Re: Mercury 70s model 1150 idle issues
#1 isn't dead yet, there is still hope that a de-carb will improve the compression.
Even if the #'s remain the same she should still run a long time with only a small percentage of power loss from the one cyl, you may not even notice it.
However, if it was an overheat of #1 there is a possibility of alum transfer from the piston skirt to the cyl wall which 'could' scrape off into the ring land and entrap the ring, causing further compression loss.
You could remove the exhaust side cover, turn the motor over until #1 piston is down and inspect the cyl wall. If you find alum transfer use muratic acid with Q-tips to remove the alum. Carefully dry all the acid out, rinse/wipe with alcohol, then coat with 2 stroke oil. Reassemble and run it, rechecking compression occasionally to watch for any change.