# 25hp 2stroke merc questions?



## scoobeb (Feb 2, 2012)

Well i just sold my 2011 15hp stroke yamaha for $1800 which is $400 less then i paid for it,then went out and bought a 2003 25hp 2stroke merc in near mint condition.I have a question about the tiller.It is very loose as far as going up and down almost like there is a washer missing between the tiller and the motor itself.Can that be fixed by a dealer?I wouldn't think it would be an expensive fix.Also i have 2 new spark plugs that are made for this motor but i over gaped them by a hair.The specs call for .040 and they are closer to .045.

My dealer said it won't hurt anything but i just wanted to make sure from some of the smart outboard users here.Will it be a problem?These 25hp 2stroke mercs and yamahas are hard to find near mint and when u can find one jump on it.They are also getting very pricey because people know there is none left to get.I paid a little more then i wanted to but it will be a good investment for a long time.

Any help on the few questions would be great,thanks.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 2, 2012)

Tomorrow I'll look at mine to see if I can see what your problem might be.I have a 2000 25e Merc.Great motors.
You'll be ok on the gap.


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## scoobeb (Feb 3, 2012)

I know most motors get worn down after some use.The guy claims it has only been used under 100hrs which isn't much on this type or any type of outboard.The compression was a dead even 120lbs.I mean it has a few little things like the rubber around the cowl is dry rotted in some areas which is no big deal.Down the road i'm gonna get a new cowl for it.They are fairly cheap at around $250ish my dealer told me then i need to get new decals for it.The power head is clean as a whistle.

Plugs looked good and the motor pumps awesome water when it gets warmed up.He just replaced the water impeller and lower unit oil so that is good for a while.I wanted a manual start not electric start.It pull starts like a dream.I can't wait to try it out on my 14ft jon boat i bet it will fly.I got 20mph with my 15hp yamaha with 2 people in the boat so i would say an easy 25 to 30mph with this 25.

I really hated to get rid of the yamaha but i feel this was the right move.The only smal issue i have like i said is the tiller being so loose when it should be tighter.I am almost positive a plastic washer is missing from in between the tiller and the motor.


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## link7 (Feb 3, 2012)

I have this motor and love it. My tiller handle is a little loose too, but being that it's my first boat I don't really know what it's supposed to feel like. It doesn't really bother me.

I've got it on a 14' gregor and it does real well on the lower colorado river. Lots of power. I haven't checked the speed on it yet cuz I didn't have a way to measure it. Now I do, so we'll see in a couple weeks when I take it out.

Only problem I have is that it's a long shaft on a short shaft transom. So my weekend project is to put on a mini-jacker. I was debating swapping it for a short shaft, but it's such a great motor I'd rather not.

Can't help on the plugs though. It's so new to me I haven't even changed them yet. If you are concerned, just buy some new ones. They're only a couple bucks.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 3, 2012)

Just looked at my tiller & its quite snug.Don't see what could be loose on yours.
120 lbs. compression seems a little low for a low hour motor.Mine has 150 in both holes.Make sure when you do compression test you have carb wide open.
I'm quite familiar with these motors as I use to race them.
If your looking for a cowl I might have one.


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## scoobeb (Feb 4, 2012)

I have had a few of these motors slip through my fingers because i wanted to try the 4stroke thing and i just keep coming back to a 2stroke.I can tell you that i have had 3 of these motors not as good as this one so i sold them but this is a keeper.The compression on the other 2 was exactly the same 120 on each cylinder so i'm not worried they are dead on.From what i understand as long as they are within 10% of eachother it's perfectly fine.

I just tested my brand new 2011 yamaha before it was sold with less then 5hrs and both cylinders were at 120 also.Well i guess we will see how she holds up.Also when you say the carb open just push the carb open and then do it?


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 4, 2012)

> Also when you say the carb open just push the carb open and then do it?



Yes

I looked at many motors before I bought mine.Those motors have a chrome bore.When they're worn out you buy a new block.


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## scoobeb (Feb 5, 2012)

Well thanks for the good advice.I think this motor will hold up just fine.I will do a compression check one more time like you said.I was always taught as long as the cylinders are with in 10%of each other that was fine.I don't know a ton about motors just the basics like compression check and all the tuneup stuff.As far as internal i need to learn.

