Both my 1996 Merc 20 and 9.9 are having problems starting when cold. I
have been told that the Merc primer/choke mechanism is a bad design in
that they get cloged with gunk and don't work. Someone suggested
pouring boiling water over the mechanism to loosen out the gunk as to
take them apart is a hassle.

Anybody had any similiar experiences with these engines. It's the
primer where you pull in out and a small burst of gas goes into the
carb and when you turn it to the right the idle increase.