Procedure to start my boat (Bayliner 18')
 

I recently purchased a used boat and plan to put it in the water for
the first time tomorrow morning. The boat has an inboard 120hp OMC
Cobra 2.3L, 4 stroke.

When I bought the boat, the seller told me the proper way to get it
started. However, I am not sure I quite remember everything.

i think he said that I must first PULL the shifter inward (toward me)
and then pump the motor by moving the shifter forward once or twice.

Then I think I am supposed to bring the shifter back to the neutral
position (not sure if I do this with the shifter still inward or back
to its regular "anchored" position) and turn the key. Then slowly push
the shifter forward to engage the driveshaft forward. Does that make
any sense?

What is the purpose of "pulling" the shifter in toward me first?
Aren't we supposed to simply move the shifter forward, backward or
neutral ? Anyway, if someone could confirm that this procedure is
correct and explain why we need to do this "PULL IN" trick with the
shifter, that would be greatly appreciated!

Andre

Gotta pull the throttle lever (perpendicular to the direction you move to
throttle forward or backward) while in the neutral position in order to
engage the starter.. Moving the throttle back to center does engage neutral,
but for safety you must pull out on the throttle lever to enable the
starter. It's a safety thing.

For what it's worth, I wish I'd gotten an experienced boater to go out with
us the first time we launched our boat. It would have saved a LOT of hassle
and uncertainty, mistakes, etc. (Fiberglass is a bitch to repair :) There
are so many things to remember when boating that a new boater will surely
forget some of them. Trailer hookups, equipment checks, towing, backing,
launching, starting, safety checks, spare parts and tools, waterway rules,
emergency procedures, docking, loading, etc., etc. Be safe- take along an
experienced boater your first time out.



"Melandre" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a used boat and plan to put it in the water for
the first time tomorrow morning. The boat has an inboard 120hp OMC
Cobra 2.3L, 4 stroke.

When I bought the boat, the seller told me the proper way to get it
started. However, I am not sure I quite remember everything.

i think he said that I must first PULL the shifter inward (toward me)
and then pump the motor by moving the shifter forward once or twice.

Then I think I am supposed to bring the shifter back to the neutral
position (not sure if I do this with the shifter still inward or back
to its regular "anchored" position) and turn the key. Then slowly push
the shifter forward to engage the driveshaft forward. Does that make
any sense?

What is the purpose of "pulling" the shifter in toward me first?
Aren't we supposed to simply move the shifter forward, backward or
neutral ? Anyway, if someone could confirm that this procedure is
correct and explain why we need to do this "PULL IN" trick with the
shifter, that would be greatly appreciated!

Andre

"Melandre" wrote in message
...


i think he said that I must first PULL the shifter inward (toward me)
and then pump the motor by moving the shifter forward once or twice.

I am not exactly sure that I am following what you are saying, but let me
take a guess after a short explanation.

Most fuel injected engines these days will start just fine with the throttle
at idle position, no need to "pump" the throttle. That is certainly not the
case with older carbureted engines. Some need additional throttle opening
to start cold, and some need to open the throttle in order for the choke
mechanism to properly operate.

That said, it sounds like the proceedure you were told was how to open the
throttle and still have the boat in neutral. Rotating the throttle lever
forward from the straight up/down position will engage forward gear and then
open the throttle. Rotating the lever back will engage reverse gear and
open the throttle. If you want to open the throttle without engaging a gear
you need to disengage the gear shift. Some systems have a little knob that
you pull out. On others, you pull the lever itself out. In normal
operation you rotate the lever forward and back, to disengage the gearshift
you pull the lever (from its pivot point) left or right.


Then I think I am supposed to bring the shifter back to the neutral
position (not sure if I do this with the shifter still inward or back
to its regular "anchored" position) and turn the key.

If it needs extra gas to get it started leave the lever out. Now you can
rev the engine up and get it warmed up as needed. Once the engine is able
to idle smoothly return the lever to the idle position (straight up/down)
and push it back in.

