Motor hesitation on take off?

[kerryd15]

97 Merc 50 HP. Has a hesitation on take off. Idles fine runs fine at wide open. Any Ideas? Normal? Just seems to sputter for a second or two when taking off. Could just be cold blooded. I tend to run to an area then use the trolling motor. So the motor is cold, usually let worm up a little while I put the rods away and what not. usually do not need to choke much to start but hit the choke once to keep running after I start the motor when it sounds like it will kill when cold. This on a side consel with push button on the key. I used to pump the primer bulb but quit doing that. I have not noticed a difference in how it starts. maybe I am expecting too much.

[LegattoAD]

Problem maybe that you aren't pumping the primer bulb. I've forgotten to do that a couple times and had pretty much the same weirdness you described and even killed it once. I realized what I did, pumped the primer and away I went - haven't had an issue since then as long as I primed it.

[Jmnhunter]

mine did this when i 1st bought it this past spring (not sure how long it was sitting at the dealer), it took awhile to cure it but i believe it was old gas; i cured it by adding seafoam and running it with the cowl off and spraying the seafoam spray in the carbs and it never did that again

[GRA]

Had this problem on a 30 hp. Yamaha. Cleaning the carbs (twice) finally took care of it.