Please don't think that i'm saying you don't know about these motors but just for kicks i called mercury and i'm sure their not the smartest people there,i asked one of there techs if a 120lb compression was off for a 25hp merc and he told me it was fine.Like i said who knows if he's right but you got me a hair bit nervous saying the compression should be higher.I have had over 10 2stroke motors from like the last 15yrs and from what i have seen on my compression guage they were usually around the 120 to 125 area.

I will do a compression check today with the carb open to see if i get a different reading.

Also with the tiller there seems to be a plastic black washer that is missing between the 2 metal wahers or spacers to tighten the tiller arm up.Anymore info if anyone has some please chime in,thanks.


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## JMichael (Feb 5, 2012)

Here is a parts diagram for an 03 25hp. I'm not sure if it's exactly like yours but you can probably find it here if it's different than yours. It should allow you to compare parts to actual and determine what's missing, if anything. 

https://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury-outboard/parts/4404_140.cfm


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## scoobeb (Feb 5, 2012)

That is not the same motor i have,that digram is for a 25hp sea pro which is a rebagged tohatsu or nissan.I have the black motor(considered as the classic) with red decals on the cowl,also my motor has 400cc's unlike the sea pro which has 430cc's.They have 2 totally different tillers.


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## JMichael (Feb 5, 2012)

Go to the link, click "parts catalog" on the left side of the screen, and enter the appropriate info to get the breakdown for the motor you have>


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## scoobeb (Feb 9, 2012)

Well i went to my local marina today and it is gonna be less then $100 to get the tiller like new.The labor is over $100 an hr but since i bring them the stuff i can't do to them for the past 15yrs they cut me a break to $75 an hr.The parts are like $20 to completely re do the tiller as far as making it tighter.It's missing 2 washers and they sell them in a pack of 4 so their going to take it apart and put all new washers in it for me.Now all i need is a new prop and i'm ready to fly.

From what i gather most people seem to use a 13pitch as it seems to be the best all around for everything,hole shot,speed etc....

Anyone have a good aluminum prop they can suggest is really good or they will all perform the same.I figured to get a new quicksilver at my marina for $95,seems like a fair price.If anyone has an extra cowl in good condition please let me know.The one i have is ok but the rubber around the bottom is getting rotted out.I may just buy a new one as i priced one for $269 at my marina and i need to get the decals also but that is down the road as the one i have will be fine for a while.

Man i can't wait to see how fast this thing goes.  .I got over 20mph with my 15 so the 25 should do really good.


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## scoobeb (Feb 18, 2012)

Well got my motor back finally from the marina.Not to bad,$72 to fix the tiller like new and tight like it just came out of the box.The tiller has a number of plastic washers and bushings in it and for some reason it was missing one plastic bushing that was a whole $9.

She is almost ready to go,just need to do a spark plug change,get my 6 gallon tank going(Speaking of gas tanks is a 6gallon tank big enough for this 25hp or should i go bigger?How many miles could i expect to get from 6 gallons of gas with mostly wo throttle with some slow speeds in between.Does anyone have some input on this?I know my 15hp didn't need much gas as a 3 gallon was plenty.

I am gonna head out on the water monday.I'm pumped to get some fish and getting to my fishing holes fast.Well i f anyone has some input on the gas tank size please let me know ,thanks


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 18, 2012)

I run a 6 gal. tank on mine & get about 7 mpg. =D>


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## scoobeb (Feb 19, 2012)

Well that seems like i would get close to 42 miles to a full tank from what u wrote crazymanme2.I guess i will do trial and error with the six gallon and if i need to go bigger i will go with a 9 gallon if needed to down the road.I have one of the last gas tanks before the new epa tanks are in.My 6 gallon was only $26 now they are no lessthen $50 and that is from walmart.Man i saw the new gas lines at walmart and they were get this $48.Wow that is nuts.I work at wally world so i get a monster 10%discount :roll: .Better then nothing i guess.I have a ton of new gas lines from the old batch not this new expensive stuff.

It's crazy how much money it costs us little people to fish.Just for a tank and line your looking at over $100.The government needs their money.Oh well need to get some sleep i have a long day of getting the boat ready.Thanks for anymore input on gas tanks.


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## scoobeb (Feb 19, 2012)

Well i did my full tune up today.I put new spark plugs,new lower unit oil and a few extra things like greasing all the spots and a new fuel filter that is on the motor itself.

Well i have 2 small issues i need help with.

