Conference vicki::boats

    I have an autoblend on a 90hp Johnson.  I started getting hi-temp
    alarms at high speeds.  After having it checked out I was told I
    was using artificial oil and that it wasn't blending soon enough
    which was causing the alarm to go off.  I switched to Johnson's
    own oil and the problem went away.  There was no mention of this
    in the owner's manual I might add.  
    
    Could this be the problem??

    There've also been problems with synthetic oils and natural oils
    being incompatible.  There used to be an oil. Klotz, on the market
    in the early 70's that caused quite a few engine failures in two
    stroke motorcycles because it turned to glue when it hit regular
    oils.
    
    Be careful premixing on an oil injection engine.
    
    o	You can trash your oil pump if it runs unlubricated
    
    o 	oil mixture has an effect on fuel/air mixture
    
    o	Pistons are expensive.

    re .2	YaButt, rebuilding engines is SO much fun.  Ask me about
    it sometime, preferrably out of season.
    
    	Reg
    

    
    Recommended oil for the autoblend is Quicksilver or an oil that
    meets BIA rating TC-W.  I'm not sure now that it is the injection
    system because the engine was still performing badly even when
    mixing the oil/gas in the tank.  Full throttle is not possible
    for the  first 60 seconds, then it catches and everything is fine.
    (figure that one out....the dealer can't)...
    
    This is the part of boat owning that I hate....
                                                
    Jeanne
    
    
    P.s.  John, we don't even want to think about a piston problem!
          
    

    Try Stoneham boat center in stoneham, they are an authrized merc
    service center. They have done well by me on my 230 i/o.
    
    Bruce

    re .4	Warning, this is from motorcycle 2 stroke experience,
    it may or may not be relavant to outboards.
    
    	Sounds like idle is too rich or choke is on too_much/too_long,
    or some of both.  Either way I'd guess your plugs are sooting up
    and the 60 sec is what it takes to blow them clean again.  For off
    road motorcycles we'd set the throttle stop to starve and kill the
    engine when it was closed, that way we could shut down to use engine
    braking and have clean power when opening it up again, this was
    on pre-mix, not auto-lubers.  I'd start with a plug reading around
    ~59 seconds; if they're (all) sooted you're on the carb track, get
    into the carb (choke) area and have fun.  If one or two are different
    to the rest you have a cylinder specific problem, in which case
    "well, it all kinda depends...."  If you've never read plugs before,
    well, .... just take them all out when its been running rough, compare
    them, try to decide where they are on a scale of sooty to white
    and ashen.  Compare this first reading to how they look after a
    5 or so minute fast run (no idling afterwards, just kill it from
    fast/full throttle).

    	This is all generalities, I know, but two strokes is two strokes,
    etc.  If you want to check back after a plug reading gimme a call.
    
    	Reg
    

  >>well, .... just take them all out when its been running rough, compare
  >>them, try to decide where they are on a scale of sooty to white
  >>and ashen.  Compare this first reading to how they look after a
  >>5 or so minute fast run (no idling afterwards, just kill it from
  >>fast/full throttle).

   I don't know Reg, sounds like I could break or chip my nails! :)
 
   Thanks though.  The problem was a loose hose inside the gas tank
that was sucking air once the tank lowered past 3/4.  The mechanics
couldn't figure it out, they thought the problem was in the auto-blend
unit.

The owner (Mike) was the one who figured out what the problem was.
He was great, wanted to know from the mechanic why I was charged
$154.00.  He knew I was overcharged, and he told his mechanic if
I'm ever back there, he wanted me taken care of immediately.

Jeanne

    re .7	"break or chip my nails", eh ?   
    
    	tell an old guitar player about THAT problem will Ya ? 

    	You MIGHT get your hands a little dirty, but that's (partly)
    what stinkpots are for.  Somehow I don't have you figured for one
    that sits around painting your nails a whole lot:-^)

                                         
    Well, I think its time to try another Merc. dealer.
    
    Three times and you're out, Middlesex Marine & Power.
                                                 
    After the owner worked on the engine,(2nd time), the boat
    ran for 20 minutes, and then stopped running completely.
    
    The engine (after having it worked on the 3rd time), ran fine for
    one day, and then the "hesitate and surge" problem came back.
    Middlesex tells me they replaced the fuel pump (again), cleaned
    out the carb, and replaced the housing around the carburetor.
    
