2 Stroke Evinrude Engine (non-) Starts

[Stu Jackson]

OK, OK, I admit it, I still have one. But it's for our dinghy, 1990 Evinrude 9.9 short shaft.

I replace the spark plugs every time we use it, which is once very six months.

I know the old sawhorse about the amount of time that a piece of mechanical equipment gets used is directly proportional to its ability to work.

Our problem is hard starting when it's cool out. Took it up to the Delta this summer, and in the 90 heat it was fine. Once we got back down closer and into the cooler SF Bay, it takes 60 (yup, that's right 60) pulls to get it going once it's cooled off, overnight. Once it first starts, it's just fine and dandy. Fires right up.

Bought the motor about 5 years ago at a swap meet for a good price, had it checked out at the Outboard Motor Shop in Alameda (before they were bought out by Sea Power), and everything was fine then. Haven't done anything "bad" to it.

Any "historians" out there who know these critters and can help? Any idiosyncrasies with 1990 Evinrudes?

[Paul Blumenfeld]

Stu,

You must have a very strong arm exercising it that much!  

I got rid of an older outboard and got a new one from iboats.com,(actually a 2003 used model).  It looks like a new engine and has run great all summer.  Mine is only a 4hp but generally starts on the 1st or 2nd pull.  I used it and the dingy to tow in the CAT34 from 3 miles out at 4-1/2 knots when the fuel filter clogged. I don't like engines, that's why I have a sailboat.  Buying a newer one was just one less thing to worry about and have to fix!

Paul  

http://www.boatmotors.com/rebuilt_outboard_motors/

[SteveLyle]

My guess would be the carburetor (from the French word for "screwing around with it only makes it worse").  Is the choke working?  Are the jets clogged with dried out fuel gum?  Is the primer pump functioning?  If the plugs are fresh and you're getting a good spark, then it must be the fuel system, right?

Oh, and you did do a search on this, didn't you?

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

Stu,

I had a 1964 3 h.p. Johnson that acted exactly the same way.  I wanted to throw the thing in the bay so many times, it was just frustrating to operate, because I never knew when it was going to let me down.  I came to the conclusion that the compression was low, although I never confirmed this with a compression test.  On a dewing morning or a rainy day, it wouldn't start but ran fine on a warm sunny day.  I finally replaced it with another used outboard and never did fix the problem, as I believed it would cost more to fix than the cost of replacement motor.

Ray

[mike lofstrom]

Stu:  Don't give up on the old kicker just yet.  I am assuming that you have changed the fuel so you are not trying to start the engine on old gas.  This can be particularly difficult with two strokes.  If the gas is older than 6-9 months, especially in california, toss it and get some new stuff. ( oxegenated fuels in this state don't seem to last very long in storage)

If the engine is not even trying to start when cold, the first thing to check is the ignition system.  With the engine cold, Pull both plugs out, connect the plug wires to the plugs and ground them, and give the cord a good pull.  you should get a nice hot blue spark on each plug.  if the spark is yellow, and does not have a nice snap to it, you probably have an ignition problem.   I am pretty sure that your engine has a CDI ignition system, but that doen not mean they are completely trouble free.  Cold start problems can be due to a bad capacitor, bad coil, or bad CDI module.  They will become overly sensitive to damp and cold, and the output voltage will lower to the point that they can't ionize the plug gap when the engine is cold.  Bottom line, that spark should be HOT.  You'll hear it if it is.

If the spark is good, move on to the carb.  Make sure the choke butterfly really closes when you move the choke lever.  make sure there are no cracks in the fuel line inside the engine going to the carb.  ( could be sucking air).  Unfortunately, it is a little difficult to assess the condition of the innards of the carb without at least taking the fuel bowl off so you can see the main jet.  I would do that next.  (On the last evinrude I owned, the main jet worked it's way loose and fell off in the float bowl.  the engine did not produce much thrust, but made a very efficient smoke screen!)  If you get into the carb, look for gum, varnish, other other debris in the bowl.  Outside of a choke problem, carb problems usually manifest themselves as poor running cold or hot.

There are some other things to do if these  don't solve the problem, but they are further into the engine than you probably want to go.  

Hope this helps!

Mike

[APACHE]

Stu : Mike has a bunch of good suggestions.  
FYI 75% of most problems with a gasoline engine are ignition - that's why aircraft engines have 2 sparkplugs for each cylinder and 2 separate magneto systems.
I'll guess that you are running the engine out of fuel so no gas is left in the carburetor - between uses.  If you aren't you need to do that.  I use stabilizer, carb cleaner, but still run it out of fuel at the end of each cruise.  
If you are doing all the things that I mentioned and you have a new plug and new fuel, and it still takes 60 pulls and you aren't flooding it inbetween -- I'll guess that it's not getting fuel (that's why it isn't flooding!!).  Look at the carburetor.  
.

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

Stu,

Pretty good reference on your motor.

http://www.pugetsoundanglers.org/Fishing%20Info/Johnson%209.9_15.htm

Ray