96 Oceanrunner 175 cold start issues

[yreka]

"OB will not even attempt to s

"OB will not even attempt to start after sitting for a day or so. I have tried every possible variation of cold start process suggestions I could find, and none make a difference. After awhile, it seems to just pop and fire for no rhyme or reason. Once its started it seems to run, and start back up without a problem. (On the muffs, I haven't gotten a change to take it out yet, im not confidant it wont leave me stranded)

Sounds a little raspy when it idles, but I'm not sure if that's normal or not, this is my first 2T outboard.

Compression is between 90-100 on all holes..
New fuel, new primer bulb. electric fuel primer system seems to be working perfectly.
New battery, spins the ob at ~500rpm no problems there. Even ran jumper cables to eliminate possible cabling issue.
New plugs, champion gapped at .030. They get oily/wet looking, but I am only running it at idle/ slightly above as I am on the hose.
checked the keyswitch per the process in the book, seems to be working ok.
checked the shift switch, just disconnected it, no difference.
Once it starts and runs, checked the timing with a light and seems to be right on spec. TDC also correct.

Onto the spark test...

Well, got a cheap $12 tester, set the gap to 12mm, clamped it to a headbolt & grounded all of the other leads to the head as the manual suggested

I get intermittent spark across all holes at that gap. Sometimes it will fire 2-3-4 times in a row then nothing for another 3-4-5 revolutions.

Results seem pretty consistent across all holes, makes me wonder if I am doing it right, or if the tool is working correctly.

When I close the gap down to 4-5mm or so, it fires every time.

Will take a look at further troubleshooting tomorrow.. The book didn't really state anything for intermittent spark, just no spark or spark on certain banks/pairs ect. any suggestions ?

I will take a peek through the remaining components and see what I can test without special tools (I dont have a peak voltmeter etc).. At this point, unless I can find something obviously wrong I wonder if it would be cheaper in the long run to take it in"

 

[nymack66]

"I found a wonderful article p

"I found a wonderful article publish on iboats.com listed under "top secrets"
Its one of the MOST educating and concise yet informative posts I have ever read so far, you need to follow step 2 and 3 exactly as posted, Please do not do a push>release>crank as I did for years its push>crank>release My 87 v4 140 turns head the way it now starts! First crank everytime...
Here is a link for the entire post
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=299680

Johnson/Evinrude cold start procedures

This seems to come up quite a lot, so this Thread is an attempt to capture the common cold-start procedures for the various types of ignitions, and fuel delivery systems for OMC outboards. The following are standard guidelines for cold-starting. Your particular outboard may vary, but these procedures should give you a good baseline. There is no substitute for knowing the particular quirks of your own equipment.

Regardless of the year and type of outboard the steps common to all these are:

1. Ensure all battery connections are solid, and battery has a full charge (electric start only).
2. Ensure the fuel lines are properly attached to tank and outboard.
3. Ensure the fuel tank is properly vented. Buit-in tanks will have a dedicated vent line. Some portable tanks will often have a vent screw built into the cap, others will have auto-venting caps.
4. Pump the primer bulb in the fuel line until it is hard. If the primer bulb does not become hard you may have other issues including an air leak, defective bulb, or misadjusted carbuerator floats.
5. If you have electric trim, trim the motor up to eliminate excessive back-pressure during cold start. Do NOT tilt the motor up out of the water.


You are now ready to start your outboard using the following procedures specific to you model.

Remote Keyed Ignition

There are two basic types of fuel systems to aid in cold starting. Solenoid activated Choke plates and solenoid primers. The starting procedures are the same for each.

1. Place the motor in fast-idle and in neutral gear. Depending on your remote control box, this is acomplished in one of two manners. If you have a dedicated fast-idle lever pull that up between 3/4 to full. If you have a single-lever control and don't have a fast-idle lever, pull the throttle out to lock the engine in neutral and push the throttle forward. If you have a dual-lever control, leave the shifter in neutral, and advance the throttle.
2. Push the key in, activating the choke plates or primer.
3. Turn the key to start.
4. After the motor begins to run, release the key so it returns to the run position and disengages the choke/primer.
5. As the motor begins to stumble, bump the key in activating the choke/primer. You may need to do this several times until the motor can fast-idle on its own.
6. If you tilted your motor up for cold-start, lower the motor to its normal operating position.
7. Visually inspect tell-tale for solid stream indicating proper cooling.
8. As the motor warms up, slowly begin reducing the fast-idle until the motor is able to run in normal idle on its own.


Additional Notes:

* Choke Plates: It is often the case that the choke plates are not set so they close fully and stay closed during start. You can remove the outer air cover and visually monitor their operation during start. If they are not closed, or do not stay closed, adjust the position of the choke solenoid in small increments until this condition is achieved.
* Quick Start: Because these systems automatically advance the timing for a cold start, raising the warm up lever may cause the timing to revert to normal at around 1100 RPM, before the engine is warmed to 96 degrees, defeating QuikStart. Those who have QuikStart may find that cold starts are better without the warm up lever, or with just a little. (thanks ezeke)"