Hand starting a 50 HP engine

Graham Carr · Post by **Graham Carr** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:41 pm

FYI: Today I had to hand start my 50 HP Mercury engine. The (cold) engine fired up on the second pull. I was surprised at how easy it was to pull start. No effort at all!
Graham

mike uk · Post by **mike uk** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:25 am

That's really useful to know because the general consensus is usually that it probably wouldn't work.

Now I'll make sure I've got the pull cord on board!

Mike

James V · Post by **James V** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:41 am

Thanks for letting us know. Do you know what voltage you had to make it start? I have been told that you could have as low as 12V.

aya16 · Post by **aya16** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:19 am

an efi engine will require very little voltage to hand start, but you do need some to activate the electric fuel pump. Non efi engines dont need any to pull start.

a note here the suzuki pull cord and wheel on top of the motor that you wrap your cord on to start is at best an after thought. very hard to keep the cord in place before starting and seems like the cord could wrap and pull you in after it starts. so be carefull.

I carry one of those portable jump starters so I dont have to pull start my suzuki again.

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:10 am

I found the 'stock' Mercury BF starter cord too springy and did the deed with a piece of stouter stuff much easier. A spare British Seagull starter cord works great.

On edit - the starter packs are great as a backup, and for general 12 VDC supply around the boat, house, and car, but the starter cord also covers additional contingencies of

- bad starter
- bad battery or starter cable
- run down batteries, including backups!!

Graham Carr · Post by **Graham Carr** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:08 am

Hi Mike, I know that’s what most thought including me, which is way I wanted to post this info. Sorry James, I did not think to check the available voltage. I should have thought to check my system monitor gauge. I was a little excited to see how easy it would be to hand start.
It was easier to start then my Honda lawnmower. All you have to do is remove the four (M6 x 25) bolts that hold down the flywheel cover.

Aya16, the fuel pump is mechanic on the Mercury 40/5060 EFI, so no power needed! Does your Suzuki have an elect pump? The ECM (Electronic Control Module) requires 12 volts DC to operate.

Portable jump starters are great but if the starter fails the pull cord is great to have. It would be interesting if other engine owners could try pull starting and report back on how it went.

Graham

Graham Carr · Post by **Graham Carr** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:14 am

Sorry, I did notice Catigale had posted on backup cord. Of course we still have our sails. I think next season it is time for me to practice leaving and returning to the dock under sail. I think I’ll go out midweek and with lots of fenders

!
Graham

aya16 · Post by **aya16** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:10 pm

Yep pull started the suzuki 50 and I do have efi. Yep you need some juice left in your battery to get it going. At the time I had dead batterys (left the switch to all and left the cabin lights on alll week) didnt notice till I was in the water. When I turned the lights off the battery recovered enough to
show a very weak light in the cabin, That was enough juice to get the fuel pump to work. couple pulls two rope slips and it fired up.

as far as I know all the motors come with a back up pull cord under the cowling or in the tool kit.

Last time I ran the batterys down I jumped it with the portable jump starter. That worked also. But the jump starter I use alot for all kinds of things like charging the cell phone or in a remote area blowing up the dingy. But maybe we should try and pull start our motors before we need too just to see if we can.

side note: if you make a pull cord dont use a loop in the end where you put your hand, only a piece of wood handle or a big knot.
If you loop it around your hand or wrap it around your hand the rope could get caught in the fly wheel and yank it back in when it starts.
you dont want to be tied to it at that point. And dont make the rope any longer than a couple wraps around the fly wheel + a few inches past, you want it to come off clean when you pull it.

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:19 pm

There are two fuel pumps on the 40/50/60HP Mercury EFI. A mechanical low pressure one to bring the fuel from the tank, and an electric high pressure one in the bottom of the vapor separator (like a big carburetor bowl, with a float and needle valve even) that pressurizes the fuel injection manifold. The electric high pressure pump costs about $250 to have replaced if it fails 3 weeks out of the 3 year warranty. Don't ask how I know.

I've previously posted the service manual's minimum voltage and amps required to pressurize the fuel system and power up the ignition for pull starting, and can't remember what they were off hand. A LOT less than 12V though.

--
Moe

K9Kampers · Post by **K9Kampers** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:44 pm

I woke up 5 AM to unpleasant wave action at anchor on Lake Champlain. When going to start the Tohatsu 50 - battery was dead / low. Had to pull start, but first had to remove bolts to the flywheel cover. I found it preferable to loop the rope around the flywheel just once or less. Starts easy. Anymore was too jerky / far to pull. Having to do that 3 times on one trip, the flywheel cover just stays off.

Incidentally, I had to install a toggle switch inline with my FM/CD radio memory power wire. Even when the radio was off, it was trickling down the battery. I didn't use the presets anyway.

pokerrick1 · Post by **pokerrick1** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 12:52 pm

I have a 60 HP Evinrude ETEC on my

I drained my batteries last Friday and sailed to the launch ramp at MDR where my dealer (Mike Inmon) and his mechanic (son Jeff) met me. NONE of us could hand start it!!!!!!!! Mike declared it was @#$%^&*( impossible! We wound up sailing back to my slip (all against the wind - - - needed all three of us to tack up very narrow basins) and recharging (were unable to jump start either). We are installing a bigger better charger and I NOW sail on just one battery - - - saving the other in case the stereo and GPS etc. drain the first one (which is what I SHOULD have been doing in the first place but nobody told me).

Rick

baldbaby2000 · Post by **baldbaby2000** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 2:51 pm

I've been able to start both my carburated Tohatsu 40hp and my Tohatsu 50hp TLDI with one or 2 pulls. Not sure what the battery voltage was.

BB

waternwaves · Post by **waternwaves** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:31 pm

Interesting,

With battery reading 10.4 V on a DVM, We pull started a 90 etec., have not taken it lower yet, but I suspect the computer prohibited starting in your case. Did anyone measure the residual voltage on the battery?

Grimo · Post by **Grimo** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:20 pm

Ha, ha... thats nothing. Went to go skiing on the weekend (in the ski boat) and battery was dead. Pull started my 175hp v6 eninrude outboard with an old ski line.

Near took my shoulder off, but was a good day on the water.

aya16 · Post by **aya16** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:45 pm

yep pull starting these things can be done. Funny when I was a kid most electric start outboards had a pull start rope hande built in. I guess the electric start and or batteries were not up to snuff like today.

But having another power source on board is really best and many companies make those portable 12 volt jump starters. I keep one on the boat now because I had to pull start the suz. 50 of mine once. It isnt hard but it sure is a very after thought from the factory. its a junky set up.

Those portable jump starters are worth their weight in gold sometimes
but the most use I get from it is jumping other boats. I wonder about all those dead batteries I see in boats that are just launched. No one checks at home first?

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Hand starting a 50 HP engine

Hand starting a 50 HP engine

Hand Starting