Conference unifix::sailing

    	Eight seasons on a motor is not all that much unless you have
    really abused it.  Ask in the powerboats notes file you will probably
    be able to get some good advise on how to trouble shoot it.  The other
    choice it to drag it into a good mechanic.  

    	At the sailing program I volunteer at none of our motors are that
    new and they still have plenty of life in them.  I am confident that we
    treat our equipment much worse than you treat yours.  Engine run with
    wrong octane GAS, improper oil mix to an occasional no oil mix. 
    Several have been sunk while running etc.
    
    Forrest

    For what it is worth.
    
    At the end of every season I run the Motor in Fresh water to rid it of
    all the salt deposits. Probably not your problem but....
    
    All fuels leave a deposit and each year I strip and clean the fuel
    system. It would seem likely that at low revs that it is getting and
    intermediate fuel supply.
    
    
    The motor is a Mercury 2.2 and touch wood is still good, about the same
    vintage as yours.
    Good luck.
    
    Pete

    Over the years, 90% of my small engine problems (all of which have had
    an idle season - or sometimes several idle years at a time) have been
    the carburetor. Generally gunk and varnish buildup, which a disassembly 
    and thorough cleaning inside and out with "Gumout" has cured.
    
    Every carburetor that I have met has had a low speed mixture adjustment
    screw. Normal setting for these is in the neighborhood of 1.5 turns
    open from fully closed. 
    
    The first thing that I would check is that the mixture screw (which 
    usually has a spring around it to keep it from spontaneously changing)
    is set near 1.5 turns out. If that was o.k. then I would disassemble
    it loosing for signs or varnish or specks of crud, and thoroughly
    clean it with GUmout.
    
    It could be other than carburetion, but given the nature of carbs to
    gum up - especailly if the gas evaporated from not being used for a
    year or two, I'd clean the carb anyway - and I'd give at leadt 50%
    odds that you will fix the problem right there.
    
    Enjoy,
    
    Bill
    
    
    Bill

    A compression check will quickly tell you if its an old age problem.
    
    If the comp check is ok, and the fade out at idle is the only problem
    it doesn't sound to me as if old age is the issue.  I run old outboards
    'all the time' and some of them are 30 years old.
    
    Ask Rick... he is the old outboard expert.
    
    Rick?
    
    Jeff

Hopefully, cleaning the carburetor and adjusting the idle will solve the
problem. To prevent your carburetor from gumming up in the future, run the
carb empty by shutting off the fuel valve, before leaving the motor unused for
any length of time. (Carburetor gum is what's left after a carburetor full of
gas evaporates. If there's virtually no gas in the carb, there will be virtually
no gum after the tiny amount of gas has evaporated.) 

--RS

    "and some of them are 30 years old"
    
    whats old about 30 years in marine engines? my boat has a 1909 Gray one
    cylinder, and I just picked up a 1902 Palmer, which Ill have in a
    launch next summer.
    
    I do agree with the compression check, its the only way to tell
    anything serious about an engine.

    Another layup tip:
    
    I add gasoline stabilizer to the fuel tank, then run the outboard
    in fresh water using a trash can. After about fifteen minutes, I
    pull the fuel line and let the engine run dry.
    
    You now have a tank of gas ready to sit through the cold winter months
    and a flushed engine with a  minimum amount of stabilized fuel in it.
    
    Paul

    Letting a 2 stroke run out of fuel is not a good idea.  Lubrication is
    reduced when the engine runs out of gas/oil mix and is coasting to a
    stop.  
    
    INSTEAD, why not put in fuel stab. or drain the carb?
    
    Jeff

    Running the carb dry is what was suggested (somewhere) for me to do. 
    This made for hell starting the motor (8 hp Johnson Sailmaster) and
    lots of ugly squeeky noises till it was running. So instead I just make
    sure to run it once every time I'm at the boat. I never run it dry any 
    more, but don't let it sit for the fuel to get ugly.
    
    	But your description of your problem reminds me of that time I
    thought my motor was in real bad (how the hell could this happen?)
    shape. It ran significantly better as soon as I opened the choke! (Ooopps)
    
    Maybe your air intake in clogged. How's your air filter? Where the hell
    is that thing on my motor any way? (I'm sure I could find it if I
    looked)
    
    	Geoff

    If you use fuel stabilizer you won't have to worry about the gas going
    bad upon standing.
    
    Jeff

I now have the impression (also from replies in BOATS) that my
outboard is not as aged as I thought. It will therefore worth
putting in some effort to make it behave itself during the
coming season.
(The season tends to be coming very slowly at this time of year.)
	Mike

    question:
    
    I have a 1987 Mercury 9.9 sailmaster outboard. It is not getting
    any spark at all. Have checked the wiring (the engine looks like
    new under the cowl, not even dust).  The continuity on the two
    kill switches is fine.
    
    I got one of those clymer manuals and started checking the coils.
    with I check against the the two terminals, I get perfect 
    a reading of .02 ohm on the primary side of each of the coils, but
    the secondary side is zip (ie open). There was nothing between
    the primary and secondary windings.
    
    We did a voltage check on the primary wire coming out of the 
    switch box to the primary and it shows voltage when we 
    crank the motor over with the starter cord.
        
    1. does it sound like a bad set of coils (ie open set)?
    
    2. is it normal for 2 coils to blow at the same time (they look like
        new)
    
    3. Do I have to dig further to find would why they died, or is this
       a normal thing? I do not see any other occurances in either the sail
       of boats notes file?
    
       thanks
    
        john
    
    
    
    

    I forwarded your question to Rick Wilson, the resident outboard expert.
    
    As far as old age in outboards is concerned there is (sort of) no
    such thing.  An outboard will last as long as its maintained and there
    are parts available.  A 12 year old outboard is certainly not old as 
    far as outboards go.  Mine is 15 years old and running fine.
    
    Jeff

Definitely 12 years is not old, its a relative youngster if its treated right.

I have a 5 horse Mariner (2-stroke single cylinder) 1980 vintage. I used this 
to power my 22 foot yacht 700 miles through the canals of France to the Med. 
If you look after the engine (plugs, oil, water pump, paintwork) there is no 
reason why it should show its age. I just re-painted mine and it looks (and 
goes) like a million bucks. It has spent all of its active life in salt water
but I lift and cover the engine when not in use. 

Steve

Talking of older outboards...

I recently bought a small (8'6") inflatable to use as a tender and general 
messing about boat.
  
I got with it an older (no idea how old) 2HP Ervinrude which seems to work
but is a bit ratty.  Also I managed to break the recoil starter mechanism
so now it cann't be started at all.

I was planning to strip it down and see if it was worth refurbishing.  If
it is then I will need a source of spares.  Does anyone know of such a source??
(I am located in the Maynard/Marlborough area).

I am also wondering if I can replace some of the parts from an outboard 
"breakers yard" if such a thing exist.  For example, the bracket and clamp
that fastens the unit to the transom is broken.

While this motor should be good when using the inflatable as a tender, I 
would like to have a bigger unit for the "messing about boat" mode.  If
anyone knows of a reasonably priced outboard for sale in the 5 to 10 HP 
range, I would appreciate any leads.

Paul

    Check out Manny Makris in Meredith NH.  I've been told by the owners
    that they are the same people who service Ken and Stan's boats and they
    have treated me very well.
    
    They're called M&M Marine I believe or M&M Motors.
    
    	Regards,
    
    	Ron