97 15hp Mercury won't start

[spcaer]

Hi guys and gals, I am in desperate need of some help. I recently bought this 15hp outboard from a local boat dealer. Before I purchased it he threw it on the tank for me and started it up and it turned over on the first pull. He ran it for a while and it sounded and looked great. After getting it home I took it out on the water with my 12 foot inflatable and we zipped around for about 5 minutes then the engines seemed to bog down. I played with it a bit and then took it back to the dealer and got it back form him today. I took it out on the water, and same thing, still bogging. Well, I thought it was bogging, the engine would rev, but I couldn't get the boat to go faster than idle speed. After caling and talking with the dealer again, he said it now sounds like I have a bad prop. He brought one to me and I put it on the outboard. I put the outboard back on the boat and now it won't start. I pulled for a good 15 minutes, 5 minute intervals with a 15 minute break between each interval and have had no luck. After each pulling interval I tilt the motor up and when I do that there seems to be a lot of oil or gasoline in the water. In the two weeks I have owned it she has always started on the first or second pull, so here are my questions:

1. Could changing the prop effect the way the engine starts?
2. IS it piossible I just flooded the engine and need to wait til morning to try again?
3. I have read posts about spraying WD40 in the carb while trying to start to get her to turn over, but being very unmechanical, I need some direction on how much and where to spray. (I have attached a pic of the outboard)

Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for helping guys and gals!!

 

[Laddies]

Re: 97 15hp won't start

Re: 97 15hp won't start

1. No
2. Yes, thats possible
3. The new WD40 is not flamable so it won't help
4. If it don't start in the morning ck it for spark if it don't have any unplug the 2 Black/yellow wires that run from the kill switches to the switch box and recheck for spark.

 

[Yamajoe]

Re: 97 15hp won't start

Re: 97 15hp won't start

Your carbs may need cleaning, have you checked for spark, what is the compression test numbers, do not spray wd40 or similar into carbs, you can spray premix fuel into carb; you need to clean the carbs and do a link and sinc. Just a check,?Do you open the vent screw on the tank when you are operating motor.

 

[spcaer]

Re: 97 15hp Mercury won't start

Thanks guys! The dealer told me he pulled the carb and cleaned it, so I am pretty sure the carb is good. I need some assistance with how to test spark and and how to get compression test numbers. Again, I am not very mecahnically savy. Give me a couple scraps of tin and I'll build you a computer, but put an engine in my hands and I become a blind man. I do open the vent screw on the fuel tank before pulling on the outboard.

Thanks again!

 

[Don S]

Re: 97 15hp Mercury won't start

Did you have the safety lanyard hooked up? Without it, it will not have any power to the ignition.

 

[Yamajoe]

Re: 97 15hp Mercury won't start

Take you spark plug off, inspect the ends, are they black, wet, dry;reconnect No:1 plug to coil lead and hold the plug cap with an insulated pliers, so that the firing end of the plug is 5-10mm off the engine block, have your mate pull the starter, you should observe some spark at the end of the sparkplug, if not swap plugs with a known plug that works, if still no spark, then you have and electrical issue.

 

[spcaer]

Re: 97 15hp Mercury won't start

Hi, Don. Yes, the safety lanyard is hooked up. Nothing has changed as far as the starting procedure when it was firing right up on the forst or second pull. Thanks for the advice Yamajoe, I'll give that a shot.

Thanks again guys!