1998 optimax misfire

[John's 19.6 CC]

Hello
I have a 19.6 cc powered by a 1998 Merc optimax 135. The motor has low hours as it sat a few years before install. It has ran fine for three years. The motor ran great Saturday. Had a full load in my boat and ran for awhile. Today when I came out of idle and tried to accelerate the outboard started buckling at around 2500 ? rpms or so. No alarm codes sounded. Temps ok. I shut her down, waited a minute or so. Started right back up, tried to accelerate, same thing. I have done all the yearly maintainance except I have never changed the plugs. I did pull a couple last month and they looked fine. I have used the boat in salt water twice and use it in the local freshwater lake. I used saltaway on it before and after both salt water excursions. I have checked the oil level in both the onboard reservoir and the outboard side mounted reservoir. I will probably have to take it to the shop but I am very mechanically inclined and have a service manual for the outboard, but I am certainly NOT an outboard tech and would appretiate any ideas ya'll might have.
Thanks in adavance
John.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 1998 optimax misfire

Ayuh,... My guess is Crap in the fuel filters...

 

[John's 19.6 CC]

Re: 1998 optimax misfire

I sure hope you are right and its something simple. I have not changed the fuel filter as of yet this season and I did run the gas tank low before refueling last Friday before my trip. I was planning on trying that. My good boating buddy had a 1999 135 opti and he had a similiar problem and it turned out to be a bad cyclinder, he's convinced its something major, but he always seemed to have alarms going off and alot of problems prior to his outboard failing. Thanks alot for the response.