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can't get old merc 115 to fire

D

dgsmooth

New member
howdy all - i have an early 80's merc 1150 (115 hp) 6cyl. 2-stroke.... i can't get it to start. all plugs have spark, new fuel in it. cranks/sounds normal, but not even a fart. when i pump up the fuel primer, it gets hard and then if i pump again fuel drizzles out the top carb throat, as well as the external jet on each carb, but more from the top carb etc, not sure if that is normal from over priming or not. i'm mostly wondering about the throttle and carb linkages, and also the distributor..... the distributor rotates freely, maybe only a few degrees, and a sort of band/spring moves it to one end of its travel when no throttle. thats the first thinkg i'm wondering, if that should move at all, as it has adjustable stops on each end of travel, or if thats some type of timing advance.... but when throttle lever is moved, the first thing that happens is the distrubutor moves its couple few degrees, hits an adjustable stop. then a little more throttle lever motion and the linkages between the carbs start to rotate..... wondering why so much throttle lever motion before the carb linkages move? and why does the distributor 'advance' or move before the carbs even move. when i got the boat the throttle cable 'mount pin' just inside the motor housing was loose, the latch had broken the cable was loose, so i'm not sure where 'neutral' position on throttle lever should be... to me neutral or idle should be just before the carbs/shafts between carbs starts to move/rotate, but that's be at the opposite end of the throttle cable adjustment from where it is, and i'm not sure how much it could have moved from just sitting there loose. i guess i have a multitude of questions.... anybody with any idea where to start would be greatly appreciated.... i bought it through a family friend and was told it ran great last year/time out, so i'm hoping something is just out of adjustment or something.....

thanks to anybody with any help or even a sense of direction for me.... cheers to all. :cool:
 
The dist. is suposed to move with the throttle. If your carbs are leaking, it may need to needle and seats. If you getting gas and your getting spark it should fire. Can you put it in N and try giving it gas while cranking it? If not, then you should have a handle on your control to lift it and give it some throttle. Are you holding the choke when cranking?
 
yeah but should the dist mve before crabs even move/open? i can depress a button the the hand lever and then apply just throttle without it shifting in to gear.... i have choking also, and i checked the choke does work (top two carbs).....
 
It should move first yes. All three carbs should choke. They are all conected to a black choke rod. You have the newer control. Put it in N and give it full throttle. Choke it and hold while cranking. Prime the ball until its hard. Maybe take a vid or a few pics of your linkage so I can compare it to my motor.
 
Also, Have the muffs on it with water going even if its not starting. You have a water impeller that will wear out w/out water to it when cranking.
 
Did anyone take the flywheel off improperly ???----------Check all timing marks , remove small plate on top of distributor to find timing mark.
 
no only the top two have choke.... just a round piece that rolls infront of the throat and blocks the air. i haven't checked the compression yet... it 'was' running good before, so i'd assume (for now) the timing etc is right, i'm only wondering about the throttle linkage as the latch that anchors it was broken and the cable came loose. that or something else was wrong and somebody was attempting to 'fix' it... i'm also really starting to wonder about the valve seats as is i pump up the primer really hard fuel will drizzle out the throats and literally spray a stream out the upper carb jet 'hole'... can't tell if there is a drain on the carbs or not, theres like 3 screws in the bowl....
 
Carburetors need to be cleaned !!------------------No point trying to run this motor without doing that.------------Remember if there is a partially plugged carburetor then 2 cylinders will run lean on fuel and lean on OIL as well.-----------Quickest way to ruin a fine piece of machinery.
 
Spray a fuel/oil mixture into all three carbs with a squirt bottle, choke, and crank it, while altering throttle position. If timing and everything is close enough, and you're getting spark, it should bark from the fuel mix you spray into the carb throats. I'd try that first before I start rippin stuff apart.
 
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