timing mark help for a 95 20hp mercury

[Bird hunter]

I have a 95 or 94 20 hp mercury and the timing marks are dots and not the standard degree marks. Can anyone tell me how to sifer them out.<br /><br /> also some moron (ok it was me ) put tape over the serial numbers when I camo the motor for duck hunting .Now the tape was stuck and when it did come off so did the numbers. Is there another place on the motor where i can locate the year of the motor.<br />One more thing what is the best repair manual for it.I have the cylmer and don't care for the vauge info it gives.<br /><br />Thanks for any help

 

[hondon]

Re: timing mark help for a 95 20hp mercury

What are you trying to accomplish?Initial timeing for this engine is fixed.Timeing elsewhere should be straight forward no matter what manual you are useing but it is a little tricky getting a conventional timeing light to work on a tiller outboard.You hav,nt shared with us what you really have or what trouble you are trying to resolve.

 

[Bird hunter]

Re: timing mark help for a 95 20hp mercury

I bought the engine from a Guy who I think was messin around with the arm that advances the timing.Pretty sure he either turned out or screwed it in.<br />It ran pretty rough so I replaced the plugs with the ones that where in there and it did run better.But it still would foul up the plugs pretty fast .<br />Finally I became some what smart and looked up to see if they where the right plugs for it.Found out that they where not the correct ones.<br /><br />I put the right ones in and did the tune up that my clymer manual demonstrated . It still runs rough at slow trolling speed.<br /><br />I did adjust the carb as explained in the manual and it does idol good but when moving forward at a slow speed it is very rough and the plugs foul up also they get wet with fuel.<br /><br />Some models from 94 where electronic advance others are mechanical. From what I could tell mine is mechanical advancement.<br /><br />Thanks for any help Terry

 

[hondon]

Re: timing mark help for a 95 20hp mercury

SOO,it idles good,BUT,at slow speed it is rough.Are we stalling at all?How is that fuel quality?Have you compared the way your engine runs to another 25.These things shake rattle and roll across the lake at idle when they are running perfect.Are you correctly propped for your package?If you are lugging at top end ,you are lugging everywhere else.

 

[Bird hunter]

Re: timing mark help for a 95 20hp mercury

Hello,<br />At first, it did stall at idle. Then I followed the tune up steps from my Clymer manual and adjusted the carb on the water under load like the book suggested. That is when the motor would idle with out stalling. At top end, it runs fine. Just at the lower rpm is it starts to run rough. Almost seems like the second cylinder has a hard time firing at first.<br /><br />The prop is the one that came with it from the factory. Plus, I have a friend from a fishing web-site I hang out on who works for mercury racing as a prop tech here in Wisconsin.He Picked out a stainless steel prop for it to.The motor runs the same way as with the other prop on it<br /> <br />This is my 4th mercury and my 10th boat overall. The outboard does run by far rougher than the others did. In addition, I looked at another little bit newer motor and they had some lock tight on the arm that advances the spark. The one I have does not have the lock tight .That is why I am sure he messed around with it. In addition, it floods the spark plugs quickly.<br /><br />Thanks again for any help<br />Terry

 

[drotti2004]

Re: timing mark help for a 95 20hp mercury

from where