Mercury Outboard

[localboy]

Water in fuel, and letting them sit without draining fuel from carb accounts for probably 95 % of all small outboard issues. Everyone that owns a small outboard should know how to clean the carb.

Indeed. When we run our two small outboards I disconnect (9.8 horse) or cut off the fuel (2.5 horse) and run them dry. I then drain the fuel bowls prior to storage for winter. Takes minutes and saves headaches in the spring.

That said, I’d be pissed off too if my “new” 20 horse kept overheating and was “repaired” over and over and over for the same issue. Crap like this ruins trips/vacations etc.

 

[hmason]

I got a call from the repair shop. The Mercury is now fixed. The scenario is as follows:
Tuesday Towboat/US tows the dinghy to the repair shop. No charge for that.
Wednesday the repair shop puts the Whaler on a trailer and takes it out of the water. They find a cracked hose somewhere on the engine and a rotting hose clamp. They repair the offending hose and clamp and put the Whaler back in the water. Total charge is $197. I consider myself lucky....this time.

 

[localboy]

Jeezus...$197...I’m in the wrong business.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

I inherited an early 80's Nissan (now Tohatsu) 5hp (may be even older). Sat in my garage for over 10 yrs. Got a new lighter dinghy. Put the Nissan on a stand with a trash can full of water - put fuel in it - pulled three times and it fired up. Still runs great two yrs later. Usually cranks on the first pull. I know I'm lucky. Had a new 4hp Merc on a Catalina 25 sailboat in the late 90's - an absolute piece of trash.

 

[FF]

"I would think about having the boat fitted with oar locks at this point"


Before you fit them, try rowing someones condom boat in any breeze.

 

[LakeMJim]

I had a 2013 Merc 50 hp 4 stroke and I had to replace the 'fuel line cooler' iirc, 3 times. Twice in a space of 4 weeks. $800 each time and many days of use lost, and I had a water access only property.

I had a Yamaha 90 hp 4 stroke and it was a dream.

My boat on order has a Yamaha and I am thrilled. I would never get Merc if I have another option.

 

[AusCan]

My little 3hp two stroke Mercury has been very dependable. I chose it because of simplicity, not brand. It was a good choice.

The only issue I've had in 7 years was after it got dumped in the surf. I didn't rinse it well enough and it developed a bit of corrosion on the coil wiring connection. Easily remedied and she's putting away again.

 

[wkearney99]

Anyone had a Mercury 15hp 4-stroke and dealt with a VERY difficult to turn tiller throttle? A friend has one that's 'new to him' and having trouble with it. It is very hard to twist it up/down and tends to just leap to a mid then HIGH throttle position, instead of transitioning smoothly. This is the kind with the fwd/reverse integrated with the twist of the throttle (I prefer the separate shifter handle on my Yamaha 15hp).

Everyone's backed up for 6+ weeks for any sorts of repairs, so it's DIY or wait.

 

[Greg S]

Anyone had a Mercury 15hp 4-stroke and dealt with a VERY difficult to turn tiller throttle? ...

Is the throttle tension adjustment backed off? Near the base of the tiller there should be a thumb screw tension adjuster.

I have a Merc with the gearshift in the throttle. BEST innovation ever! I love it! On the other hand, I can see where not using it a lot, an operator could be unfamiliar with it so have problems. I was doing constant maneuvering and it was second nature. My electric motor on my dinghy has direction built into the tiller and the direction of twist is opposite that of a normal o/b.

 

[wkearney99]

Yes, the tensioner was fully loosened. Tightening it does restrict the movement, so that part does work. That's not what's keeping it from moving.

I had only a few minutes to look under the cowling, so I didn't get a good idea about how it works. I gather there's some sort of cabling that bends back to a mechanism that handles converting the twist in the handle to push/pull for the carb and transmission. But I've not come across anything else online that breaks it down or demonstrates how it works (or to fix it).

 

[Sleepy]

Seems like this crew should have an opinion on propane outboards. Go!

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Small one for a tender?

 

[Sleepy]

Yes - 10hp and less propane outboards.

 

[O C Diver]

I really liked the concept of a propane outboard. Basically a gas outboard without the issues of stale gas or water in the fuel tank. Unfortunately mine was a Lehr which was a total piece of Chinese excrement. If I was in the market for one, I would try a Tohatsu. Currently I'm running an Epropulsion 3 HP electric and couldn't be happier.

Ted

 

[lwarden]

I've had my fair share of issues with 4-stroke outboards, no thanks. Went back to a 2-stroke OMC (Johnson 8hp) from the 80's and love it. Starts every time, simple to work on, parts are available and it runs like a scalded cat. The only downside is mixing the oil, but with modern low ash 2-stroke oils it barely smokes. It's lasted 40 years and since I flush it after use I expect to get 10 more out of it. Cost me $600.

