B737-300
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 211; Flight Crew Type 900
Workload; Distraction; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; Procedure
During pushback; Captain directed me to start the Number 2 engine.  Additionally; Ramp Control relayed the expected runway for departure; which was different from the planned/briefed runway.  Per our new procedures; I was responsible for completing the entire Engine Start Procedure.  After bringing the Start Lever to idle; I noticed a rise in the EGT stated 'Light Off' and began working on the performance runway revision while trying to monitor the start.  Due to my task overloading; I failed to recognize the EGT was approaching limits.  This was compounded by the aircraft's analog gauges; which do not indicate starting EGT limits nor give a visual cue to an approaching limit.  The Captain noted the impending overtemp and directed a Stop Start.  I accomplished the boldface procedure and then ran the Engine Start Abort Checklist as directed.  The aircraft was returned to the gate for maintenance; cleared; and we departed approximately 30 minutes late.  The engine did exceed EGT start limits of 725 degrees and peaked at 749 degrees.  Additional duties should be delayed during engine start or handled by the Captain to prevent First Officer distractions including radio operations during start.
A B737-300 First Officer became distracted with takeoff performance calculations during engine start and failed to detect and stop an engine overtemp on start so the aircraft returned to the gate for maintenance.