Whats wrong? - Hard starting motor but runs great once it fires

[mr_jman]

My motor seems to take forever to fire up when I first launch for the day. Sometimes it takes more than 10 minutes of cranking/pumping fuel/etc. Once it finally starts, it runs perfect and I can shut it off and it will start back up instantly. It will work all day after that, idles and runs low to top speed great.

I only use Premium grade fuel and try to minimize how much I prime it to avoid flooding it. The motor is a 1990 40HP Evinrude and I have electric start.

Anyone have any advice or suggestions? I don't think its a fuel problem but maybe a carb problem or something electrical?

[jmg]

Hi. I am probably least qualified to offer an opinion on this, but I had a 1982 Merc that drove me crazy for years with the same thing. In fact, my fishing partners would make bets for money to see how many pulls it would take to start on a given day. Spent hundreds of dollars on it, generally replacing coil packs, carb cleanings, etc. Finally gave up on it and got a different motor. But, most Evinrudes start well so I would be inclined to look at something electrical and then in the fuel delivery system. Good lucK. Hope it's something simple and cheap to fix.

[gunner55]

If it was mine I would start with something that is easy to change & eliminate that as the cause.I think the fuel line & tank would the 1st 2 things I looked at.Does the bulb stay firm?Is the tank vented properly?Just my

[delcecchi]

I would think choke or Primer.

[minneman]

I had a 35 merk that did exactly that, first time for the day was a bugger. fine after that.

Even if I beached a for a while and had the motor up for a 1/2 hr it was a tough start.

I found by accedent that one time I had the motor down in the garage and left it down all the way to the lake, raised it to unload then lowered, and it started right up, figured gas was filling the bowls in the up position and flooding it..?

Anyway from then on I'd only raise the motor during loading and unloading and in the down position the rest of the time. it started fine after that.

[Surface Tension]

Your either flooded or not getting enough fuel to start.

Did you check to see if the prime is working?

You should be able to hear the solenoid click.

Have you tried the manual red lever when cold starting?

Before dropping it in the water remove the cover and have a plug wrench ready.

Use use the manual prime and start.

No start pull a plug and check it.

[cylinder]

I don't know about the 40hp model but I have 2 other Evinrude motors that acted like that - a 25 and 30 hp. I took the cover off and found that the choke didn't have a butterfly thing in the carb like most other motors I had used. It isn't a pull the choke out and push it back in after the motor starts. They have a primer thing and it has to be pulled 8-10 times before trying to start the engine. Then my motors start right up.

[mr_jman]

Thanks for the replies. I am not sure where the choke/prime is on it. Mine is left in the running position even when trailered as well. I do think I have flooded it and try different processes to start it and find something that works. My bulb on the fuel line firms up after about three pumps and then I try to start it a few times. If no go I do have to pump it some more. The hose is brand new and I do vent my tank. Twice in about the last ten times, the motor fired up after about two or three tries but the rest of the time it starts super hard.

[cylinder]

Mine are tiller models and the choke is beside the starter button. I get the feeling you have the steering wheel model and I'm not sure where it is on that. Pumping up the bulb isn't enough to prime/choke it.

[mr_jman]

I have a tiller model as well. My starter button is a button located below the forward/neutral/reverse shifter. I may need to look but never saw anything there

[cylinder]

The link below shows a Johnson motor but my Evinrudes have the same configuration. Primer/choke on the left, starter button to the right of that. I pull the choke 8-10 times if it is cold and it starts right up. It needs a little priming when it is cold. There should be a primer/choke button on it somewhere. if not, pull the cover and look to see if something is missing.

[mr_jman]

Thanks everyone. With the advice that Surface Tension gave about the Solenoid click and the red lever, I started looking at that and doing some more research on other online forums. My red lever was in the wrong position (which can cause flooding). My motor has a choke button to the right of the forward/neutral/reverse lever. I always thought that somehow controlled my tilt (which is broken) so I never held it down or used it when trying to start the motor. When I did push it I could hear that click though so I took it out to the lake today and

1. primed the fuel line pump

2. pushed in that choke button

3. pushed the start button

4. FIRED RIGHT UP IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS!!!!!

Thanks for all the help everyone! I'll try it again tomorrow and probably every day this week but hopefully that is all it was!

[delmuts]

AWESOME!