Mercury 9.9 ProKicker Hard Start Issue

[MY2SONS]

My Mercury (Tohatsu) 9.9 Four stroke ProKicker is very hard starting, and idles rough. I realize some engines are "cold blooded", but I was wondering if anybody else who has one is experiencing the same thing. Please no Mercury bashing. We all have our favorites so If you don't like Merc's keep your opinions to yourself. I'm just looking for professional input to see if others had the same experience.

[Whoopee Tyee]

I have a Mercury (Tohatsu) 9.9 four stroke on my Lund Tyee. This is my second year running it and I've had issues as well. Last year I couldn't get it to idle and it stalled when trying to put it into gear. Once in gear, it ran like a top. In the Fall my mechanic adjusted the idle jet. I always had a hard time starting the engine also. I've now got the formula for stating. First I hold the bulb with the arrow pointing skyward (important) and pump the fuel into the engine until the bulb is hard. Using this method it is quick. To start, I pump the gas twice and leave it about 3/4 throttle when cranking and it starts up good. I let it idle at a higher rpm until it warms up.

On about my fifth trip this year the engine would not idle well or run at a consistent low trolling speed. My mechanic said to do the following and it worked (I did it in the driveway with the muffs on):

1. Run the engine at 1500 rpms and disconnect the fuel line. It runs a long time with no more fuel but eventually stalls.

2. Unscrew the brass screw on the side of the carburetor bowl. It's pretty hard to miss right out in the open after you take off the engine cover.

3. Put some paper towel under the hole where the screw was, attach the fuel line, pump a little bit of fuel through the carburetor.

This fixed my problem. There was either particles or water in the idle jet area and this procedure seems to clear it up. This could even be done on the water (don't drop the screw into the lake!). My kicker is running good again and it idles right down after it is warmed up. It still takes the starting procedure I mentioned and needs to run at high idle quite a while before it warms up. I now start trolling with my big engine while the kicker is warming up. After I've set the first four lines, the kicker can be put into gear and the main motor stopped.

I hope this helps.

[cliftp]

My Mercury (Tohatsu) 9.9 Four stroke ProKicker is very hard starting, and idles rough. I realize some engines are "cold blooded", but I was wondering if anybody else who has one is experiencing the same thing. Please no Mercury bashing. We all have our favorites so If you don't like Merc's keep your opinions to yourself. I'm just looking for professional input to see if others had the same experience.

You may want to send a message to a guy named "ENCORE" from the Michigan-Sportsman forum: www.michigan-sportsman.com

He had lots of problems with one I believe and it was finally replaced. I'm sure he could provide you some insight.

Here is his thread from 2012: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428330&highlight=mercury

May have to register on the site but as I recall some good info on the thread, didn't read through it again though.

Best of luck.

Paul C.