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My 50 Hp Mercury Bigfoot has been not been run since i had regular maintenance performed on it about 2 months ago. I just had a shop check out the electrical system and wiring in my 26X since it would not even click when I turned the starting key.. I hooked up a water hose for cooling the motor in my driveway and attatched a fresh tank of gas. I tried to start it without pumping the bulb in the gas line (duhh!!). I was unsuccessful. I made sure the tank vent is open and pumped the bulb until hard. The motor turns over, but wll not start. I'm going to try again this evening. I guess I could have flooded the engine. Any suggestions? The motor turns over, but does not start. Thanks.

CHeck the kill switch. easy to get kicked out of place.

I agree. It was probably flooded. I've done that a few hundred times...

Still can't get it to run except for very short times. It has been really hot here and I am going to try it when it gets cooler. It seems to run for up to about 5 or 6 seconds, and then it dies. Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'm wondering if the plugs are all wet with gasoline and therefore they aren't firing.

Bill, I assume this is a four cycle? If so. acquire some starting fluid in a spray can. when it starts give it short bursts thru the air intake with the spray can. Don;t overdo it. If this helps it to keep running , then the problem is probably a fuel delivery one, and not the spark. I wouldn't do this with a 2-cycle as you wouldn't be delivering adequate oil in the mix.

Are you running the rpm's over 2000? The new computers will not allow you to do that if the engin is cold.

Check the vacume hoses to see if one of them has droped off.

Take off the fuel filter, low pressure one. This is a course filter and may be clogged. Check the fuel tank. See if there is slug on the bottom and/or the hose in the tank may be bad. If this is so, you will need to flush the entire system.

Thanks for the help. Now, it will run for about 10 to 15 seconds. I will check the items mentioned. I might pull a couple of plugs(which are brand new) to see if they are wet with excess gasoline. It has in the past been hard to get started. It would start to idle and then quit 3 or 4 times and then in would finally start. After I got it running once it would be OK until the next trip. Now, I can't get it to idle long enough to put it in gear which is the only way to increase the rpm. It isn't even getting to 900 rpm. It does get to about 750 before it kills. I wonder if the idle screw needs adjusting, but it is supposed to be adjusted on a warmed up engine and rpm measured with a shop tachometer. OK on the starting fluid. A guy told me that he blew the heads off a brand new V-8 in a wooden speedboat when he used too much starting fluid. The trick must be to not use too much.

I don't know which throtal you have, but you should be able to rev the engin without having it in gear. Give it a few minutes to warm up.

Plugs brand new? Did you cross 2 wires? Also check to make sure that they are all the way on.

You may also have an air leak in the fuel system. Also smell the engin oil to see if it has gas in it.

You probably have gunk in your carbs...or maybe water in your fuel...try draining your float bowls to see if you can flush them out.

It stops running after 15 seconds? Then you what? pump the bulb again attached to your gas tank with the new gas, then start it again?
2 stroke or four stroke?
On the throttle handle if you pull it out when its in nuetral you can give the engine more gas without putting it in gear, or there is a knob to pull out to free the shifter.


Now my guess is you have a two stroke, and your not getting enough gas
to keep the engine running till warm. By opening the throttle without putting it in gear will open the carbs up some more and it should run.

If none of this works your not getting enough gas to the carb after it starts
This might be because your engine is not running long enough for the fuel pump to pump gas to the motor.

1. open vent on gas tank with new gas
2. make sure your hose is firmly attached at engine and tank.
3. make sure the arrow on the primer bulb is toward the engine.
3. pump the bulb till its solid
4. work the choke, push in key as you start ( are you doing this?)
5. Make sure your throttle is at least 1/4 open (without putting it in gear)
6. turn key and crank as you push it in for the choke.

If it still wont run after all this then get it running again and keep pumping the bulb as it runs. If the engine keeps running as you do this then when you stop pumping the engine dies you have a fuel pump problem.
A fuel pump problem is easy fix just buy the kit and install.

Back to the choke. Because you said in your post that you cant move the throttle forward without putting it in gear tells me your not familiar with the system.
all outboard and inboard engine throttle controls have some means to move the throttle forward with out shifting. Now Im guessing that you
might not know that pushing the key in activates the choke because you said its always been a little hard to start.

please respond with more info, and Ill see if I can help you more.
info: two stroke or four stroke? carb or fuel injection?
when trying to start the engine with a remote tank dont try when the remote tank is on the ground, put it up in the cockpit. Less work for the fuel pump.

