So I'm running a GX390 with a Backwater lite kit on a 1436 G3. It has been a very reliable motor in its stock form, starts on the first pull and gets me where I need to go. But, when adding a load to my boat, it gets sluggish really quick. By myself with all my equipment it jumps on plane and will run a good 18 mph, but as soon as I add a person it takes a bit longer to plane and slows down to about 13 mph. Add more equipment or a dog and it just plows.

What I did for this season is I pulled the air box and replaced it with an open air filter, rejetted the carb with a size 100 from a 92 (going by the tiny number on the jet), added a Robertson's boat loop, installed an NR Racing Torque Cam, HD springs and a 4* timing key.

The good thing is, the torque I needed to get out of the hole is great. The motor will flat snap your neck when you punch it, and it gets out the nasty stuff quick, something my motor struggled with stock.

The bad, it's a pain in the rear to start. I went from choking it, one pull and its running to now, I can't get it to start without pulling it a million times. The engine will either not start at all or sputter for a few seconds and die. I messed with the idle screw a bit and still nothing.

The solution, give it some gas, choke it, pull, then turn the choke off, throttle open and pull, it will start and rev up real high and I have to back off the throttle and then let it run a bit.

My question is, is that just how this thing is now with the mods? Or did I miss something? When i'm out in the duck marsh, I want to make sure my motor starts when I want it to, the way it used to. I don't want to constantly have to rev it up on starting to get it going. If I can get this thing to start like it used to, it will be perfect. It now has the torque needed to carry a load, but its lacking the reliable start up that it used to have.

Any idea of what is goin on?

Thank,

Jose