Pull Starting Outboard Motors

[troy]

Can you pull start any of the new generation motors that are on the market today and if so up to what HP and how many members have actually tried.
Troy

[BARRAkid]

can pull start most electric start motors just need a rope or cable im quite sure you still have to turn the key a little (like accessories in car) have pull started a honda 50 and have pull started my 2007 suzuki 40hp just to see if it can be done ;D

cheers BK

[Spaniard_King]

Troy the move these days is to electric start down to even the smallest motors. These electric start systems have many hours in them.

Boats are always being fitted with backup electrical systems to cater for the conditions expected.

What are your concerns with an engine not starting?

[mookyandlumpy]

haha i thought about this that other day ,
i pulled my suzuki dt40 just to see how hard it was
just a "what if" type of thought for me

[485hussar]

I looked in my boat tool box the weekend just gone & wondered what that littlt rope that yamaha gave me was for. I thought id give it a try just incase I ever needed to while I am out in the water. It was pretty simply to get the hang of... outboard is a 60hp 4 stroke yammie

[troy]

Troy the move these days is to electric start down to even the smallest motors. These electric start systems have many hours in them.

Boats are always being fitted with backup electrical systems to cater for the conditions expected.

What are your concerns with an engine not starting?
Gary my son has a battery in his boat that at a guess is probably 5 years old or more.
Just always wondered if it packs it in how easy are they to pull start.
Troy
PS it is a 60 hp Yamaha

[Noelm]

what it comes down to (I reckon) if you have to, you can do it, I have pull started an old tower of power in line 6 Merc, and a V4 Evinrude, there is a few tricks like you will only need a very short rope, too long and when/if the Motor starts, you will have a couple of metres of rope zipping around like a 150HP whipper snipper, you need to make sure you have the key ON, the manual choke ON, the fuel primed, all the little things, believe me, if faced with a very cold night at Sea, a long swim to shore or a couple of blisters from pulling a rope, you will pull that rope like you never thought you could!

[trev1]

My experience has been good in this respect, I had a v4 evinrude that was easier to start than the 55 evinrude 2 cylinder. A more constant load and more cylinders to fire I think made it easier. My current 4 cyl 50 4 stroke yammie (carby) is a peice of piss ( when it runs OK)

[Skusto]

our 115 fourstroke yamaha has back up cord so if we needed to could pull start mind u we havent tried so dont know how hard it would be wouldnt think it would be to bad.

[Braddles]

Great post! Very though provoking....

Done it a few times. 50hp 2 stroke Johno with collapsed battery - Easy enough.


I would urge EVERYONE to do this though in the comfort of their garage though - as when your stressed, and your hanging over the back of your boat, its now dark, conditions deteriorating, pissing down rain and water coming over the stern with your weight way out over the back , its not so calm and easy in a small boat, or a big boat with an old engine or big engine....

Its vital to make sure you practise getting the cowling off the engine from within the boat... And once the cowling is off - you must make sure you have the tools on board to take the pretty plastic cover off to give you access to the fly wheel. Most newer engines have a second cover over their fly wheel, for either safety or aesthetics... which you may need an allen key or screw driver to remove...

Your going to need a torch too - as its impossible in the dark... A head strap one is gold.

Most new boats / engines will have a length of nylon cord / rope with a handle, and a knot in the end.

Pop this knott in the recess on the fly wheel, and wrap it on once.... If you wrap it on more, and it kicks over on first revolution, as someone else said - your going to have a deadly whipper snipper. Its safter to do it around once, and repeat the procedure if you have to.

I learnt the hard way (and wasted a lot of energy).... you have to have the key in and ingnition on...... otherwise you wasting your time..

I would turn off EVERYTHING that draws a currenet too (lights, sounder, radio etc)....

Get the on looks up the front of the boat - well out of the way...

Ideally - if someone else is on board.... get someone to hit the key as you pull the cord with all your might....

Make sure you hold the handle, check behind you no kids heads etc, and pull as hard and fast as you can while someone hits the key and trys to fire the engine.... This will take some pressure off you, but is not essential - so long as the key is at least on.

Its also important to follow through on your powerful pull and keep pulling until the rope is clear of the engine... for obvious reasons... (hence the short rope)...

The worst I have ever done:

1. 50HP 2stroke - it was a seajay 4.35 side console that have a cut away transome - so when you put 110kg out over the transome - water comes in... It was dark and wind was really picking up, and the battery had collapsed. We had all the tools and torches etc but it still was eerie...

2. Waved over to a boat that had an Old Chrysler 140HP - motor about 100 years old ... 2 really old guys fishing in bay around st helena island... They were both drinking beer... so my first concern was if I should set them underway at all. They assured me they had only had a couple. (I personally think the skipper should be dry)....

Came along side and boarded their boat... They had flat battery.... nearly broke my arm - but gave it my everything... and came good. They had no gear / tools - so I Just used the 2m rope (12mm nylon) off our bail bucket ... tied a knot in the end... locked it in the fly wheel and wraped it around once, using our donger as a handle

Ignition switched to on
All axillarys off (lights, radios, sounder, GPS - everything that will draw current)
Got old matey to hit the key
and we dissapeared in a cloud of white smoke and few pops and farts later the old beast sprang to action.

It can be done - just practise the drill at home - and when and if the situation arrises, you will be calm and confident.

[RJ5023]

Can't pull start my 50hp Etec. Tried it numerous times.

It might be possible, but definitely not easy - even on the back lawn in broad daylight.

The design of the engine flywheel cover and the way that you need to wind the start rope around the flywheel might be ok for a bidextrous octopus but it's defeated me!

Pity, because it's one of the features of the Etec that appealed to me. "You can start an Etec even if your battery is flat - unlike the 4 strokes". Well - perhaps if you've got a pretty good cordless drill keyed into the top of the flywheel somehow, but not otherwise.

And to put that top flywheel cover back on with all it's wiring still connected and the teeth of the flywheel spinning around about 1cm away is not a job for the faint hearted either.

Can't do it on the back lawn. Be buggered if I'd try it out on the water in a chop at night. Make sure that you've got a back up battery is my best advice.

Anyone ever managed it?

RJ.