Bill, I have the same problem. Your carbureted 4 stroke big foot is a Yamaha top end. My shifter/throttle allows me to push a rubber diaphragm in and free the handle from the shifter and then I can advance to give more gas.

I can only get my motor started with throttle near idle range and it will run for a few seconds and quit. I squeeze the bulb like mad but it never really gets 'hard'. Eventually, I'll get the thing to idle after 8 or 9 tries and then it warms up. When it's warm (or primed), it starts the instant I turn the key.

I'm going to change out my fuel line between the tank and motor. I don't know yet if that will help.

I went to a Yamaha mechanic and explained the problem. The choke is electrical. You push the key in and it is supposed to work. I can't see anything move under the cowling when I push the key in. He thinks my electrical choke is kaput. On my old Johnson, I pull a big plastic knob out to choke the carbs. Used to do that with my old sport cars also. Wish they would have stuck with that, but it apparently confused the ladies.

Hope you get this resolved so I can benefit.

No problem Bill.
Just close your eyes, click your heels together three times, and repeat after me... "I love my carburetors. I love my carburetors. I love my carburetors."
Then crank 'er up.
mmmm, didn't work huh?
Now kick yourself for not having an EFI outboard.
Then prepare financially for a triple carb rebuild episode.
Since it runs a bit on starter fluid sounds like your various jets could be full of goop that you get from letting the carb fuel bowls sit with gas in them. All those additives form a gel after the gasoline cooks off.

If you can get drain the bowls, get some Seafoam in, let the stuff sit all night to break down the goop, then try again using fresh gas in the tank, you might avoid a mechanic visit. Then again maybe not.
G'Luck!

Thanks for all the input. I will try to answer some of the questions. I did not know that the choke worked by pushing in the key. I did not know that by pulling the throttle handle out the engine could be given more gas without shifting. I would have bought a EFI engine, but it was not available in the Bigfoot when I bought the engine. I tried the helm of a boat with a 50 hp motor with a smaller prop and with a Bigfoot. I could handle the 26X much better with the Bigfoot 14 inch diameter prop. Around here it is hard to find a Susuki repairman. When I bought my boat only Susuki had EFI and Evinrude. I would have to wait for a year to get an EFI Mercury.
I took the boat into the shop today and got the bad news that one or more of the carburators is clogged with gummy fuel. THe mechanic told me that the engine has to be run every 2-3 months to avoid the problem. Mine had not been run by myself for almost a year, but they did the maintenance on it in Nov 2005. The cost expected to be 4 hours labor at $100 per hour. All four carburators need to be removed and cleaned out.
Boat was out of the water for bottom painting. That shops screw-up cost me a month, Then I had the engine mainteneance done, then I had an electrical problem...Now this. Meanwhile I have been paying slip rental even though my slip has been empty for months. Still love my 26X! Bill

Thanks for all the input. I will try to answer some of the questions. I did not know that the choke worked by pushing in the key. I did not know that by pulling the throttle handle out the engine could be given more gas without shifting. I would have bought a EFI engine, but it was not available in the Bigfoot when I bought the engine. I tried the helm of a boat with a 50 hp motor with a smaller prop and with a Bigfoot. I could handle the 26X much better with the Bigfoot 14 inch diameter prop. Around here it is hard to find a Susuki repairman. When I bought my boat only Susuki had EFI and Evinrude. I would have to wait for a year to get an EFI Mercury.
I took the boat into the shop today and got the bad news that one or more of the carburators is clogged with gummy fuel. THe mechanic told me that the engine has to be run every 2-3 months to avoid the problem. Mine had not been run by myself for almost a year, but they did the maintenance on it in Nov 2005. The cost expected to be 4 hours labor at $100 per hour. All four carburators need to be removed and cleaned out.
Boat was out of the water for bottom painting. That shops screw-up cost me a month, Then I had the engine maintenance done, then I had an electrical problem...Now this. Meanwhile I have been paying slip rental even though my slip has been empty for months. Still love my 26X! Bill

A question the maintance that you had done. They should have prevented the gumming of the carbs by putting stuff in the gas. Did you ask for a long term storage maintance? If so, you should get the cleaning of the carb's for free.