The first i know these run on a thermostat,but is it normal when it first comes on to dribble for a while like a few minutes then the water was coming out strong like it should.Does it need a few minutes to warm up before it spits water hard.My yamaha would spit it out hard from the start so that is why i'm asking if this is normal.

Also i know the knob controls whether the idle is high or low but when this motor was running it ran awesome but i can judge by hearing the motor it just sounded like it was idleing high even when the choke know was at its lowest.Do these 25 merc 2strokes just idle high as a norm or after some use and a good warm up it will go down.It ran good don't get me wrong but the idle seemed a bit high.Any info on this please?


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## scoobeb (Feb 21, 2012)

Well i fixed the rpms today and knocked it way down with a few turns of the idle screw.Now i need to just hook up the water/fuel seperator on the outside of the boat and i'm ready to go.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 21, 2012)

> The first i know these run on a thermostat,but is it normal when it first comes on to dribble for a while like a few minutes then the water was coming out strong like it should.Does it need a few minutes to warm up before it spits water hard.My yamaha would spit it out hard from the start so that is why i'm asking if this is normal.



That's normal for Mercs of this vintage.Mine does the same thing.Still not used to it.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 21, 2012)

You realize that you turn your choke knob to adjust idle also [-X 

It changes your timing not your butterfly in you carb. #-o


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## scoobeb (Feb 23, 2012)

I changed the choke knob 38 different ways and for no go for some reason.Every merc i have ever owned the choke knob always knocked down the idle but not this one at least not enough.The idle screw was way to high and as soon as i gave it a few small turns it was perfect.I got the idle way down like it needs to be so i can't do any damage to my lower unit.Now i got me some ethanol free gas and i'm ready to roll.I love the sound of reving this motor it sounds like a racing car compared to my little 15 yamaha.You can just feel the power of this motor you know what i mean.It's built for power and speed.Well i will let you know what my top speed on my gps with me and with me and a buddy.

It will probally be simillar,maybe a few mph difference.I love yamaha's but the merc 25 just takes the cake for all the 25's i have seen for overall power and top end.I called merc a few yrs ago and talked to a tech about these motors and he even told me if you can get your hands on a great merc or yamaha 25 get.According to many people who i have talked to if it is true or a myth who knows that almost all merc 2strokes are more powerfull then advertised.I was told by a tech who has been with merc for 27yrs the 25 is more like 33hp,if thats true who knows.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 23, 2012)

My top speed is 32 mph & that's with a 13 pitch prop.They make a 15 which would only give me maybe a couple mph more.Mines aluminium also.


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## scoobeb (Feb 23, 2012)

You think a 15 pitch would be to much on this motor?Just curious.Wow though 32mph is super fast in a little 14ft jon boat.How many people in the boat and was it loaded down with stuff or just you?
That is going to feel like a speed boat.I got 20mph top speed with my 15hp yamaha but that was me,wife and brother plus all the tackle and coolers.

I really hated to get rid of a brand new motor for a used but i think i got a gem of a motor.I usually keep my motors squeaky clean,i'm very anal about my toys and cars.This merc is in great shape except for a few small things like scratches which is normal,very little if any wear on it.The paint is perfect and the powerhead is really clean.I'm going to be in saltwater with it but i flush all my motors no matter where i go.

Well i'm going fishing sunday so i will let you know how it performs.Thanks for all the info.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 23, 2012)

My boats a 1240v with a custom modded bottom.I would stay with a 13p so the motor can run its max rpm's which is best. =D>


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## Ictalurus (Feb 23, 2012)

scoobeb said:


> Just for a tank and line your looking at over $100.The government needs their money.



Scoobeb, just curious, unless your buying your tank at the PX, how is the government going to get money from this? 

P.S. Please don't answer w/ an increase in sales tax.


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## scoobeb (Feb 24, 2012)

Sorry let me rephrase what i said.The government is causing us to take a ton more money out of out pockets.Maybe the government is not profiting from this directly but their the cause of the increase.The epa has done this.Who are they?part of the government.Their so worried about saving our economy but there is some states that don't even check for emissions in cars.You don't think the government has anything to do with this big go green thing?Think about this you will have to pay close to $100 for a 6 gallon tank and line.That is absouletly in sane. :shock: Who else would have something to do with the crazy prices their asking for a tank and line but the government?


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## Ictalurus (Feb 24, 2012)

scoobeb said:


> Who else would have something to do with the crazy prices their asking for a tank and line but the government?



