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  1. M

    I stand corrected

    To the person who posted: [b]Tires blew out. What caused it? I provided incorrect information. If your trailer tires say 50lbs. max pressure, then it should be 50 lbs. max. I was incorrect in assuming that the tires would gain even greater pressure after riding on them for a while. Sorry for the...
  2. M

    boat never lines up on trailer

    Everytime I bring my boat in from the water it always lines up more to one side than in the middle of the trailer. I can't figure out why. I have a shoreland'r trailer with rollers. Would one side of the rollers being higher than the other cause this? How can you tell if the rollers are all...
  3. M

    fuel line stuck

    Hi. I own a 50 hp Mercury (1984 4-cylinder). The fuel line that connects directly to my outboard motor is stuck and won't disconnect from the motor. The fuel line is the kind you push in and twist clockwise to connect and push in and twist counter clockwise to disconnect. While winterizing my...
  4. M

    2 general boating questions

    I have two general boating questions: 1. Is it ok to leave your wires hooked up to your battery if storing your boat for only a couple of weeks? 2. The black rubber on my tilt and trim hoses are getting old, cracked and brittle. The white mesh underneath appears to be fine. I have wound and...
  5. M

    Wiring Hell

    I am a novice boater. I have a 20 year old fishing boat with the following operating features: Bilge pump, navigation lights, tach, speedometer, livewell and fishfinder. I have four red wires that hook up to my starter battery positive post. And four black wires that hook up to my starter...
  6. M

    when to stop using cold start button

    I own a Mercury 50 hp, 1984, 4-cylinder. When starting, I always use the throttle cold start button. After running the engine a good five minutes in gear and then stopping to fish for a half hour or so, should I resort to a cold start again, or just try turning the key with a little push on the...
  7. M

    Short term engine storage?

    Does anyone know what Mercury recommends when storing your boat / engine out of water for short periods of time? (1 to two weeks). I've heard conflicting reports that you should always run your engine dry and disconnect fuel lines and others that say it makes no difference if fuel remains in...
  8. M

    Short term engine storage?

    Does anyone know what Mercury recommends when storing your boat / engine out of water for short periods of time? (1 to two weeks.) I've heard conflicting reports that you should always run your engine dry and disconnect fuel lines and others that say it makes no difference if fuel remains in...
  9. M

    Do those carb cleaners really work?

    I own a 50 hp Mercury 1984. Should I ever suspect something wrong with the carburetors, is it worth trying those foam carb cleaners first before taking carbs apart? If so, what's good for Mercury? Thanks
  10. M

    battery confusion

    I just read an article where the author said use a starter battery for starting your outboard only... no accessories. Does this mean I should use a different battery for my boat lights, bilge pump, livewell, fish finder, etc. And then have a third battery for my trolling motor? Yipes! Any advice?
  11. M

    Let 'er rip

    Hi. Because of the lake I'm on, I very seldom am able to open up my Merc 50 at full throttle... I'm thinking it's a good idea to find a deep lake and just let my Merc rip at full throttle for about 3 - 5 minutes to clear out any crap I may have built up in the carbs / engine... kinda like taking...
  12. M

    Will fuel pump kit do the job?

    Hi. I own a 50 hp. 1984 Mercury outboard. I'm thinking of getting a fuel pump kit for it. My question is, if fuel-related problems lead you to the fuel pump, what good does a "kit" do? How do you know you just don't need a new fuel pump altogether? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
  13. M

    Battery and wiring check-up

    Hi. When I connected all my cables to my boat battery this spring, everything ran fine. Engine started, bilge pump worked, livewell worked, lights worked, etc. At some point I had to remove and reinstall the cables to the battery posts and now nothing works. I suspect I don't have the cable...
  14. M

    what's the story behind the water pump impellor?

    Hi, I have received a couple of suggestions on how to improve performance on my 84 Merc 50 hp... I have a problem where it seems like it's not getting enough gas when running at slow speed. I keep having to pump the primer bulb to get it fuel. In addition to checking fuel lines, gas tank...
  15. M

    Fuel line connection parts

    Hi. I own a 50 hp Mercury outboard... 1984. (4-cylinder, 2-stroke oil/gas mix) I want to replace my fuel line, primer bulb and connectors with original OEM parts. Any body know what that might be? I know my connectors are the bayonet type. My dealer won't commit to anything without seeing the...
  16. M

    instructor for hire?

    Hi. I'm looking for a person in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area who can teach me the ins and outs of operating my boat... someone who could spend half a morning on the water teaching me things about my boat and engine... proper starting procedures, fuel line hook-ups, what not to do, how to...
  17. M

    How do I clean fishfinder contacts?

    Hi. I own an Eagle Magna III Plus fishfinder. It worked great all last summer. This year nothing. I thought I would try and clean the contacts / connections but the holes where the connectors plug in are so small I can't get anything in there to remove any possible corrossion. Should I try...
  18. M

    Instructor for hire?

    Hi. I live in the Milwaukee, WI area. I am looking for someone in the area who is extremely familiar with boating...and could give me the time of day to learn the ins and outs of my boat... 16 ft. Sylvan fishing boat with a 50 Merc engine. In particular, someone to look it over to see if it's...
  19. M

    safe to use winterized gasoline?

    I'm hearing mixed reviews...I have leftover gasoline for my outboard. It was treated with a fuel stabilizer over the winter. My question is, is it safe to use along with fresh gas? Or should I always start the year with fresh gas, and never bother using the "old?" In other words, throw out the...
  20. M

    84 merc starved for gas?

    Hi. I own a 1984 merc... 50 hp. My mechanic gave the engine a tune-up last fall. I also replaced the primer bulb with a new Atwood primer bulb (any good?) However I did not replace the original fuel lines. This weekend, my boat started easy and seem to idle fine... but after a minute or too in...
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