 

[wkearney99]

I've had my fair share of issues with 4-stroke outboards, no thanks. Went back to a 2-stroke OMC (Johnson 8hp) from the 80's and love it.

Wish the two different Johnson outboards I had were like that. Starting the damn things was like pulling the handle on a slot machine... you'd pull the cord and pray to hit jackpot sometime in the first DOZEN tries. Not fun after a fun night ashore heading back to the boat.

 

[O C Diver]

Since 1985, I've owned 4 outboards <15 HP. All have had electric start. No idea why anyone would buy one without it. The 1985 6 HP Mercury had it as an accessory item.

Ted

 

[Turtle Blues]

So a reputable American manufacturer outsources to foreign products which tarnish their name and leads to reccomendations to purchase from other foreign manufacturers. So much for globalization and the corporate geniuses that promote it.

 

[bfloyd4445]

I've had my fair share of issues with 4-stroke outboards, no thanks. Went back to a 2-stroke OMC (Johnson 8hp) from the 80's and love it. Starts every time, simple to work on, parts are available and it runs like a scalded cat. The only downside is mixing the oil, but with modern low ash 2-stroke oils it barely smokes. It's lasted 40 years and since I flush it after use I expect to get 10 more out of it. Cost me $600.

I loved the 2 strokes as well but the fact is they are dirty. They pollute both the water and the air which was the driving force behind the development of 4strk outboards....also forgot to mention they stink when running. But i certainly loved the old 15hp Johnson and Evenrude 2strk engines they are sweet running and light weight power systems

 

[twistedtree]

Yamaha.


And if at all possible, get one with EFI. In my experience, the combination of EFI plus dosing every tank with Stabil completely solves the fuel problem.

 

[High Wire]

I've had my fair share of issues with 4-stroke outboards, no thanks. Went back to a 2-stroke OMC (Johnson 8hp) from the 80's and love it. Starts every time, simple to work on, parts are available and it runs like a scalded cat. The only downside is mixing the oil, but with modern low ash 2-stroke oils it barely smokes. It's lasted 40 years and since I flush it after use I expect to get 10 more out of it. Cost me $600.

My primary dinghy motor is a 1973 6 hp Evinrude. It just starts and runs no question asked. The backup is a 2009 5 hp Tohatsu that buzzes my arm numb.

 

[lwarden]

I loved the 2 strokes as well but the fact is they are dirty. They pollute both the water and the air which was the driving force behind the development of 4strk outboards....also forgot to mention they stink when running. But i certainly loved the old 15hp Johnson and Evenrude 2strk engines they are sweet running and light weight power systems

Not to be flippant, but don't we all drive around these huge diesels which belch soot and unburnt fuel? I really think a small displacement 2 stroke is a drop in the bucket in comparison.

And I had a lot of fuel which ended up in the water when I had my 4-stroke Yamaha since it was constantly having fuel issues, flooding and having carb overflows. Nasty little thing that shook the bejesus out of my arm....

 

[BruceK]

I found a new Merc 3.3 2 stroke as they were beginning to phase out, fussy about fresh fuel, otherwise good. Predecessor was a 5hp Tohatsu,totally reliable rock solid 2 stroke. Still have good memories of a 9hp Suzuki 2 stroke with twin cylinders, quiet, smooth,easy starting.

 

[bfloyd4445]

Not to be flippant, but don't we all drive around these huge diesels which belch soot and unburnt fuel? I really think a small displacement 2 stroke is a drop in the bucket in comparison.

And I had a lot of fuel which ended up in the water when I had my 4-stroke Yamaha since it was constantly having fuel issues, flooding and having carb overflows. Nasty little thing that shook the bejesus out of my arm....

Yes, its time they we insisted upon marine D engine systems that did not pollute the water and air. That said a far worse problem is plastic! It is every where and little is being done to correct this huge problem. All plastic is recyclable but no one wants it cause its cheaper to just use new ploymers. I would like to see an effort made to include the end of life costs into the initial purchase price to try and get a handle on this monster. Shoes for example: Everyone is wearing plastic shoes and at end of life they go in the trash exactly the place they should not go. I've been thinking of shoes for a long time and can see no way to make use of them again but there must be away. I've taken a personnal vow to only wear leather, real leather not the artificle stuff passed off as leather which is just more polymers. I'm not having great luck finding suitable footwear that dosen't include plastics. My Danner boots I've had for years are leather except for the soles. I suppose soles if made of the proper type of plastic could be easily recycled?
Any ideas?