My guess would be the companies that make the tanks. Anyway, thanks for clarifying. I too, had to buy one of the new tanks last year when I upgraded to a six gallon. I'm wondering if the ethanol addition to gasoline caused the change in regulation, as I've heard several issues of ethanol eating through plastic that was original intended to hold straight gasoline.

Edited to say the the agricultural industry lobbied very hard to make the ethanol regulations, I've also heard there trying to increase the ethanol content to 15% now.


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## scoobeb (Feb 24, 2012)

From what i understand some states have E15 already.I use ethanol free gas thank God for that.It's a hair over $4 a gallon but well worth not having ethanol probs.I mean at 6 gallons i'm paying $24 but at least i know my engine will run tip top.I use yamaha decarb treatment and a stabilizer in every tank full i get.I try to give my engines the best of everything like oil also.I use amsoil in my motors as well as my cars.It burns a ton cleaner in my outboard and almost,i mean darn near no smoke out of a 2 stroke outboard.

When i first got this merc i'm running now she had one heck of a carbon buildup going.I have ran one tank full of gas the way i treat it and it runs 100% better then when i first got it.E10 won't hurt an outboard as long as it's used asap and doesn't sit for weeks at a time.If you have to use E10 gas just make sure your tank is topped off if you plan on letting it sit because of course ethanol draws moisture and settles to the bottom of the tank which the hose that sucks up gas from a gas tank will just draw nothing but water.The main thing you need on darn near any boat is a fuel/water seperator.The filter will do wonders for ethanol gas that sits for a while.It's a heck of alot easier to replace a new filter then a new powerhead.


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## gotmuddy (Feb 25, 2012)

if yours is anything like my '96 25hp merc it is a screamer! I love mine. My dad bought it new in '96 and from 1999-2008 it sat inside his house. I havent ever checked compression on it but its got to be good because it runs great.


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## scoobeb (Feb 25, 2012)

Sweet gotmuddy.I can't wait to get her on the water.I have one more night of work and then i will complete all what i need to do with my boat and then by mon or tues i am going to take it out myself and then with my family to see what type of speed difference i get.


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## KevinWI (Feb 25, 2012)

$27 for a hose on Amazon.com and only $42 for the tank.


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## scoobeb (Feb 26, 2012)

How fast does your 1648 alumacraft go with that 25hp 2stroke merc?It looks like your getting it in the you tube clip.Heck of a nice build you got there.That is one thing nice about a bigger boat it gives you a heck of alot more room to build on.


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## FuzzyGrub (Feb 26, 2012)

I have a '98 merc 2 stroke on a dmi 1648, and a gps speed of 26mph with two good sized adults. No tweaking to the motor height yet.

The pee hole only dribles until the thermostat opens. I too, don't like that. I am not a big fan of the shift in the throttle, either. 

I am not sure why you want to run a .045 gap if it calls for 0.040 one. With age, it might start missfiring before one that is gapped correctly.

Another vote to stay with the 13P alum prop until you know (tach) you are over-reving it.


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## scoobeb (Feb 27, 2012)

That is what i have on the motor is a brand new 13pitch.I was just asking what the person thought of a 15pitch.I have seen one ran on you tube with a 15pitch and it didn't seem like they gained a whole lot of mph compared to a 13pitch.Also i have asked my marina i have gone to for many yrs about the gap in the spark plugs and they said it won't affect a thing.

It runs like a top no miss fires of any sought.The marina i go to said the difference between a .045 and a .040 is so minimal that it won't run any different and they are 100%correct.The biggest thing it needs is to be ran hard for a while to clean the whole system out of the oil and fuel it has had in it for a while.Some good 50:1 amsoil,yamaha decarbon treatment,new ethanol free fuel, a good fuel/water seperator,and a really good fuel stabilizer and she will run like brand new.The exhaust is pretty dirty so it needs some good oil and a good hard run which is what i'm going to do here soon.

I know these motors will last a lifetime as long as it is taken care of like i do.It is a very clean motor from top to bottom.I sure wish i would of bought it when it was brand new but for the money i paid it should last a long time.

