Pull Rope Getting Stuck

[ecurnutte]

This weekend on the river the pull rope on my 2006 Mercury 4 stroke 8hp would not always pull. It appears to be getting stuck in neutral and sometimes starting in forward. When the rope is free, pulling it rotates the prop. It also seems that the throttle is having a hard time finding neutral. On a couple of occasions, after messing with the throttle for a bit, it would start. One time when turning the throttle trying to find neutral I could not turn all the way into reverse. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks very much.

[EuropeanAM]

Really shouldn't be shifting from one gear to another with the engine "off"- as doing so can potentially ramp the clutch dog on top of the gear, placing undue stress on shifting components (and potentially bending or breaking components).

Be sure to take a look at the forum announcements, and provide the required info when posting. Thanks!

Visual inspection of the shift linkage and setup is likely going to be required.

[ecurnutte]

Thank you for you help and I apologize for leaving the serial number off (OR108706). A while back a local marine mechanic disabled my primer bulb as it was cracked and he instructed me to shift from neutral to forward two or three times to prime the engine. He told me that these small engines often have issues with the primer bulbs and this was a way to bypass that. Is this a problem and could it be contributing to my issue? Thanks again for the help. It’s very nice having you as a resource.

[EuropeanAM]

Yes... this "shift to prime" idea is likely a contributor. Engine wasn't designed to be shifted unless it is running.

You'll need to address both problems for best results.

[SilverFox579]

I have the same engine only a couple years newer. The primer bulb isn't very expensive (<$25), something you could replace yourself, and won't screw up your linkage. Get the service manual when you order the primer bulb and dump your mechanic.