CONTINUOUSWAVE

pcrussell50

Fuel additives are a time honored subject, and there are probably as many opinions are there are people. What additives are you putting in your fuel--if any? My latest additive cocktail, recommended by my now deceased mechanic (who died in a boat racing accident in Fall 2017), is ordinary Chevron Te...

pcrussell50

biggiefl wrote:It might be cheaper to buy a new aftermarket switch and key.

Maybe. But it’s in the remote, so I’d have to disassemble. Then again if I don’t find this key I’ll have to disassemble anyway to find the three letter code.

-Peter

pcrussell50

[How can I get a replacement key for the ignition key switch on a 1985 Yamaha 40-HP remote control?] Backstory: For some reason I took the key out of the ignition key switch on the remote control for a 1985 Yamaha 40-HP, which I usually don’t do. I didn’t use the boat for nine months, and now I don’...

pcrussell50

One of the first things I learned when I became a boater in the middle of 2008 was that the actual factory service manual for outboards was preferable to the Clymer or Seloc manuals. Yet ever since then, the one thing I have not found in either Mercury or Evinrude OMC manuals, or the online parts ca...

pcrussell50

As you said. It’s been talked about. And planned. There are no requirements yet for catalytic converters on outboards because no bureaucrats in charge have had the courage to sign a death warrant on human lives. Someday one will.

-Peter

pcrussell50

Ultimately the way to take outboard emissions to the next level will be through the addition of weight, cost, bulk, and complexity. Regulators couldn’t care a whiff about weight, cost, and bulk, but adding complexity has dire consequences in marine applications where continuation of propulsion and a...

pcrussell50

biggiefl wrote:I do my best not to be outraged about European headlight laws.

It’s not just headlights, mate. Not. Even. Close.

It’s not even merely what the guy/Don above me posted. Although he is exactly right.

-Peter

pcrussell50

This. ^^^ And for some reason it’s mostly USA/North America with the “our way or the highway“ mindset that is intolerant of the slightest differences in regulatory standards. Even ones that are higher. EuroDOT headlights have much more stringent standards than USA DOT due to the higher speeds on Eur...

pcrussell50

Unless you rebuilt the engine, there is no need to check or adjust the timing, especially on conventional two-stroke engines. On my Mercury, when I changed the stator and timer base, I had to unscrew the linkage to the timer base. You also have to do this if you are going to remove and adjust the t...

pcrussell50

I started in boating 12 years ago now with carbureted, two-stroke-cycle Evinrudes, whose manuals specify running the motors at full throttle with a timing light and adjusting the timing linkage to read the specified timing advance. Dangerous and cumbersome. Later, back in about 2015 I got my first M...

pcrussell50

I love Larry :)

What is his user name here in the new forum? I'd love to use the search function on his user name and catch up on his posts.

-Peter

pcrussell50

According to enlightened thinkers, all two-stroke-power-cycle engines have been suspect and prone to catastrophic failure since the day a four-stroke-power-cycle engine was produced by the engine manufacturer that those thinkers think is the greatest of all time, and insert your favorite brand ther...

pcrussell50

There are many other forums discussing this topic, and I came across a very optimistic comment: in the future BRP would resume production of outboard engines under the JOHNSON brand, avoiding the stigma and tarnish of the EVINRUDE brand being associated with two-stroke-power-cycle engine manufactur...

pcrussell50

Very insightful and informative post, Jim. I disagree with none of it. Regarding engine weight, it is no longer a concern with new boats. New boats are all designed for heavy engines. Because the new boats are also heavier. I have trouble understanding how more weight in the same sized package adds ...

pcrussell50

Four contributing factors to ending E-TEC production: ⋅ COVID is an excuse, not a cause ⋅ Prior to G2 the E-TEC two-stroke technology was superb, light, clean, fuel efficient ⋅ BRP marketing failed to get that message across in the onslaught of four-stroke technology &s...

pcrussell50

I occasionally wash my hair while swimming in Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan has a volume of 400,000,000,000-gallons of water. Another boater chastised me for adding suds from my hair shampoo to the lake water. Even without the nearly infinite dilution, I would not be too sure that a little shampoo w...

pcrussell50

Just put the drain screws back in, filled with fresh gas, and the engine fired right up again. I didn't take her out today, but got her pretty close to ready for use. This time, I decided to take the lower clamshell off of the midsection. The "tray" comes off with it. And this action makes...

