Outboard starting problems, tell me what I did wrong here...

[Buzzy]

If all motors are equal usually it's before an extended period on non use, like winter storage.

I agree with FFin. A good friend of mine does it differently, he simply starts his motors at least every other month and lets them run for 20 minutes at idle (he has a large, heated shop for boat, blower, mower and tractor storage). He always treats his fuel with Stabyl. His snow blower started up yesterday and ran for 20 minutes (I don't want to think about snow just yet).

 

[Josh]

Josh,
Do you have a water barrel or flushing kit so you can trouble shoot it at home?
SF

Yeah, I do. I was going to tackle that after work if it doesn't get too hot out.

 

[Josh]

I have always had good luck with boat motors so I have very little advise but here are two things.

1. Pump the primer bulb until its hard and won't pump any more.

2. Make sure the kill switch is connected..

1. So there's no risk in pumping the bulb too much (as long as you stop when it is hard)? You can't flood the motor or anything?
2. I did think to check that, and it was. Good suggestion though. I could see myself making that mistake sometime and being very frustrated.

 

[Bruce Baker]

Question, is this something you are supposed to do? Every time?

I have always done that with my Honda and in addition, there is a carburetor drain screw, so I would drain the carb after each use as well. These two steps were done to avoid having carburetor problems due to deteriorated fuel. I now use non-ethanol fuel, but I would I ran the motor dry and drained the carb for sure when I was using E85 gasoline.

 

[Josh]

I now use non-ethanol fuel, but I would I ran the motor dry and drained the carb for sure when I was using E85 gasoline.

Thankfully, I have a non-ethanol gas station right down the road.

 

[TicTokCroc]

I have always done that with my Honda and in addition, there is a carburetor drain screw, so I would drain the carb after each use as well. These two steps were done to avoid having carburetor problems due to deteriorated fuel. I now use non-ethanol fuel, but I would I ran the motor dry and drained the carb for sure when I was using E85 gasoline.

It's not a bad idea with the ethanol fuel if your not using the motor daily or maybe weekly. My carb was a freaking mess of corrosion chunks and gasket pitting mess. The new carb kit I got has a gas off valve you can install inline with the fuel line. Makes it easy to just turn the gas off and run it dry.

 

[charles sullivan]

Okay, tell me what I did wrong here (I mean, besides the obvious)

Took the boat out this morning and couldn't get the outboard (90's 4 stroke Yamaha 9.9) started. Realized that I'd put the fuel line on backwards (and had been priming air?). Fixed that, but still couldn't get it started. Even after connecting it the right way, the primer bulb never felt like it was full of fuel rather still had a bunch air in it with the fuel.

Is there something I need to do to get the air out of the fuel line? Did I get air in the motor somehow and make it unhappy? I'm guessing it was just a fuel flow issue, but I didn't want to keep priming the bulb over and over in case I flooded the engine or whatever.

FWIW, the tank was new and this was the first time I'd used it. Plenty of fuel in there, but could I have an air leak somewhere? I feel like it's more likely that my screwup with the fuel line direction is the issue.

View attachment 28023

If the bulb is not hard, you are losing the vacuum. It is likely one of the connections is not seated properly, or the o-ring is worn in one of them. You could also have a hole in the line. Sometimes you just have to push the connections in better. You could even have sand or debris in the way so it won't go all the way in. You may also have the tank side going to the motor and vice versa.
If you try to start it and squeeze a little starting fluid into the carbs, I bet it will start and then die out.
I will check and see if I have a Honda connection in the shed or basement. If I do, I will give you a call. I may have gotten rid of them when I sold my boat with a honda.
West Coast marine should have the connection in stock locally or the Amazon would have them too.

 

[krusty]

I once spent a maddening couple of days on a remote lake with an outboard that ran like a top on the way in but refused to run more than a moment on the way out. Had to be towed outta there. After the trip a it turned out that a fuel screen in the carb had completely plugged up. I hate boat motors....they generally don't get run often enough to be dependable. I've been on more power boat rides (owned by other people) that have broken down than ones that were breakdown free.

 

[sclay]

Did you try turning it off and back on again?

 

[Paige]

Also treat your gas with SeaFoam on every fill up. Best stuff on the market for any motor gas treatment!

 

[Josh]

Also treat your gas with SeaFoam on every fill up. Best stuff on the market for any motor gas treatment!

I've been using sta bil blue on the advice of the previous owner.

 

[Rob Allen]

1. So there's no risk in pumping the bulb too much (as long as you stop when it is hard)? You can't flood the motor or anything?
2. I did think to check that, and it was. Good suggestion though. I could see myself making that mistake sometime and being very frustrated.

As far as I know, you can only flood the engine by cranking fuel into it..

 

[Josh]

As far as I know, you can only flood the engine by cranking fuel into it..

Makes sense.

 

[Josh]

Tried the regular hose again this evening and it did the same thing, felt like it wasn’t actually drawing fuel and wouldn't stiffen up. I could hear it wheezing and moving air around.

Then I remembered that the seller had given me an older hose that he’d replaced as a backup. Tried it, bulb felt like it was moving fuel like it was supposed to, engine started second pull.

View attachment IMG_3093.MOV

 

[Bruce Baker]

Glad you were able to solve your dilemma!

 

[RCF]

Happy you got it running! So what is now the backup to the former backup hose?

 

[Buzzy]

Tried the regular hose again this evening and it did the same thing, felt like it wasn’t actually drawing fuel and wouldn't stiffen up. I could hear it wheezing and moving air around.

Then I remembered that the seller had given me an older hose that he’d replaced as a backup. Tried it, bulb felt like it was moving fuel like it was supposed to, engine started second pull.

View attachment 28111

Someone(s) further back in this thread suggested looking at your hose and connections. Now you have me curious where you're new hose is losing its prime. Go fishing.

 

[rattlesnake]

When it wasn’t starting - what was it doing? Was it cranking but not starting? Was it a dead click?

Since you got it started at home, very well could be air in the system but often a motor may start but be sluggish or knock out after a little bit with air.

 

[Josh]

When it wasn’t starting - what was it doing? Was it cranking but not starting? Was it a dead click?

Since you got it started at home, very well could be air in the system but often a motor may start but be sluggish or knock out after a little bit with air.

To be clear, it also wouldn't start at home with "Hose A" (the same one that it wouldn't start with at the lake). It wasn't until I remembered that I had a "Hose B" and dug it out that the engine started.

So I'm 98% sure that it's something with that first hose or its fittings.

 

[rattlesnake]

Nice, that’s a good thing! If it’s hose b that works, you’re good to go. I don’t know the particulars but if Jose a is old you never know what was in it. Hell, could’ve had an old metal gas can and maybe some rust in the old line.

Glad it’s sorted out though! Nothing worse than launching the boat and motor won’t fire up