new owner of a 1979 mercury 80 hp

[gman737]

i had this boat for three weeks and yesterday fourth time i had it on the water, i
had a hard time starting it.. , i uncovered the motor and noticed that the this blue thing (i think that blue thing would be something like a fuel pressure reg)where the fuel hose is attached too was squirting fuel... i also notice fuel in the water and on the motor... the motor sounds like it wants to turn over but it seems as if no fuel is going thru... please any info will help, this is my first boat ever and well i can use any help i can get and will be appreciated...

 

[kmk_7110]

Re: new owner of a 1979 mercury 80 hp

fix "this blue thing" and your motor should run again.

 

[SeaKaye12]

Re: new owner of a 1979 mercury 80 hp

Yup; squirting fuel is not good. You might want to replace all the fuel lines. Who knows; maybe they are original? I have a 1978 Merc 850 and the fuel lines were very dry and cracked when I got the motor a couple of years ago. Replacing them isn't too hard....although on mine the line from the pump to the carbs runs behind the switchbox.....caused me to have to remove the wires to get it out of the way.

That's the other thing...look closely at the wiring.....Merc wiring from that vintage is problematic..... the insulation just flakes off and the wiring itself deteriorates badly. I spliced into mine for a satisfactory repair. If I knew then that the motor would run as good as it does...I would have sprung for an after-market internal wiring harness. Would have been easier and a much better repair.

Otherwise....make sure that your carbs have been gone through recently...and that the water pump is working properly. Running lean and/or hot are two more things you don't want (in addition to the squirting fuel...)

Good luck...enjoy your boat.

Thanks for reading, Chuck