pcrussell50

While I have two Boston Whaler boats, a SPORT 13 and an ALERT 17, I have another boat: an 18 foot open boat with no cabin and with the ubiquitous gray marine carpet. The carpet is only four season old, but it's never been cleaned and starting to look a little grungy. But I'm still new enough to boat...

pcrussell50

I wondered about that but it’s hard to say, because at the end of each day, I put the boat battery on a maintainer so it’s always charged at the beginning of a day anyway. I suppose I can watch the volt meter. If it gets up to the mid-upper 13V range while cruising at say 4000+rpm, can I assume it’s...

pcrussell50

On a 2000 Mercury 90-HP FourStroke with Yamaha powerhead: The tachometer is dead—no reading at all—nothing at all. During the last couple years, the tachometer would spring to life for a few seconds before dying. Now it doesn't even do that. The gray wire is properly and securely attached at the bac...

pcrussell50

On a 1987 Mercury 2.0-liter150-HP: In another thread I complained about a miss fire at idle, but the engine ran very nicely at medium and high RPM without a miss. It was suggested that the first culprit to look at might be the stator, so I got a new Mercury Quicksilver stator. Upon examination of my...

pcrussell50

Aaand... After yet another two year hiatus, stored with the fuel tank and carburetors drained and the drain screws loose, I filled the tank with fresh gas, (and my additive cocktail), closed the carburetor drain screws, pumped the bulb firm and she started almost as if she had been used yesterday. T...

pcrussell50

The spark plug wires are not exhibiting signs of decay. Some of the other ignition system wires, specifically some of the motor ones associated with the stator and timer base/trigger can turn rubbery.

-Peter

pcrussell50

I noticed that the original Mercury stators are coated in black plastic, and the stators sold by CDI are not. Any thoughts on the advantage of one versus the other? The outboard engine in question is used in fresh water only, but used in hot desert conditions, more than 100-degrees-F ambient. -Peter

pcrussell50

There is widespread evidence that the “rubberizing” of outboard ignition system wires is not in any way limited to 1987 Mercury 150’s.

Food for thought.

-Peter

pcrussell50

Good to know, thanks.

The engineer in me would like to understand the physical process at play, but what you have given is a start.

I have since learned that the timer base is susceptible as well.

-Peter

pcrussell50

“Tohsgib” ;)

Been slow here since “the change”. Didn’t you get a Donzi mini back then?

-Peter

pcrussell50

On a 1987 Mercury 2.0-liter 150-HP some of the stator wires have a “rubbery noodle” texture and flex response that is completely different from your ordinary under-the-cowl wires. I assume it is from age or degradation although everything was running fine like this for the past few years until a cou...

pcrussell50

Thanks Butch. That’s what I gathered. I found an online manual for it and I think the (basic skimmer style) transducer draws 200W RMS, (peaks are higher of course). Definitely worth paying attention to, when you’re out all day on a one-battery boat, and don’t have a dedicated house battery that is s...

pcrussell50

Great info, guys. Thank you. As you may have guessed by now, the boat in question is NOT a Boston Whaler boat. My Montauk (actually it's 1998 Alert 17) cannot go 55mph either. Nor can my 13 Sport. A couple more questions: The boat in question has only very rudimentary systems, only a tachometer, in ...

pcrussell50

I have an old but almost never used Lowrance basic SONAR. Depth and water temperature were what I use it for. There is an input for a paddlewheel speed sensor, which I bought off eBay. Are paddlewheel speed sensors only for trolling speed? Or are they good up to 55-MPH? Race-grade precision not need...

pcrussell50

That is a very great help, thank you. Who knew that Lowrance would keep such a list?