Then slowly push
the shifter forward to engage the driveshaft forward. Does that make
any sense?

When you are ready to drive the boat you will slowly rotate the lever from
the nuetral to the idle position. You should feel a positive "detent" as
the gear shift operates, but the engine RPMs should remain the same at this
point. Further rotating the lever will increase engine speed.


What is the purpose of "pulling" the shifter in toward me first?

As mentioned above, it disconnects the gear shift mechanism so you can rev
the engine up without turning the prop.

Aren't we supposed to simply move the shifter forward, backward or
neutral ? Anyway, if someone could confirm that this procedure is
correct and explain why we need to do this "PULL IN" trick with the
shifter, that would be greatly appreciated!


This operation is very basic and standard with boats. My best
recommendation is that you find someone who has experience with boats to
demonstrate some of the basic boat handling skills. It can save you a lot
of time, frustration, embarassment and possibly money! Remember, boats
don't have brakes! The hardest part of driving a boat isn't when you are
going fast, it is when you need to go really slow! Not being familiar with
how the gear shift and throttle work can lead to running into more things
then you might otherwise.

Rod

On Fri, 01 Oct 2004 05:37:20 GMT, "Stanley Barthfarkle"
wrote:

Gotta pull the throttle lever (perpendicular to the direction you move to
throttle forward or backward) while in the neutral position in order to
engage the starter.. Moving the throttle back to center does engage neutral,
but for safety you must pull out on the throttle lever to enable the
starter. It's a safety thing.

For what it's worth, I wish I'd gotten an experienced boater to go out with
us the first time we launched our boat. It would have saved a LOT of hassle
and uncertainty, mistakes, etc. (Fiberglass is a bitch to repair :) There
are so many things to remember when boating that a new boater will surely
forget some of them. Trailer hookups, equipment checks, towing, backing,
launching, starting, safety checks, spare parts and tools, waterway rules,
emergency procedures, docking, loading, etc., etc. Be safe- take along an
experienced boater your first time out.

Good advice.

Take care.

Tom

"The beatings will stop when morale improves."
E. Teach, 1717

You probably have a carbureted engine. The starting procedure is to have the
gear shift in neutral, set the choke, get the engine running smoothly, then
shift into forward or reverse to go.
With the lever in neutral, you have to keep the gears from engaging as you
move the lever forward to set the choke and prime the engine. There are
different ways to do that, depending on the shift lever: evidently yours is
to pull the lever out before moving it forward. It's like stepping on the
clutch pedal in a standard transmission vehicle.
Then pushing the lever all the way forward sets the choke. Usually you only
have to move it all the way forward and then back to a detent that you will
feel, probably before you get back to the vertical, neutral position. .
Use the key to start the engine. If it's been awhile since last run, you may
have to move the lever forward to give the engine a little more gas to run.
As it begins to smooth out, bring the lever back to the detent and let it
idle for a minute.
When you are ready to go, bring the lever back to vertical and let it go
back in, so the gears will engage when you next move the lever forward or
reverse.
My control is stiff and requires a deliberate, firm push to engage the
gears, then it moves more easily forward or back to add more power.


"Melandre" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a used boat and plan to put it in the water for
the first time tomorrow morning. The boat has an inboard 120hp OMC
Cobra 2.3L, 4 stroke.

When I bought the boat, the seller told me the proper way to get it
started. However, I am not sure I quite remember everything.

i think he said that I must first PULL the shifter inward (toward me)
and then pump the motor by moving the shifter forward once or twice.

Then I think I am supposed to bring the shifter back to the neutral
position (not sure if I do this with the shifter still inward or back
to its regular "anchored" position) and turn the key. Then slowly push
the shifter forward to engage the driveshaft forward. Does that make
any sense?

What is the purpose of "pulling" the shifter in toward me first?
Aren't we supposed to simply move the shifter forward, backward or
neutral ? Anyway, if someone could confirm that this procedure is
correct and explain why we need to do this "PULL IN" trick with the
shifter, that would be greatly appreciated!

