Hard to Start

Choke notcadjusted, heater coil open, no power to heater coil.

Are you getting squirts from accelerator pump when operating throttle?

What is the position of the choke plate when the engine is cold? It should be almost closed and then slowly open as the engine warms. The bimetallic metal spring is the "heater coil" that opens the choke when ignition power is applied opening the choke.. The coil is under the round black cover on the side of the carb. One wire to it will be the hot off the ignition circuit and the other is the ground to the block. If the coil is bad it will typically Ohm at infinity.

Here is a picture of my carb. I think you are correct, the chock is not closing for the initial start. This is the way i found it when i took off the spark arrestor, I powered everything up like i was going to start it, cycled the throttle and it did not change position. I am very new at this but I can test it with your help. Can you give me some directions including voltmeter settings. I think I will have to replace this so where would be the best place to find one, what is the name of the part, and what other information do I need besides the year?

Are there any tricks to changing this out, or is it a straight forward disassemble/reassemble?

Thanks! I think this will solve all my problems!

I took off the leads and put the voltmeter on it. 9.75 volts. I have a brand new battery in the boat and I have not charged it. Also the top two screws that screw into the carb housing (top two screws on the anodized housing pic) are lose.

Chris,
I don't like the 9.75 volts you're getting at the coil. What are you getting at the battery? The two should be close. Charge the battery.

Tighten the two loose screws then:

8122pbrainard wrote: Chris, Adjustment for the cold almost closed position (yours could be closed slightly more) is done when cold by loosening the 3 screws on the black coil cover and then twisting the cover.

To check the coil, disconnect the wiring, set the meter to the Ohm scale then Ohm the two contacts where you got the volt reading.

8122pbrainard wrote: If the coil is bad it will typically Ohm at infinity.

Battery over 12 volts at poles 12.78
Ohm meter reading when the meter is set to 20 k is 0.00 meter reads 1 as a base
9.8 is voltage at leads

Next steps please!!!!!!

Chris,
Here's Tim's wiring diagram:



The choke should be seeing closer to the battery volts so take a look at the diagram and where the choke is connected. Note the hot lead goes the the full voltage side of the ballast resistor and should not be wired to the low volt side that goes to the ignition coil. Check it and get some more volt readings at the resistor.

If the choke Ohmed at zero, it sound good.

Once again, we are checking to make sure the choke opens. Since the choke is closed when the engine is cold, it will not help starting the engine. When you pumped the throttle, are you sure you saw fuel squirt down the manifold from the carb?

Yes I saw fuel! I will check the electrical....and report back with the readings! Do you think there is not enough voltage to close the choke for start? Thanks everyone if I can solve this problem it should be a good summer!!!

TRBenj wrote: TRBenj wrote: Don’t worry about the procedure to “properly set” the choke. Adjust it wide open when cold and remove it from your list of potential issues. Once running properly, you may consider readjusting it... but I never do and wouldn’t recommend you bother.

Tim

Obviously Pete doesn't like your answer and sorta volunteered me to jump in.

So Otto, let me say this "LISTEN TO TIM"

Your choke adjustment isn't causing your start problem.

The way your choke is set right now when cold, with 2 or 3 pumps of the gas and a small amount of throttle, the boat should fire right up. Then give it enough throttle to run at 1500 rpm or so for maybe a minute and you should be all set. You might have your hand on the throttle for that minute or so babysitting it while the choke is opening..

The big question would be................Is that your starting routine or in the first post are you saying that it's hard to start and then you have to pump it 2 or 3 times and then it will start for you?

And for numbers, the resistance of the choke heating element should be about 10 ohms on the 200 scale. Near that is good, infinity is bad..

Roughly 10 volts to the choke is pretty normal too or in other words 10 volts isn't gonna keep it from starting easily. Once the engine is running, alternator output jacks that voltage up and if the element is working and properly connected to the arm inside the housing, over the next minute or so you should see the choke butterfly slowly go fully open.

If it doesn't start with 2 or 3 pumps and your choke in that position you have other issues.

So.............clarify what your starting routine is as a good beginning point.

By the way Pete, glad to help

Ok...I have 10.1 Ohms at the 200 scale...

...next i found that the Throttle Choke would not close fully...

...It would close if I manually applied light pressure to it....

...I used Remingtons REM Oil to lube the shafts connected to the choke lever....

...The butterfly returns almost all the way shut now that it is lubed...

...I was looking for a spring that would return the choke to the full close position, but i couldn't find one...

...when i manually move the choke heating element to the wide open position and release it, the choke shuts fully now...

...when I slowly reverse the direction of the choke heating element it seems to get stuck a bit...

I now understand how the choke heating element works to slowly open the choke as the engine heats up...

QUESTION: When power is removed from the choke heating element, does it release fully to the full choke position OR does it slowly contract closing the choke slowly as the temperature falls?

QUESTION: Is there a Choke return spring that should close the choke fully when cold, or power is removed from the choke heating element?

Thanks guys!   

well, i guess i was slow to hit "post" .

the element inside the choke cap is, in a sense, the spring. So yes, as the element cools, it closes. as it heats, it opens.

KENO wrote: Not sure on this new fangled stuff, but my blower runs with the key in the off position.

no, you are correct. I didn't finish my thought. turn on "ignition breaker" my blower turns on. and I'm guessing at some point the PO rewired something as my choke starts opening with just the ig breaker, not the "run" part of the ig switch. Guess I have some wiring to figure out

FWIW, I have my choke set to full open. Before starting, I pull-out the disengage button on the throttle lever. Then I give 2-3 full throttle pumps in REVERSE. This allows the full engagement of the accelerator pump. Moving the throttle in the forward position has limited movement. These raw fuel squirts into the carb throat provide a rich mixture to compensate for the disengaged choke.

JQ

Tim,
Have you changed your recommendation on setting the choke? You said this:

TRBenj wrote: The "proper" way to adjust the choke is to set it to 1/16-1/8"open when closed/cold. That ensures that when the bimetallic spring starts to open it, it will have an immediate effect and will open fully..

Now you mention this:

TRBenj wrote: Don’t worry about the procedure to “properly set” the choke. Adjust it wide open when cold and remove it from your list of potential issues. Once running properly, you may consider readjusting it... but I never do and wouldn’t recommend you bother.

OTTO

I would like to see you come to your boat cold and follow this procedure.

Immediately turn your blower on and let it run for at least 30 seconds. Pull the knob to disengage the trans and give the throttle two full whacks and bring it all the way back to the neutral position. start the engine without touching anything but the key.

If you could report back what it does that would be huge step forward.
Following this procedure my boat fires up with authority every time. Sometimes when its a bit cooler it will immediately fire and slowly die, if this happens give her one more whack and return to neutral position and fire it back up.