For some odd reason it goes bad with this motor and i want a cleaner motor i will get the new 25hp etec or a 25hp 4stroke suzuki.They seem like state of the art motors.I really like the 4stroke suzuki with the v twin setup.They seem to have a ton of power.Now from watching a ton of videos on you tube the etec and suzuki 25 seem to have close to equal power unless i'm missing something.They are near the same price and run clean.The etec is def the state of the art motor though.The nice thing about the suzuki is you only have to change the oil once a yr.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 27, 2012)

> For some odd reason it goes bad with this motor and i want a cleaner motor i will get the new 25hp etec or a 25hp 4stroke suzuki.They seem like state of the art motors.I really like the 4stroke suzuki with the v twin setup.They seem to have a ton of power.Now from watching a ton of videos on you tube the etec and suzuki 25 seem to have close to equal power unless i'm missing something.They are near the same price and run clean.The etec is def the state of the art motor though.The nice thing about the suzuki is you only have to change the oil once a yr.



But have you seen what they weight,168# you can get a 50hp Merc for 30 more #s. :lol: Plus more electronic stuff to go wrong. #-o 
I like keep it simple. =D>


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## FuzzyGrub (Feb 27, 2012)

OK, I was wondering if you thought there was some benefit. I generally run the mfg spec unless I've purposly made a change. A wider gap will slightly delay electrical timing, but not enough so you could detect it. Maybe you don't want to take the chance and crack the insolator by regapping them? Was just wondering.


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## scoobeb (Feb 27, 2012)

No i did one plug by mistake with a plug gaper so i just did the other the same.Now your making me nervous.Maybe i will just buy 2 more and install them today,it's only a few bucks.

The 25 etec is only 146lbs crazymanme2 which is like 32lbs heavier then the merc.Yea it is a difference but it will do the job if needed.Of course if this merc holds up i would rather have this for 20yrs then any new stuff from today,not that it's bad but as you pointed out more to go wrong.This is a simple motor and only so many things can go wrong.I was also just putting that out there just in case the merc would go bad.I have 100% confidence as soon as i start getting this motor running it will be perfect.I know it has sit for a while so like i said the insides of this motor need some good oil and fuel as well as some good hard runs to get the motor to tip top shape.

I am installing the water/fuel seperator as soon as this rain stops.It's been raining for days and i can't seem to get a chance to get it on the boat.


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## FuzzyGrub (Feb 27, 2012)

Nothing to be nervous over. You could just regap. If you haven't did the decarb yet, do it after. If there is allot of carbon, I usually change and put new plugs in.


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## scoobeb (Feb 28, 2012)

Well i just went out and bought 2 new plugs and just regapped the other ones as i'm gonna use them as spares.After i'm done getting this motor going it will sing tunes to me because of how clean the fuel,oil and the tuneup i gave her.I use the yamaha decarb treatment and also by using the full synthetic oil plus ethanol free fuel i don't think the fuel/oil treatment can get any better.

It will def be running clean as can be unless i go to a leaner oil ratio which i won't.The one thing that has gotten m for yrs and i'm not trying to start a war of any sought is why all yamaha 2strokes can go on a 100:1 oil ratio but all the other motors say 50:1.I know it has nothing to do with the epa emissions because yamaha has been doing this for i mean many yrs since i was a young kid with no issues what so ever.I can't belive for one minute a merc or johnson etc... motor could be made out of any different materials then a yamaha motor is,you follow me.Now i do know many people especially when i read from this forum and many more run all types of outboards with a 100:1 oil ratio and have never had problems for as long as they owned their outboards.

Maybe these motors are called for a 100:1 oil ratio when constantly being used as long as they don't sit as that has been the debate for yrs especially with johnson/evinrude.I bet since a few here and there went bad on a 100:1 oil ratio the outboard makers changed the ratio to a 50:1 ratio to cover their behinds just in case people decided if they didn't want to use them for a long period of time they had all that extra oil as in this case double from a 100:1 to a 50:1 to lubricate the parts better when it came time to go again.

Just mo,i belive any outboard can run on a 100:1 oil ratio if used all the time with good oil also.I have read a ton of people who go either way,50:1 or 100:1 with the same results,well except with a i100:1 it tends to run a bit smoother,cleaner,less carbon builup,almost no smoke but then i guess less protection for the motor.It just peaks my interest.I know i have talked about this before but i don't think we will ever get that hard core fact on why people do and don't.I have 3 books on mercs and funny enough 2 say run it on a 100:1 and one says 50:1 so it had to be safe at one time or another.Any comments or thoughts on this crazymanme or anyone for the heck of it?I have looked up on the internet(25hp 2stroke merc on a 100:1 oil ratio)there is ton of people who do it with great results that is why i don't understand the big controversy.I would like to run mine at a 75:1 which would be right in the middle,can't loose on that one i guess.It runs so rough at a 50:1 oil ratio.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 28, 2012)

I'm just stating what works for me. =D> 

I used to race this same power head & ran 11 oz. to 1 gal.My motor was set up to run 8100 rpm's.That's what you ran pretty much the whole race.Motor was torn down at the end of every season & checked.Ran same motor for 3 years other than re-ringing at end of year for max performance.

