Sluggish 200 Mercury 200 EFI

[Ken Pearson]

I have a 1998 Mercury 200 EFI and it just doesn't seem to be running right. The thing rab great when I first bought it but now I am having trouble getting it to plane out. It starts up like it should, idles a little rough. But when I try to get it up on plane with two people (weight about 450lbs) half tank or full some one has to get up on the front deck to get the nose to drop. The throttle feels like there should be just a little more to it. It seems like the throttle doesn't even really get started until i get it two thirds down. Also what should the tach be turning? It seems to run about 8000rpms when you first start out the it will drop to about 6500rpms. I have been talking to people and one of them mentioned a power pack. Does this motor have one? By the way I have already changed the fuel lines, fuel pump and they seemed to let it start better, but I still have the planing out problem.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Sluggish 200 Mercury 200 EFI

Are you trimming the motor down before you throttle up?

Have you checked for waterlogged foam?​

 

[j_martin]

Re: Sluggish 200 Mercury 200 EFI

If you're turning 8 grand while basically dead in the water, you either forgot to put your engine in the lake, or you've sheared a prop hub.

hope it helps
John

I have a 1998 Mercury 200 EFI and it just doesn't seem to be running right. The thing rab great when I first bought it but now I am having trouble getting it to plane out. It starts up like it should, idles a little rough. But when I try to get it up on plane with two people (weight about 450lbs) half tank or full some one has to get up on the front deck to get the nose to drop. The throttle feels like there should be just a little more to it. It seems like the throttle doesn't even really get started until i get it two thirds down. Also what should the tach be turning? It seems to run about 8000rpms when you first start out the it will drop to about 6500rpms. I have been talking to people and one of them mentioned a power pack. Does this motor have one? By the way I have already changed the fuel lines, fuel pump and they seemed to let it start better, but I still have the planing out problem.

 

[Ken Pearson]

Re: Sluggish 200 Mercury 200 EFI

What RPMs should this be running at full thorttle? Maybe I should have given a little more detail. I don't know how to describe it. Yes I am trimming it down before I take off. It just seems like the throttle needs just a little more on take off. How would I know if the foam was water logged? What about the Power Pack? Is there one on this motor? Could that be the problem?

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Sluggish 200 Mercury 200 EFI

I think your WOT should be between 5200-5800 RPM​

 

[gss036]

Re: Sluggish 200 Mercury 200 EFI

If you are getting that high of a RPM reading, the 1st thing I can think of doing is to check for a spun hub. Use a permenant type marker to make a line across the prop/hub, take it for a spin and give it full throttle several times and see if the lines move.