    Before I dropped the boat off for the 3rd time, the owner and myself
    had a little discussion on the phone first.  He told me he
    thought I had an "attitude problem"....and at this point, I'd have
    to say I agree with him .   :)  
    
    So, a friend who knows a friend whose been working on Mercurys
    for 20+ years, is going to be looking at the engine next.  He
    seems to think the carburator should be opened up 2 10,000/sec.
    At this point, I'm thinking of setting the boat on fire!
      
    Jeanne
    

    re .9	I vote we all bring our tools and "troubleshooting
    expertise" to the next gumball and  "have at"  Jeanne's boat.  Either
    we'll fix it, or muck it up so bad that MPM will have to replace
    the motor under warranty :-^)

    	Reg
    

    
    Thanks Reg!  Do you have a drill to open up the carb?!  
    
    Nope, its not under warranty, the warranty was for one year
    only, (the engine is an 1986)...but I don't think I
    want them to work on the boat a 4th time anyhow!
    
    I'll get this problem fixed sooner or later, probably by
    the fall...  :>)
    
    Jeanne
    

    Is there any chance that you have water in your fuel tanks?  I have
    NEVER seen an unmodified production engine that required mucking with
    the carburetor jets after delivery.  Consider the simple and obvious
    before getting complicated.
    
    Other basics:  What info do you have to tell you if it's a fuel
                   system problem rather than an ignition problem?
     
    		   Are your tanks properly vented?
    
    		   How old are your fuel lines and connectors?  Could
                   the lines be collapsed or plugged?  
    John

    
    
    Jeanne,
    
    	This time I have to agree with John, unless someone has already
    un-adjusted the jets, they more than likely don't require adjustment.
    Although if this guy knows what he's doing he will realize that
    himself.
    
    	I'd run down John's list first, maybe checking the fuel lines
    as the first stop. 
    
    Rick

    Well, its not the lines, or the fuel or the tank.  These have
    already been checked out, when I bypassed the autoblend unit,
    MM&P gave me their lines, and we still had the problem.  I've
    replaced the gas tank with a new plastic one and been running premium
    fuel.  Also, the engine only performs badly when its warm.
    
    John, I think you're right about it being an electrical problem.
    I just got off the phone with Marine USA, talked to a fellow
    named Bob.  I described the problem, he thinks the problem could
    be either electrical (switchbox), tells me he's replaced 2 dozen
    of these....or, a stater assembly???  
                                                 
    Unfortunately, Marine USA is booked until Sept. 15th, and I
    refuse to go back to Middlesex.  So I've made an appointment
    at Riverfront in Amesbury.  At least now I can tell them what
    to look for.
    
    Thanks guys!
    Jeanne
    
            
    ;
    

    Just checking in from saturn...
    
    I don't normally muck with outboards (I'm assuming this is an
    outboard), but I know of several automotive engines that had
    heat-sensitivity problems in the electronic ignition... if this
    engine has electronic ignition, it might be worth looking at (either
    with an ignition scope while the problems is occuring, or by finding
    someone with a similar engine to swap parts with).
    
    Does anybody have any details on how the ignition works on this
    unit?
    
    ...tom k

    re .-1, the switch box and stator that Jeanne's referring to are
            ignition components.

    I don't know what they are called, but "switchbox" sounds to me
    like something mechanical... I'm more thinking about a CD driver
    unit, a hall-effect pickup, or somesuch nonsense... An ignition
    scope is the way to figure this out, but you'd sort of need a
    battery-powered one to be able to take a peek while underway.. and
    those are fairly rare..
    
    ...tek
    
    P.S.: CD := Capacitive-Discharge, not Compact-Disc... there was
    a time when nobody would be cinfused by that...

    
    The problem turned out to be the stater, afterall.  Why Middlesex
    Marine and Power couldn't figure this one out is beyond me.  I was
    told by Bob of Marine USA, Worcester, Ma., that Keith (Sup. Serv.
    Dept at MM&P), was Mercury's #1 rep.  That's scary.  
    
    BTW:  Portside Marine, Danvers, MA did the repair work for me, and
          I would definately recommend their service.  
    
    Jeanne