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    What is the future for Outboard Motors - DI or 4 cycle??

    I had a discussion with my local Merc dealer last week. I asked him his opinion on the future technology of the outboard. He surprised me by saying merc is going to all 4 cycle motors and will phase out the Optimax line, as well as the carbed 2 cycle motors. Do you folks agree? What do you...
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    Rust on spark plugs, Compression OK, is motor bad?

    I looked at an '87-88 Black Max 150 (Serial Number began with 0B). The lower had some barnacles and the LU nuts and bolts were corroded. All cylinders had 110-115PSI, but cylinders 2 and 6 had some rust on the base of the gapless plugs. The LU grease was clear and green, and the motor was in...
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    Will an inline lower unit interchange with a V-6 LU?

    I was wondering if the LU from my '77 1500 would fit on an early'80s Merc Black Max 150. I know that the prop shafts are the same, and that the gearcase is 1/4" larger on the V-6, but will the inline LU bolt up onto the V-6? I can always run the inline prop of the correct pitch.
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    Purchase of early 80's Black Max 150

    I have been shopping for a used motor. The local boat guy took in an early eighties 150HP V-6 Merc. Looks to be suffereing from lots of neglect, but it is not seized. It has the clam shell cowling and oil injection, but I haven't been able to scrape the crud off it to get the serial number...
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    VHF has inteference from FF?

    I installed a new VHF Radio in my boat yesterday. The owners manual for the radio claimed it was "virtually Immune to ignition noise". I haven't tested that claim yet, but my fish finder sure puts some noise onto it. Is this unusual? Is there a way to reduce/eliminate the ff noise? BTW the...
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    Which is better - ADI or Distributer-based Ignition on Mercs?

    All of the Mercs have evolved into some sort of ADI type ignition. While I am fairly certain that cost played an important part in this evolution, is their any evidence that ADI is better than the battery-driven CDI systems used in some seventies Mercs?
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    I threw #1 rod on my Merc 1500 - Why?

    I was out cruising along near 5000RPM, when I heard a noise, and the motor slowed down dramatically. Turns out the bottom of connecting rod # one made it's exit thru the crancase cover, above # 1 carb. The question is why? I guess I always thought the piston would seize first, as it has in...
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    Can an inline 6 distributor be intermittent?

    The ignition on my '77 1500 has been flawless until two days ago. Today I got motivated and ran Clams' troubleshooting procedure. Each step of the troubleshooting procedure passed, and I reattached the wiring and the ignition worked perfectly. Two hours later, I have no spark, and the coil...
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    Are Johnson 150 Fast Strike motors the same as Johnson 150 Ocean Runner Motors?

    I have a '98 150HP Ocean Runner. Does it have the same specs (displacement, ignition, carbs, gear ratio etc) as the Fast Strike?
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    Why can new E-TECs be run WOT, right out of the box?

    Saw that Infomercial on the E-TECs yesterday. One of their claims is that you can run 'em full throttle, out of the box, no break-in period required. Anyone have a comment on this? Also, another claim from the Pro Fisherman giving testamonials is that the added weight of the 4-cycle motors...
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    Johnson vs Mercury - Technology Question

    In the fifties and sixties Mercury and Johnson each championed different kinds of motor technologies. J/E had V engines, electric gear shifts and air and water controlled chokes. Mercury had inline engines, mechanical gear shifts and electric chokes. Right now, although a lot of these...
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    In operative Tach = Voltage Regulator partially bad?

    I have an '98 Johnson 150. I do not have a signal coming out of the voltage regulator/rectifier to run the Tach, but the motor is still charging the batteries. Is this possible?
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    Diffuser ring on Johnson Prop?

    I am purchasing a '98 150HP 60 degree V6 Johnson OB. It currently has an aluminum prop with one of those diffuser rings on the exhaust outlet. Since I was a Mercury owner, I need to ask: Can I use props without the diffuser ring? Am I getting the correct prop with this motor? I have a SS...
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    How to fix hole in catamaran

    My neighbors Hobie cat banged into a piling during a storm and it put a good sized hole in the center of the starboard hull. The hole is 18"X30", with some of the hull pieces hanging by fiberglass "threads". Also the hull is a sandwich of thin fiberglass and foam core, and there is no access...
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    Does '98 Johnson 150HP Ocean Runner have variable ratio oil injection?

    I am looking at the subject motor. I believe it to be 60 degree, loop charged V6. Does it also have oil injection that varies the gas-oil ratio, or is it a fixed ratio injection?
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    High Performance over-the-hub exhaust-style props

    Some years Mercury made some solid-hub props, which did not have the thru-hub styling. Mercury intended the exhaust gases to cause the prop to slip (ventilation). Did these ever take off? Related question: If you install a prop from an inline Merc on a Mercruiser Alpha, the exhaust hub will...
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    Is thee a way to interchange conventional props between OEM Brands?

    With the advent of the XHS hubs, it appears that is woule be easy to change props from a Mercury hub to a Yamaha hub, as long as the propeller is the correct size for the gearcase. Specifically it appears that the V-6 Merc OB share props (but not hubs) with 150HP and above Yamaha Outboards. Is...
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    What kind of bearings on e-TEC and 4 cycle outboards?

    Conventional 2 cycle outboards have needle bearings for internal main bearings, crankpin bearing and wristpin bearings. 4 cycle auto engines have solid bearing surfaces. What do the HPDI outboards and 4 cycle outboards use for bearings?
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    Difficulty adjusting shift cable for both forward and reverse

    I have a '88 Alpha 1 gen I outdrive that is progressively getting a shifting problem. Last year, my lower shift cable went bad (corroded enough so it wouldn't go in reverse), due to loss of the welsh plug on the OD. I fixed the welsh plug, and installed the new cable and everything worked well...
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    What is usual range of prop slippage?

    I used a GPS to determine my speed in my Avenger speedboat. I run a '77 Merc 1500 inline (2::1) gear ratio, a jackplate that has the AV plate 1-2" above the water, while on plane. I run an old 19" pitch Mercury SS 3 blade standard prop.Here are the results of my test. WOT = 5000, GPS Speed...
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