Andre

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put a garden hose fitting on the motor and get
it running in the driveway for a few minutes before towing it all the way to
a lake and then finding out you can't start it. This way you get the feel
for getting it started and you prove the motor before you go through the
trouble of towing & lauching it.

Most important things to remember when launching:

Put the drain plug in.
Disconnect trailer lights before backing into the water. Remember to
reconnect after pulling out of the water and allowing water to drain from
the trailer.
Put the drain plug in
Don't disconnect the safety chain at the winch until the boat is backed into
the water. Likewise reconnect it BEFORE you pull the boat out again.
Put the drain plug in
Don't forget to bring the boat key with you.
Remember to raise the outdrive up before pulling the boat back out again.
Oh, and don't forget to put the drain plug in.
(I've never forgotten my drain plug but have seen what happens when it's
left out)

These are all small mistakes that many boaters have made, some with
potentially catastrophic consequences.

If you can't figure out the starting procedure, you will likely see other
experienced boaters around who would be more than happy to help you.
Good luck and may you enjoy your boat as much as I enjoy my Sea Ray.

--
Denis Roy
D. Roy Woodcraft
www.ideasinwood.com
"Melandre" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a used boat and plan to put it in the water for
the first time tomorrow morning. The boat has an inboard 120hp OMC
Cobra 2.3L, 4 stroke.

When I bought the boat, the seller told me the proper way to get it
started. However, I am not sure I quite remember everything.

i think he said that I must first PULL the shifter inward (toward me)
and then pump the motor by moving the shifter forward once or twice.

Then I think I am supposed to bring the shifter back to the neutral
position (not sure if I do this with the shifter still inward or back
to its regular "anchored" position) and turn the key. Then slowly push
the shifter forward to engage the driveshaft forward. Does that make
any sense?

What is the purpose of "pulling" the shifter in toward me first?
Aren't we supposed to simply move the shifter forward, backward or
neutral ? Anyway, if someone could confirm that this procedure is
correct and explain why we need to do this "PULL IN" trick with the
shifter, that would be greatly appreciated!

Andre

Melandre wrote in message . ..
I recently purchased a used boat and plan to put it in the water for
the first time tomorrow morning. The boat has an inboard 120hp OMC
Cobra 2.3L, 4 stroke.

When I bought the boat, the seller told me the proper way to get it
started. However, I am not sure I quite remember everything.

i think he said that I must first PULL the shifter inward (toward me)
and then pump the motor by moving the shifter forward once or twice.

Then I think I am supposed to bring the shifter back to the neutral
position (not sure if I do this with the shifter still inward or back
to its regular "anchored" position) and turn the key. Then slowly push
the shifter forward to engage the driveshaft forward. Does that make
any sense?

What is the purpose of "pulling" the shifter in toward me first?
Aren't we supposed to simply move the shifter forward, backward or
neutral ? Anyway, if someone could confirm that this procedure is
correct and explain why we need to do this "PULL IN" trick with the
shifter, that would be greatly appreciated!

Andre


hi andre, a safety function of all control boxes is "start in gear"
protection, basically it wont crank if the gearbox is in gear to save
you throwing yourself overboard. to overcome this function and still
be able to "crank" the engine, you have to disengage the gearshift. as
mentiuoned this is achieved several ways, usually by pushing in on the
button in the center of the control lever and pulling the whole lever
out. now you can use the throttle but still be in neutral. "pumping"
the lever is akin to pumping the gas pedal on a car, dumping raw fuel
into the intake to help start. every boat is different to start, so i
would follow the instructiuons of the previous owner.
as far as "shifting" a boat into gear goes shift that type of gearbox
in and out of gear as fast as you can comfortably, no grinding. this
will lengthen the lifespan of your clutchdog and gears. if you cant
shift it without too much grinding it could be maladjusted and should
be fixed. hope this helps, good luck.

Thanks, yes, I did start it first in my driveway. Thank God I did
because I realized I had a totally dead battery. When to Wal-Mart and
bought the best one they had, went back home and then the boat started
like a charm.