My fishin motor is also the same like block which I run 50:1 when I'm going to do alot of trolling with no problems with idle.In fact a buddy of mine has a Honda 4 stroke & with me sitting next to him with both motors idling they're about the same in noise.But when I know I'm going to do alot of running & not much idling I run 40:1.I also have my motor tweaked a little. :lol: I'm running about 7000 rpm's wot.(just a small timing adjustment which is just at wot)I could set a dime on mine at idle.

There is no harm in running 50:1.A little more oil is cheaper than a new block. #-o 

Each to his own,do what works for you. [-o<


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## FuzzyGrub (Feb 28, 2012)

crazymanme2 said:


> I'm running about 7000 rpm's wot.(just a small timing adjustment which is just at wot)I could set a dime on mine at idle.



I haven't explored mods to the 25hp merc yet, and would be interested to hear more details on what you did.


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## scoobeb (Feb 28, 2012)

That makes 2 of us fuzzygrub,I would also like to hear how to modify the 25 to go that high of rpms with no failing in the motor.What king of stuff had to be done to it to acomplish that kind of speed or high rpms.I got my full tank of gas today and i'm running 14 oz of oil to 6 gallons which is like 60:1.It is a hair smaller then a 16 oz dose of oil it needs to run at 50:1.I am also running full synthetic oil if that makes any difference at all.I only put in 2 oz less just to see how much different it performs.I went to my marina which sells all the major brands and just asked the same curious question.

Why can yamaha run on a 100:1 and no others can.He said you could if you wanted to without any problems,he also suggested to run the xd100 in my merc motor if i ever planned on doing that.I have heard some awesome feedback from a bunch of people who run that xd100 full synthetic oil in a pre mix outboard with awesome results.Like crazymanme said to each their own.I guess there is no right or wrong way to do it.Alot of people say follow the manufacture specs,then in another line you will see i would never run a 100:1 only 50:1 no matter what the book says.I went with a good ratio of both worlds at near 60:1.Not to much and not to little so i'm protected.

Taking her out tom or i will say today soon on weds.I will post how she did.


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## FuzzyGrub (Feb 29, 2012)

I remember doing 16:1 and 25:1 mixes. I have no problem staying at 50:1.


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## scoobeb (Feb 29, 2012)

Well took her out for a fishing day,just got back.I have a few questions that i think you guys maybe able to answer.

Ok first of all when the motor is in N an R it locks itself,in F the motor isn't locked.Is this motor suppose to lift up on a fast stop.In other words when i came to a slow stop and took my time stopping from a distance to stop it was fine but when i wanted to like slow down right away and come to a complete stop on a dime the whole back of the motor would come up.Not all the way out of the water but somewhat it would pop up,is this a normal thing for this motor.I know you are suppose to keep the lock open so if you hit something the motor will pop up but i have never had a motor pop up when i was coming to a fast stop.

Also i noticed that the exhaust is so low on these motors,when it gets rough it almost goes under.I would think that won't hurt anything.It ran like a bat out of hell.She has a ton of power that is for sure.We went over 30mph,2 full adults,gear etc....

Aslo i don't think my power head is leaking but is there a way to know for sure if it is?Would water just flow out of the gasket fast or slow or sometimes it's hard to tell.I noticed quite a bit of water got under the cowl,that was because it was rough in the water today.Any help on this stuff would be great.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 29, 2012)

I know on the older Mercs their unlocked in forward but not sure on the newer ones.I will look at mine tomorrow & post.


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## scoobeb (Feb 29, 2012)

Mine is a 2003.It's a weird setup this motor.I have never had any motors lift up when coming to a full stop fast.I stopped at my marina on the way home and the guy told me everything on the motor seems to funtion properly,he said it just may be a normal for this motor.He couldn't find anything out of the ordinary that looked wrong.This motor i see is not air tight like most.Most of the newer and even some of the yamahas i have owned when it gets rough never get any water under the cowl as this one does.He told me there is alot of drain holes for the water to drain out if any gets in there as it did from being so rough.It wasn't alot but i could see the salt on the power head.It cleaned up nicely though.


