Starting Problems

[Stonnejb]

I have a 74 mercury 1150 thunderbolt ignition and I am having problems starting it after it sits for two or three days. Once it starts the first time, it will start each and everytime the moment the key is turned. I do not understand that. Shouldn't it be hard to start all the time?

Help please

Stonnejb

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Starting Problems

Those motors are very hard to start whne cold. Pump up the primer bulb, and give it an extra squeeze. Now put the cold start lever up all the way, and hold the choke button down and crank her. Keep the choke going until she fires.

 

[Stonnejb]

Re: Starting Problems

Chris 1956,

Thank you for the reply and info. I will start using this method during cold starts each time the engine set longer than 8 hours. Usually I would opened the trottle lever less than half open and entermittingly pushing the choke and eventually the engine would start. Sometimes 10 to 20 minutes has passed before it would start and sometimes the engine would not start. I thought the carbs would flood and never start if I would open the throttle lever all the way open and holding the choke while cranking the engine over. I will give you some feed back on my Merc 1150 starting problems once the weather warms up some.

Once again thanks

Stonnejb

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Starting Problems

I seriously doub't you will flood that engine. Choke the daylights out of her, with the cold start lever all the way up, for the best chance to start her.

 

[arsenalpsu]

Re: Starting Problems

An expert on these engines once wrote on the forum that these engines are impossible to flood. (I think it was clamscasino)

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Starting Problems

The fast idle lever does not add more fuel. It adds more air and provides a fast idle for warm up. Activating the choke is what adds the fuel and cold two strokes need lots of it. Just don't let it race after it starts. Don't jerk the lever back to idle but rather a comfortable fast idle of 1500 RPM or so.

 

[Stonnejb]

Re: Starting Problems

Thanks everyone for all the good starting tips for my merc 1150. You all have really made my fishing trips more enjoyable. I would dread going to the boat ramp if there are other fisherman lined up to use the ramp. I would wait until the other fisherman lauch their boats and then I would put mine on the ramp attempt to start it. I have delt with this starting problem with this engine for a number of years. A month ago I joined the forum and I have gathered a lot of good information about starting my 1150. Yes, I thought the reason it was not starting was because I had flooded it. I just needed to know how to start the dawn thing and now I know how to start it. I will use these methods whenever I am doing a cold start and I will not have to wait for everyone to lauch their boats ahead of me.
Once again thanks everyone.
Stonnejb

 

[monk-monk]

Re: Starting Problems

stonne, like they said...you can't flood these motors! Do make sure of one thing, and that is to have the choke plates on the carbs as snug as possible without binding. These motors are so cold natured that i have learned to start mine and run it for awhile before heading to the lake...it does help a little, but like clamscanino said, "if it sets for ten minutes, it's cold again".

 

[Stonnejb]

Re: Starting Problems

I like to say thanks to you for sharing the technique for starting my merc 1150. I decided to get a new cranking battery, charge the battery all the way and filled my test plastic barrel about half full of water. I pumped the primer bulb good and hard, then one addition pump. I opened the warm up lever all the way, pushed the choke button in and crank it over for about thirty seconds, stopped and did it again for about thirty seconds, on the next time I crank it over that 1150 fired up. It cranked off in about two minutes and this engine has never done that on a cold start. I will try it again tomorrow to back up that two minute cranking time. Thanks a lot to all of you for your help. This technique really worked and I will continue to use it. Now, at the boat ramp I will not hesitate, I will get in the line and have my merc 1150 ready to go.
Once again thanks to all of you.

 

[79Merc80]

Re: Starting Problems

All that "Cold Start" lever is doing is advancing the timming. If you take the cowling off and lift the lever, you will see the distributer turn.

Craig

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Starting Problems

Craig, The cold start lever advances the timing and opens the carbs a bit. It is equivalent to the "throttle only" button on sterndrives and newer outboard motors

 

[Stonnejb]

Re: Starting Problems

Hello everyone,
How can I tell if my 1150 is idling too rich or too lean and how can I balance between the two adjustments? I read the manual and I am not quite sure that I understand how the adjustment is done, turning the screws which way for lean or rich.

Thanks

Stonnejb

 

[verado7]

Re: Starting Problems

wait a minute - are you saying it starts when you turn the key to the "run " position - or when you turn it fully -as normal - if its doing it when you turn the key to teh 1st position or "run" you have a keyswitch or harnes shorting out .

 

[arsenalpsu]

Re: Starting Problems

this will tell you everything you need to adjust your Merc to perfection...
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=168855&highlight=Timing+Sync+Merc+Inlines+(to+1988)

 

[Stonnejb]

Re: Starting Problems

Hello everyone;
Once again thanks to all the great information, thanks for the link with the carb adjustments. This information, I can understand and it is very simple to read. This weekend I will follow these steps to adjust the carbs and timing on my merc 1150.

Thanks

No, once my engine cranks initially after a few days or a week or so. The moment I turn the key to the start position, it fires up immediately and it will crank each and every time all day while on the water. No, there is not a problem with the key switch or the harness.
Thank for questioning that for me.
Thanks
Stonnejb