The launching procedure went flawlessly as well. Glad nobody was
around to laugh at me while I was trying to back up the boat in the
water !!! I had to dock quite a few times (marina, my newly purchased
cottage, etc.) and I did not crash into any docks or other boats.
Phew! First day of boating is over: no accident and it was a lot of
fun! Today, we are going back to our cabin (which is boat access
only) but last night I left the boat at the marina nearby so today I
don't have to go through the launching routine again.

Thanks for your help! Andre

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 00:20:19 GMT, "Denis Roy"
wrote:

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put a garden hose fitting on the motor and get
it running in the driveway for a few minutes before towing it all the way to
a lake and then finding out you can't start it. This way you get the feel
for getting it started and you prove the motor before you go through the
trouble of towing & lauching it.

Most important things to remember when launching:

Put the drain plug in.
Disconnect trailer lights before backing into the water. Remember to
reconnect after pulling out of the water and allowing water to drain from
the trailer.
Put the drain plug in
Don't disconnect the safety chain at the winch until the boat is backed into
the water. Likewise reconnect it BEFORE you pull the boat out again.
Put the drain plug in
Don't forget to bring the boat key with you.
Remember to raise the outdrive up before pulling the boat back out again.
Oh, and don't forget to put the drain plug in.
(I've never forgotten my drain plug but have seen what happens when it's
left out)

These are all small mistakes that many boaters have made, some with
potentially catastrophic consequences.

If you can't figure out the starting procedure, you will likely see other
experienced boaters around who would be more than happy to help you.
Good luck and may you enjoy your boat as much as I enjoy my Sea Ray.

Thanks to all! You guys were right on! It does appear that I have
an older carburated engine and indeed it did need to be pumped a
little in safety mode (with gear shifter pulled out).

When I first started it (first in my driveway), it sounded like the
battery could not generate enough power. Took the battery to
Wal-Mart, they tested it and said that the battery was dead and needed
to be replaced. Bought a good one, went back home and after a bit of
fiddling around with the pumping, the boat finally started!

Drove to the lauching place, put the boat in the water and from that
point on I had no problem starting it or going to forward or backward
(no stalling). All in all, our first day of boating was a great
success (especially that our destination was our new oceanfront cabin
that we just bought)! Thank you very much for your help!

Andre

PS: only thing that doesn"t seem to work on the boat is the
tachometer (speedometer?). Is this likely to be just a loose wire???
Or would there be an actual fuse (which could be dead) just for this
function?

If it's the tachometer that isn't working, first check the wire connections
at the instrument itself.
If it's the speedometer check the pitot pickup first. If it's a separate
plastic/nylon fitting on the transom, try disconnecting the tube at the
instrument and blowing air through to the other end to clear it.
On my MerCruiseer, the pickup is a small hole in the leading edge of the
outdrive. It's easily clogged and easily cleared. Most people use a very
small twist drill bit, and work it in by hand (not in a drill) to clear it.
The tube on mine got clogged about 4' into the boat once. I had to cut out
the clog and repair the tube with irrigation fittings from Home Depot. Minor
nuisance but it only cost about $3 to fix.

"Melandre" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all! You guys were right on! It does appear that I have
an older carburated engine and indeed it did need to be pumped a
little in safety mode (with gear shifter pulled out).

When I first started it (first in my driveway), it sounded like the
battery could not generate enough power. Took the battery to
Wal-Mart, they tested it and said that the battery was dead and needed
to be replaced. Bought a good one, went back home and after a bit of
fiddling around with the pumping, the boat finally started!

Drove to the lauching place, put the boat in the water and from that
point on I had no problem starting it or going to forward or backward
(no stalling). All in all, our first day of boating was a great
success (especially that our destination was our new oceanfront cabin
that we just bought)! Thank you very much for your help!

Andre

PS: only thing that doesn"t seem to work on the boat is the
tachometer (speedometer?). Is this likely to be just a loose wire???
Or would there be an actual fuse (which could be dead) just for this
function?