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 29, 2012)

Just looked at mine & when plastic trim tab is up motor will tilt up all the way.In the down position it will kick out the shallow water setting of the tilt.This is in forward.In reverse it locks.
It's just like the old Mercs other than the old motors have no shallow water setting.


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## scoobeb (Mar 1, 2012)

So then i guess it is normal for it to be like that.I have had a ton of motors in my life and have never seen one jump up when slowing the boat down,that is a weird setup.Oh well at least it's not broke or anything.I will just have to slow down for a longer distance instead of trying to come to a dead stop.It's not like it's coming all the way out it just moves a little bit up.

I wonder why it's like that.My yamaha never kicked up when i would come to a dead stop,it would kick up though if it hit a rock or something under the water.Well thanks for the info.If you ever have anymore good useful tips on this motor let me know please.


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 1, 2012)

> If you ever have anymore good useful tips on this motor let me know please.



Drive it like you stole it. :lol:


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## scoobeb (Mar 1, 2012)

Yes i will drive it like i stole it for sure.It has some serious power for a little motor.

Now that i got the motor squared away i need to get my boat fixed again by the dealer or they need to give me a different boat.

I have a 2012 1442 LW alumacraft flatbottom.I for the life of me can't belive how they designed this livewell.The livewell has 6 rivets going through the bottom of the livewell through to the bottom of the boat.In other words the livewell is not a solid box.The rivets they put in the livewell are so small that when i get into any type of chop and the boat has a bounce as jon boats do the livewell is seperating from the bottom of the boat which lets the livewell leak all the water out into the boat.The boat itself is fine it's just the livewell.I looked at some of the newer 2012 compared to mine and i think this was a flaw in the boat,the new boats that just came in have rivets 3 times the size with big heads on them so nothing will seperate now.There is no way to fix mine right with out screwing it up.They already welded the first rivet and that didn't even hold so they need to do something.

I would rather get a 1442 or 1542 with out the livewell in place of this one.I'm gonna call alumacraft.This is only the 4th time i have taken the boat out and all 4 times there is a ton of water n the boat,no aceptable for me.I paid $1500 for a boat that doesn't leak.Well i will see how this goes.


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 1, 2012)

That s__ks. :x Is it a big deal to take live well out? Have any pics?


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## link7 (Mar 1, 2012)

Is the motor coming up when you're in shallow water mode? 

Just like crazymanme2 said if you're in shallow water mode there's nothing from preventing the motor from tilting up. In normal mode there's 2 little hooks that attach to that trim rod that goes through the motor mount. In shallow water mode these hooks are disengaged. If you put the motor in reverse and apply power the motor will fly up. I've done this a couple times and it freaked me out. If you read through the manual it says to make sure to never run the motor in reverse in shallow water mode because of this.

When you're moving forward in shallow water mode the only thing keeping the motor in place is the weight of the motor and the forward thrust of the lower unit. If when you're slowing down the drag on the lower unit is more than the weight of the motor it will move up. If you're slowing down from 30MPH to 0 instantly, that may be what's happening. It's probably a little better for the motor (and your passengers) anyway to ease off the throttle a little bit instead of quickly. If the motor is only coming up a little bit and then dropping after you stop, it's not a big deal.

If you're running in shallow water mode all the time, maybe you want to adjust the trim rod to trim the motor out to where it runs in shallow water mode.


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## FuzzyGrub (Mar 1, 2012)

I fish allot of rivers and channels, so always have the motors in unlocked position, and yes, anytime coming off plane quickly the motor will kick up, and you will hear the exhaust. I consider it a reminder when I hear the exhaust. 

As mentioned above, if running the merc in shallow water mode and hit something, it will kick-up and come back to the shallow water mode. I have other motors, where that kick up will cause it to drop down in normal mode and lock! Not something you want to do if you hit something in shallow water. 

PS: That sucks about the livewell. I hope they take care of you. I wouldn't get too many hopes up for a new boat, though.


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## scoobeb (Mar 1, 2012)

The reason i had to come to a complete stop was there was so much power going to the tiller i went to make a turn and lost control a bit so instead of hitting a marker i laid off the throttle,probally a good thing huh!!!I have never had a jon boat so fast and it takes alot more water to turn this thing then my 15hp yamaha did.I just have to get used to it.