-Peter

pcrussell50

My 1998 classic Montauk (Alert 17) has (and came with) an old black-and-white large screen Lowrance SONAR. I'm away from my boat right now, so I can't say which model, but it uses the gray connectors that attach to the back, one for the transducer, one for the paddle wheel speed sensor. I am perfect...

pcrussell50

Discovered something: The fuel pump on my motor was missing some internal parts: a spring with a disc on the end, to keep the diaphragm under tension. I discovered those things were missing, by looking at the manual... Which I had not done up to this point, because I hadn't really needed to. I had b...

pcrussell50

My 1987 Mercury 1502-liter with oil system removed and using premix fuel runs strong and idles well. I love this engine, but: —if run at idle or low throttle long enough, the engine stops drawing fuel, empties the line, and dies. If I pump the bulb back up, it fires right up and runs great. —if run ...

pcrussell50

--I stayed up to 3 a.m. every night for a week in January 1987 to watch the live broadcast of the America's Cup race from Perth where Dennis Connor won back the cup with STARS AND STRIPES 87 (US-55)--the most exciting America's Cup race ever-- and many years later I had the chance to very briefly b...

pcrussell50

As to not garner any undeserved kind treatment, I am an American. It just happens that I grew up here in Australia, so a lot of my acculturation including my taste in sports :cough:cricket:cough: has come from here.

-Peter

pcrussell50

Not to mention an 8 hour drive in Australia does not make for a broad cross section survey except for the part of Australia btween Melbourne and Sydney since there is an additional 148 hours of driving to see the complete coastline of Australia. But I do get the point and appreciate others observat...

pcrussell50

Given characteristics of large and sparse, the ability to (at least try) to fix-it-yourself is probably the most important aspect of running 1970-era engines in Australia. We all spend our disposable income on things that are indulgences. This is a plausible hypothesis. I cannot disagree. Of the ab...

pcrussell50

I think you are equating buying a modern, computer-controlled, high-performance, low-emission, excellent fuel-economy, high-reliability outboard engine with being pretentious and sanctimonious. I think you are missing a subtlety. Based on my observations of two culturally similar locales, the econo...

pcrussell50

I am [in] Australia right now to play a cricket tournament. Despite being the home of legendary ocean and surfing culture-- that was largely exported to and adopted by Southern California--Australia is utterly devoid of sanctimony and pretension. New four-stroke-power-cycle outboard engines make up ...

pcrussell50

Also, I don't understand how you could get power from the ignition key circuit when the battery master switch was in the OFF position. Something is odd about that wiring, too. Sorry if my description was confusing. There is no power anywhere on the boat if the battery master is in the OFF position....

pcrussell50

1987 Mercury 150hp, two-stroke-cycle motor. Previously, I had the fuel gauge and sender system wired to the Perko battery master switch. So when I turned on the battery, the fuel gauge went live. At that point in time, I had nothing powered by the ignition switch except the ignition. That meant no t...

pcrussell50

What happened to your Mercury 90 FourStroke? It's a Yamaha, too. Essentially a Yamaha F100.

I have one on my 1998 classic 17. It's heavy, but otherwise very nice. On a utility boat like a Whaler, I don't mind the bulk. I have other boats with lighter more powerful motors for speed.

-Peter

pcrussell50

I have owned FISHNFF/Brian's former Alert 17 since early 2011. It was center console when he sold it to me, and looks pretty factory. I can say that I re-rigged it through the tunnel (due to some mouse damage) and there were no barriers to fishing (pun intended) transducer and trim tab wires, and th...

pcrussell50

When I travel abroad, I most often see Yamaha-brand outboard engines, but they are the fabulous, oil-injected, carburetor two-stroke Yamaha engines that used to be common here when they were introduced in the 1980's. They were sooo good that not only are the older ones still in wide use, but it appe...

pcrussell50

About 50-years from now, a c.1970 Evinrude two-stroke gasoline engine with a carburetor will still be running. I wonder how many c.2010 Evinrude E-TEC engines will still be running. This is not lost on third world fishermen, where feeding your family takes precedence over the vanity and luxury of l...

pcrussell50

I have had 2 strokes the past 15 years plus, mine smoke at first start up but while running the rest of day, start and stop there is no noticeable smoke but they are louder all the time while running than an ETEC or 4 stroke and burn more fuel but they are easier and cheaper to maintain. All perfec...

pcrussell50

If you're getting significant smoke while under way you may have a mechanical problem that will need fixing. Much above about five knots you should see nothing but a thin wisp of smoke, by which point you also won't be breathing it. When on plane you should see none at all and for sure not breathing...

pcrussell50

Even though Tony and I differed almost diametrically when it came to politics, and boy did we "joust" in these pages, it was all put aside in an instant when I wanted help finding a certain Whaler. He found one of the Whalers I now own, up in the bay area (I'm in SoCal) for sale, alerted m...

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