Needing Help with Mercury starting issue

[Inquisitor]

I have a Mercury 60 hp BigFoot. It was in the shop because it set for a long time and wouldn't start... it would crank and crank just fine. But not even a pop of ignition. I pessimistically thought it was loose connection or heaven forbid a computer replacement away. He did a complete service and replaced something trivial and unrelated (at least to my logic). I don't recall what. On returning it to me, he said, it runs like its new... oh wait... it only has 65 hours on it. Bass Fishing country here... boat motors here get 65 hard hours in a week

We took it out some time ago just for a motor run (it's in the trip section somewhere). Anyway... it had the same crank, but no fire problem for me. I knew it ran... he said so. So, I kept trying... cranked off/on for about thirty minutes. Never a pop. I was about to pull it back out of the water, when I pulled it out of the neutral detent and into reverse a little. I have no idea what possessed me to do that. Maybe I thought it needed a little more throttle (stupid me... its NOT a carb). IT STARTED UP FIRST HIT.

I'm hoping this is some sign of some linkage needs adjusting, detent switch needs cleaning or something. Would something like this typically be at the engine or in the throttle quadrant?

In what I imagine is unrelated (but bring up just in case) the engine tilt switch on the quadrant works going down, but not up. The same switch on the engine works both ways fine.

I have my race trip Friday and would really like to have this working. I can live with it till after the race... but having an emergency and needing engine NOW is important... especially for crew (to save my overboard ass)

Thanks.

[Russ]

I have no experience with that motor, but I agree with your hunch that the tilt and start issues seem to be related.

Maybe start with connections.

[Be Free]

No experience with that engine but on a Honda the neutral safety switch is in the remote. It runs off a cam that is splined to the shift handle. If Mercury is the same it sounds like your problem is in the remote shifter. Something is loose.

[bubby-joe]

Remove the black with a white stripe from the CDI box--Kill wire try again to start if it starts Kill it by putting wire back to kill ignition if no start check CDI ground wire to the engine block usually black make sure clean and snug try to start again. If it did start check the b/w wire for a short to ground if shorted fix or replace the kill wire ( I lost a weekends fishing to the shorted kill wire) the key or kill button completes the circuit to ground the ign. and kill the motor DO NOT HOLD THE BARE METAL and touch any part of the engine or IGN key it's a wake up call