notice that the barrel I ran the engine in had a blackish ring around it where the water level was.. that was odd.. just exhaust maybe?
Barrel was clean prior... normal?

I guess now I am pretty worried... sounds serious..

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1995 60HP Mercury hard to start...

Likely not serious as it would of made a bad sound and wouldnt of idled properly but it is worth checking it out to be sure as you dont want to buy parts and have a dropped cylinder still. You should be able to get a compression tester for about ten dollars. I like the ones without hoses.
Yes just compare that none are wildly different
Also look at your plugs to see if they are all similar looking.
That black ring is normally unburnt oil, normally lack of spark on a cylinder or from flooding

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1995 60HP Mercury hard to start...

If you dont have a compression tester you can pull the lanyard line so it wont spark, remove all plugs and then get someone to crank the engine with the key while you put your thumb over each cylinder in turn. Its not accurate but you shuld be able to feel if any cylinder has dropped right off.

Make sure you disable spark by pulling the lanyard line or ground the sparkplug wires