Oh Happy Day

[Paul356]

It's a sailboat, right?  So why do we spend all our time fussing with motors, batteries, trailers....

But at least today, little Miss Suzy Q started right up.  One more thing to check off the list for the first trip of the season with the CS 17, planned Saturday to Lake Mendota in Madison.

 

[Hirilonde]

You had me with the first sentence Paul.

[Paul356]

Yep.  Hoping next pix will be sails, breeze, water...

[Jknight611]

We have the same 2.5 Suzuki on our CS20.3,  some days it will start with 1/2 pull, some days 156 pulls are required..... I try to do absolutely the same procedure, but with varying results.  I currently have a chicken bone tied to the tiller.  After it starts it runs beautifully,  just those first few revolutions. 

[Chick Ludwig]

I discovered the secret on my 2.5 Zuki. Promise not to laugh! I take off the gas cap and blow air into the tank to pressurize it and force gas into the fuel system. Apparently running the gas out when I finish with it after using it leaves air in the fuel lines that gravity doesn't clear. Now it always starts with 1 or 2 pulls.

[Paul356]

I find it does start more quickly (<156 pulls) if I am able to let it sit for a time after I turn the gas valve to "on."  5 min is not too long.  So, Chick is probably on to something.  Get that gas down to the carb.  Or he's a human chicken bone.

[Chick Ludwig]

Works for me! BUT-----be careful ya don't slosh gas into your mouth! It will turn YOUR bones into a chicken.

[Paul356]

Ready to head out.

[Don Silsbe]

I’m just sitting here thinking (and chucking) about Chick with a ring of gasoline around his lips.  Hope he doesn’t start smoking!

[Chick Ludwig]

Well, I DO wipe it off first! I wonder if my hot breath could ignite it?

[Paul356]

Made it.  Great sailing on Lake Mendota, Madison, WI.  Met up with a group of small boat and canoe sailors for their annual rendezvous. (Miss Q the 2.5 Suzuki started on first pull, no huffing required.)

 

 

[Designer]

I too think that Chick might be on to the problem. My Suzuki 2.5 has been the perfect engine except for the first start of a cruise. Once it has been run for a while it starts every time on the first pull.

 

I am not keen on kissing the inside of a fuel cap but I know that I will become desperate enough to do it. I want to start mine soon so I will give it a try. I wonder if I can cobble up a cap with a hose to make it a bit more sanitary.

 

Paul, I am glad that you got out for a sail. Your weather should be getting real pretty now.

[Chick Ludwig]

I bought a fuel cap and drilled it for a nipple to attach a fuel line to for a emote fuel can---but that's another story. No reason you couldn't do that to "puff" into your tank on the motor. Or, invite a friend to go with you and make him the designated tank blower-upper.

[Designer]

We started the little Suzuki yesterday for the first time this season and I believe that the Chick method works. I went through the standard starting sequence and gave it about 4 pulls, then Alan gave it a few pulls. He then blew down the fuel fill and she roared into life on the next pull.

[Alan Stewart]

Yeah, Chick that trick really works!!! couldn't believe it. So I guess the darn thing needed a little priming bulb all this time. 

[Chick Ludwig]

Glad to help. 'all. I forgot one detail though. Be sure to have a tall glass of Real Southern Sweet Tea to flush out any gas taste that may have sloshed on to your tender lips!

[Nick C]

I think you guys are on to something. If you can figure out how to blow in to make to intake air more dense you would have a lung-powered turbo. More power for those small displacement engines.

[Chick Ludwig]

I learned this trick back in my early boat racing days blowing into the tank of my KG-7 Mercury Hurricane.

 

Nick, we tried all sorts of ways to get more fuel/air into these little engines. Some even worked! Most were illegal. There was an old fellow that that built "stock" engines that his sons raced. They almost always won. He had ways of cheating that we could never catch him at. We finally made him the engine inspector. His boys still won, but he caught a lot of other folks cheating.