In rec.boats dmp wrote:
Hi
I'm a newbie to all this boating stuff and am having problems starting my
outboard.
First off, its a 140 hp Evinrude, about a 1983. I start off by pumping the
fuel bulb til its is hard (a fellow collegue informed me of this) and then
lift the choke lever all the way up, push in the key and start turning it
over. It cranks for about 3 mins and then I stop to let the starter cool(if
it is hot?) Then I start again and finally it will start about another 3 min
or so.

Question is, should it take this long?

No, definitely not. Mine always starts after 3 seconds or so.

I plan on changing the plugs this weekend.

I have the same motor, and REALLY like the NGK BUHXW-1 plugs. Used to get
fouling problems with the Champion equivalent. I'd verify you are getting
spark out of all 4 cylinders, by the way.

Is there something else I should do?

Check if the choke is actually engaging... You should hear it click
when you push the key in, and if you remove the cover from the outboard
you should be able to see the choke levers on both carburetors
move. There should be no resistance if you move the levers by hand,
either.

Next thing to check is if the control box is synchronized to the
carburetor linkage. Pull off the cover of the motor and look at the
throttle linkage. You should see that the throttle cable rotates a
plate with three lines marked on it. A roller on the top carbutetor
linkage moves against the edge of this plate. When you lift the warm-up
lever all the way to the start position, the roller should line up with
the middle line on that plate.

If you've still got the problem, you might want to have a mechanic check
the ignition timing. The timing is advanced with the throttle
position. In fact, at low speeds, the engine is controlled mostly by
advancing and retarding the timing, not by opening and closing the carb.

If the battery is low, will
this not help the problem?

If your battery was able to crank it for 6 minutes before dying, it
sounds OK to me. The overnight charge should do fine.

Dan


--
A casual stroll through a lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove
anything.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche