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Apparently I have the mixture adjusted rich, because my A4 almost always starts on the first try with a choke when cold, and without a choke once warm. Once it's warm it starts in less than a second. Cold with choke on, it starts in 4 seconds. If I prime the fuel line with the bail on the mechanical fuel pump before I start it cold, it starts quicker. It started on the first try this spring. I used engine fogging spray when closing down for the winter, and put a little MMO into the cylinders and let it soak in for a day before starting. I have EI, and an adjustable main jet.
It seems to be running well. I haven't checked the plugs for fouling since last year, but I change plugs every year, until this year. I have a water jacketed exhaust with an anti-siphon. I like the fact I can start up on a moment's notice without closing a thru hull first. I leave the water intake thru hull open all the time, except when I leave the boat for the winter. My definition of underway includes motoring, so closing the water intake underway never occurs to me.
If the engine ever didn't start within 5 seconds, I might close the thru hull until it caught, but I think the water jacketed exhaust prevents water from backing up into the cylinders. The problem many people have of water getting into the cylinders because they cranked it too much with the thru hull open has never happened to me. I don't run the starter for more than 5 seconds at a time with the thru hull open. If it doesn't start in 5 seconds, holding the starter in longer won't help, and may overwhelm your exhaust with water if the thru hull is open. If the fuel line has run dry, it might take several 5 second pulses to draw fuel from the tank to the carb. Manually pumping the mechanical pump will speed up that process, as will bypassing the OPSS on an electrical pump.
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