Just bought a boat and having bad issues

[teamloud]

ok i just bought a 94 nitro and it has a 150hp mercury on the back. it starts fine, but it hates to run in idle while going threw channels and when i get it out on the lake it chugges alot when i put it in gear and give it gas it dam near dies. i have a tournament in two days and i have to get it fixed. if u guys have any ideas please let me know asap. if u want email me at teamloud@yahoo.com thanks

 

[diaric]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

carbs could be set wrong, especially if it came from a different altitude. more likely, wintered improperly and carbs are varnished and gummed up. if you don't have time to rip em down and clean up, you could try putting some seafoam in the tank and see if it cleans em up some. if the carbs are really gummed up, stripping them will be the only option. if it seems to get up and go good once its opened up then its probably not propped so high that it hates to idle.

 

[teamloud]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

carbs could be set wrong, especially if it came from a different altitude. more likely, wintered improperly and carbs are varnished and gummed up. if you don't have time to rip em down and clean up, you could try putting some seafoam in the tank and see if it cleans em up some. if the carbs are really gummed up, stripping them will be the only option. if it seems to get up and go good once its opened up then its probably not propped so high that it hates to idle.

it came from decatur illionis. it runs at idle but it just chuggs so bad that it makes it real hard not to make a wake!

 

[diaric]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

most likely that carbs are all gummed up. big engines don't like to idle along a lot, but your describing more of a dirty carb. altitude problem is bad here because a lot of boats come from sea level at coast and we're at about 3000 ft

 

[teamloud]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

ALL RITE I WILL TAKE OFF WORK TOMOrrow and try to get it fixed. thanks alot 4 your help

 

[diaric]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

good luck, its a bad time of the year to get a boat fixed, everyone is busy, thats why most guys here reccomend getting a manual and DIY

 

[teamloud]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

thanks and i just bought a manual online just now so i will have one. thanks alot

 

[j_martin]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

You have a 13 year old motor and you have no idea if it has seen any maintenance, or how many hours it has run. Odds are that whatever hours are on it are hard ones.

If you have a main jet gummed up, or the timing is a little fast, or air leaks, or ............ you could burn down the engine in short order. If it ain't right, especially if it seems to back off at WOT, don't run it like that. It'll get real expensive real fast.

That said, I bought an 88 in similar condition. After going through the lower unit to repair the damage caused by the last "mechanic" trying to install seals, the carbs, wiring harness lead dress, checked the reeds, and a formal link and sync, I have a 150 XR4 on my 1988 tracker (forerunner to your nitro) running in the 60's with a full fuel tank, and near 60 with the bathtubs full of fish. I have idled it no wake for over a half hour at a time. It ain't real happy, but doesn't balk, and clears out in a few seconds. All that with a 24 pitch stump puller prop. (High five)

Good luck with your new boat.

John

 

[teamloud]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

You have a 13 year old motor and you have no idea if it has seen any maintenance, or how many hours it has run. Odds are that whatever hours are on it are hard ones.

If you have a main jet gummed up, or the timing is a little fast, or air leaks, or ............ you could burn down the engine in short order. If it ain't right, especially if it seems to back off at WOT, don't run it like that. It'll get real expensive real fast.

That said, I bought an 88 in similar condition. After going through the lower unit to repair the damage caused by the last "mechanic" trying to install seals, the carbs, wiring harness lead dress, checked the reeds, and a formal link and sync, I have a 150 XR4 on my 1988 tracker (forerunner to your nitro) running in the 60's with a full fuel tank, and near 60 with the bathtubs full of fish. I have idled it no wake for over a half hour at a time. It ain't real happy, but doesn't balk, and clears out in a few seconds. All that with a 24 pitch stump puller prop. (High five)

Good luck with your new boat.

John

well i changed plugs and seafoam in gas and cleaned jets and still doin it? all most took the 40 cal out and put a few breahter holes in it. dont know what else it is

 

[j_martin]

Re: Just bought a boat and having bad issues

WELL........................

It just don't work to buy a misfunctioning bote, yell to a bunch of friendly good guys for help, and expect a cheep silver bullet to get you in the tournament in a day.

You start with a compression check, and maybe peek in the bores, a borescope helps, and see if the motor is in general good health, or if it has major mechanical problems.

Then you check out the fuel system. You put some pressure on it with the primer bulb, (a hard squeeze is about 6-7 lbs pressure) and check for leaks, carbs flooding, stuff like that. Replace the fuel filter, all old hard fuel lines, and throw a kit into the fuel pump.

If the plugs are old, dirty, or gummed up, replace them.

Then you do a formal link n sync on it to be sure all the timing is right, both spark and throttle advance.

If it'll run pretty good on the cuffs about now, it's time to do a decarbon job on it.

Then you can start to troubleshoot faults. Until this point, you are working with a completely unknown engine, and you have no way to decide if something is significant, and what the fault might be. If it's the victim of long term lazy maintenance, you may have already fixed it by now.

I believe you have either a 2.4 or a 2.5 carb'd V6. These are some of the strongest, most reliable motors Mercury made. The race boys like to push them to over 9000 rpm and 300 + ponies on their skipstones. They don't last long at that, but at 5500 rpm, they are just loafing.

The lower unit is another story. On an engine this size, a water leak that is an inconvenience on a 25 horse engine will put the pinion out the side in a heartbeat on this one. Preventative maintenance, proper adjustment, and good lube are required. They can live forever on a fishin' motor if well cared for, and they can trash in an hour if not.

Good Luck
John