9.9 bigfoot hard starting

[blackhawk180]

This question is for myself and a friend with the identical engine and problem Both are 2006 9.9 bigfoot pro kickers (four stroke) with electric start. Both are a B**ch to get started, even on a warm day. On a cold day......%$&@!
Once they finally start and warm up, both run fine and will restart easily if shut down for some reason. Are we doing something wrong? Pump primer bulb until firm, choke and crank. Sounds simple but neither motor will start in a reasonable amount of time.
We both use marine stabil with every fill up and both motors receive regular oil changes etc. My old 8hp two stroke never took more than two pulls!
Thanks for any suggestions

 

[Star]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

I own the non bigfoot 05 15 4 stroke. The carb on yours may be different. the higher efficency carbs tend to clog up the tiny pasages quite alot. They are cleanable with disasembly and a good soak in a strong carb solution. All rubber and plastic removed. Don't forget the two o-rings at the bottom of accelerator diaphram. Blow out all small passages. I advance the throtle enough that your engine would be turning about 1500 rpm, they run these very lean and if you don't it will take som cranking. be sure gas is not comming out the top of the carb when you pump it. the float pin has been known to bind up after sitting. Mine is electric start too but it will fire on the second pull after choke. It has been a good starter for me.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

Thanks, Star. Never considered the lean aspect. I have a remote troll control and can change the throttle setting before cranking so will try that too. I am also suspect of the float needle and flooding with the primer bulb. I'll try the "low prime, 1500rpm" first then tear into it and do a through cleaning if things don't improve.

 

[snowman48047]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

I've got a 2001 9.9 and I was having the same problem. The the dealer and mechanic I use both said to run (can't remember now...injector cleaner/carb cleaner/gumout) something in the gas because the jets in the carb are so frigging small they get clogged real easy. That helped but didn't fix 100%. A buddy has the same engine. He told me to turn the throttle up a bit, prime till bulb is just getting hard (too much will flood it and it will never start), pull choke out, push it in again (do this 3 times, end with choke out), and start. Now I don't really think the choke has much to do with it but I'll be damned if it doesn't start every time now. I can guarantee that it will start in a few weeks using this method after sitting since December.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

Dang, snowman. Even though that choke trick makes no sense to me, I'm going to try it next time out! Did you ever remove the carb for cleaning or just run cleaner through it via the tank? (difficult for me since its plumbed into the main motor tank which runs perfectly)
thanks!

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

I would guess it has a primer instead of a choke, and the 3 pull things pumps in gas. It seams to be a very common problem with the 9.9 big foots , I hear the boys cranking the crap out of them at my my marina I am on a 9.9 lake.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

Interesting, MH. I'm gonna see if I can find an exploded view of that carb and make sense of this thing. Since they have a little primer bulb, I'm thinking the choke may be more standard but the exploded view should help clear that up without tearing the darn thing apart.
thanks for everyones input, much appreciated! If any of these solutions work, I'm gonna "sell the answer" to my buddy for a bunch of beer!

 

[snowman48047]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

Blackhawk;
Ya you are going to want to get a small gas can to run that 9.9 on. The cleaner is way to expensive to treat the main motor when it isn't needed. I use a mercury brand cleaner but can't remember which. I never had to remove the carb to clean it. I made sure I had fresh gas and the cleaner in the fuel and when I finally did get it started on the lake I trolled with it for a few hours. Never had a problem since.

Ok just went out to the garage 'cause I couldn't think of the name..... It's called Quickclean and it is a Mercury Marine product.

The 3 pull/push makes no sense to me at all and it sounds really stupid :facepalm: but I swear if I don't do it it won't start.

MH;
It is a choke for sure. I know this because it says "CHOKE" on the knob and I can see metal arms moving around the carb.

I almost forgot, my buddies 9.9 is a big foot but mine isn't. Just seems like all those 9.9s have tiny jets. In the later motors those jets were increased in size to eliminate the hard starting, so says my Merc mechanic.

 

[Star]

Re: 9.9 bigfoot hard starting

1 A well chemical cleaned carb is the best by far. the small passages get cloged up with varnishes accumulated from evaporated gas NOT dirt, that is what a fuel filter is for.
2 The choke on this motor is not a primer type. It is a flat plate with a hole in it, it doesn't add gas to the system until you crank the motor. The reduced air flow pulls gas out of the fuel bowl into the ventury, If you don't have the throtle cracked open enough your engine will not fire.
3 This engine will start and purr like a kitten, if you follow proper methods and fuel economy is very good.