The lady i talked to at alumacraft said since this is the second time for the same prob they may be able to swap boats out.I told her i don't really care what happens i just want it fixed right or a different boat.I didn't do it nasty as it sounds.I'm starting to learn you get more with honey then vinegar.I told her if they can weld all 6 rivets properly and i never have a leak again then i will be happy.The people at the marina i bought it from said this is not the first time this has happened with this boat.They need to really correct this flaw.

Well at least i know the motor is just like everyone elses here.That makes me feel a whole lot better.  .Now i just have to wait for the call to see what they want to do.The thing that really made me mad last time is it took 2 weeks to get a really little weld done.I hope it's faster this time if they go that route.

Thanks for the help guys.


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## scoobeb (Mar 3, 2012)

Update on the alumacraft.They are going to drill out the small rivets in the bottom of the livewell and put some big headed rivets in place of them.I told them that is fine as long as they will hold.That won't be done till tues so i have some down time in the meanwhile.It's going to windy for the next 3 to 4days anyway so no fishing for me.

That is the worst thing about a flatbottom is they will beat you to death with a slight chop and when it's a hair bit rough it's like torture.I have a question for anyone here who could answer this.I have this merc on a 1442 that is a hair bit over 200lbs and the motor will flat out get it.If i wan to upgrade to say a 1648 will this motor push it just as good?I have been told the wider the boat the faster it will go because the planning surface on the bottom of the boat is wider,is this right?I would like to get a 1648ncs(no center seat) alumacraft in the future.I know they are rated up to a 35hp which to me makes 0 sense as no one even makes a 35hp anymore.That boat should be able to handle a 40hp with no issues.

I have also been thinking of going with a lowe jon boat instead but like i said this is at least a yr to 2 away.I have owned a newer lowe boat and they just seem to hold up better.The paint holds up better not that it makes a huge difference.They just seem like stronger boats all together.I know were just talking production boats as most of the jon boats are close to the same.I had a 1236 landau a while back i bought brand new with a older 80's 4hp evinrude(awesome motor by the way) and i beat the crap out of it not on purpose of course and never had a problem with it.It seems like you never get what you pay for anymore and it's a real shame.

I have looked over that 25/30hp etec for a long while now and i belive that is the way i'm gonna go in the future for the bigger boat and just keep the 25 merc as i may never see one like this again in this shape anyway.I will post some picks of it,it's a gem.


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## scoobeb (Mar 5, 2012)

Well i am waiting for them to finish my boat but i think it's going to be a waste of time if you ask me.I think it's going to pop open again.They need to put these new rivets in and weld them as well so they never move again or pop.I went to a huge boat show yesterday and it was awesome.They had the pro 17 5 and 185 and they were awesome looking boats.They also had some sweet g3 packages.I really like the new 70hp yamaha.It has a ton of power and is so light for a 4stroke outboard.lIke i said this is way down the road of course.I just want to get my boat done and go fishing without having any problems for once.


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## FuzzyGrub (Mar 5, 2012)

I have that merc on a 1648 and get 27mph gps with two adults. My thoughts are, while it is wider and may plane quicker, it will have more wetted surface, which would tend to make it slower at high speed.


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## scoobeb (Mar 5, 2012)

Well i am getting a bit over 30mph now so if i only loose 3 or 4mph and i can have a much bigger boat it's well worth it then to me.The 1442 i really nice but me and my fishing buddy agree asap we need at least a 1648 maybe a 1652 even then i would have to step up to a bigger motor to.


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## florida strain (Mar 10, 2012)

i have the same motor. and the same psi, 120 which is good. i have the vengance prop by merc. installed by the previous owner.


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## xbacksideslider (Mar 12, 2012)

You ought to be able to just buy any old low pressure/no fuel injection automotive fuel line.

It's the regulations that force re-designs that force prices up. Then too, some companies are more than happy to join with the regulators to force new designs that leave the old designs illegal or obsolecent; keeps the competition out too.


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## scoobeb (Mar 28, 2012)

Well got the boat back a while ago but i have been really sick.I haven't been able to go out in weeks.The rivets they put in are bigger but i can't see them holding any better then the last ones.I guess when i get over this flu or what ever i have i will go out and see if it still leaks.


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