I have a 99 nitro with a johnson 150 1986 model.My first boat It is really cold starting. What can i do to help sovle that problem? How much does it usally run to get you engine serviced?
Thanks for any input.

Just the nature of the beast with OMC. Keep your cranking battery hot!

A couple of hints: Based on a in-tune engine.

1. Back boat into water just far enough for the impeller to be inundated. This reduces back pressure and allows the engine to start quicker.
2. Prime engine until, either the primer is hard/firm or that you cannot hear any more fuel going into carbs.
3. Raise fast start lever.
4. Press and HOLD key in to choke while cranking engine.(some early model J/E's used a toggle switch to activate the choke. You must continue to active switch to activate choke)
5. Once the engine fires and you have released the choke. You may need to "feather" the choke to keep the engine running. Meaning that you may need to choke the engine in short burst. this usually takes about 30 seconds while the engine is running at fast idle.
6. Return fast lever to idle position. Engine should be ready to run.
To make life easy;; Any New or New to Me engine will and does start differently from the one you had before. As a rule of thumb, all engines start the same. Unless they are EFI's or DFI's. During the week, at home, on a water jacket, Practice starting the engine, like "cold start". This can only be done once per day, to simulate a cold start. You can save yourself countless hours of fustration at the ramp by doing your homework first.

Thanks i will work on all that

as it starts to die push the key in again every time you do the enrichner pumps fuel in, if the rpm's dont pick up when you do this the solenoid is bad,as soon as engine warms up put the lever back into position also check connection to solenoid you should hear it click when the key is engauged you can mannualy do this but you have to remove cowl theres a small black cylidrical container with a red lever on it .

you mite also trim motor all the way down,[if your not doing that already] check and or clean the spark plugs. i have an 83 jon-rude 150hp. i clean the plugs about every 3 trips.

Good Luck

Oh yea! Forget one thing. J/E's like a {HOT} battery. The faster you can crank them, the faster they start. Come to think of it, the in-line 6 Merc is the same way........

besides what Mike says ,on my Rude I find if I push the key choke ten times before I hit the start side, it starts a lot better..

and yes this is a must also..

thanks guys. sounds like i have to play with it a little i'm sure i figure somthing it likes

Mike gave you the exact starting sequence for my old OMC V4. When cold, with start lever up, I have to bump the choke a few times after it starts until it warms up, to keep it running. (I hold it in while cranking.) As the rpm's try to increase, I pull back on the start lever to keep from over revving it. You dont need to run the RPMs up high to warm it up, just keep them above idle speed. I've seen guys at the ramp keep the start lever up way too long after it warms up. Not good.