My evinrude RC35 is suddenly very hard to start.  The only way I can get it to start now is to treat it like its flooded and crank it over forever with the throttle wide open until it fires.  Any ideas on what is causing this and how I can fix it?  

I checked the plug, its got fire, so I'm thinking its not the plug or coil pack.  I was thinking it may be the fuel pump, but when it finally starts and runs, it goes fine until I shut it off and then have to hold the fuel wide open until it fires.  This just started running like this, last time I ran it a couple weeks ago it ran fine.

So what would cause it to start hard, run fine once its started, then when its shut off have a heck of a time getting it started again?

Thank you,

does the fuel drop out of the lines when you shut it off ? if so it could be a needle and seat/ or fuel lines leaking somewheres ?

My Bruts will drain all the fuel back to the tank once you shut them off. A squeeze ball or a fuel filter with a one way valve in it will help out a lot. Otherwise it's 80 pulls instead of 30 or so.  

Now would be the perfect time to drill out and retap for a UL77V spark plug.  It is a common marine Champion plug that will cost a fraction of those UP77V plugs-if you find 'em.  I took my engine all apart to do it- I had the time and I didn't want to chance damage to the engine due to aluminum shavings getting caught in there.  The UL77V is the same heat range and the engine runs great with it.  While you have it apart, you can remove that infamous high performance butterfly brass plate that keeps going through these engines and ruining them.  Mike

M14x1.25

It's a common tap. I got it at the local hardware store.

2nd on getting the butterfly out of there. It's an engine killer.