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1985 force 856F5A idle

billythegrape

Contributing Member
Hi,

Got this engine mostly sorted out. Put a new CDI for cyl 3 on it and it starts and runs well.

Unfortunately, when the engine is physically in the water, it will only start when engaged in gear. The PO wired the neutral safety switch so that it can be started in gear. It really does not want to start in neutral and idle in the water, and I can't find a bar or lever or something to temporarily raise the idle on the controls themselves. Choke and all that work fine.

I adjusted this thing with a link and sync according to a guide I found that was universally praised as being right. It had some dude's name attached to it; I screenshotted it to my phone (no service at the marina), but of course now I can't find it to link it. Disconnect ball linkage, set throttles closed, adjust aluminum bar, set throttles open, etc.

Then I checked and set timing. Guide said 28 deg BTDC. There are only two marks on the flywheel, no #s. One mark lines up with TDC cyl 1, so I assumed that the other must be for WOT with plugs out and coils grounded. It wasn't too far off, but I lined it up anyway.

The last step was to set the idle mixtures on the water, which I did. Boat responds well in a hole shot, but I guess it isn't really a hole shot if you have to start it in gear. I have no tach to set idle speed. Plugs always appear normal. They are the weird flat kind.

What should I do? What am I missing? Boat runs amazingly otherwise, just irritating to start. Been using it like this, but I'd like it to be proper. Advice from the awesome folks here?
 
Most control boxes have a feature to raise idle speed in neutral.-----But nobody can see the control box you have so post pictures of it.
 
Older shifters had a button you pull or push and it gives fast idle.
Newer shifters, side mount: grab the bottom of the shifter and pull out and push forward.
Binical mount: again pull the base out and push forward.
 
I figured the idle increase out. There is a button in the center of the shifter you hold down to disconnect the shift cable and operate the throttle cable, but the engine still doesn't like to idle normally without this. Should I try to raise base idle? Any other ideas?
 
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