All is not peaches & cream

Unloaded the boat and fired it up for the first time this season. All was well when it went for it’s winter nap. This spring I have a cylinder down. I’m almost certain it’s just a plug / ignition issue. Runs fine at idle, just no power when I put the hammer down. It will slowly rev up to mid 30’s. Baffling how you can store something running like a race car and a few months later you have a problem. 200 Verado tiller.

Maybe I should consider a canoe?

Anyway, dropped it off at the doctor and will wait to see what they say.

Pencil coil??

Could be, or a plug or gremlins.

Exactly what my Merc 125 did out of the hibernation last year. New plugs and she was running like the day I put her into storage.

Sell it off for real cheap and get your self a 92 mariner 25hp. Never have had a issue my dad bought it new.
It might take a while longer to get to your fishing spot. But you will save on gas

Nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room?????

(Fired the boat up…..for the first time…..on OPENER )

Just giving you crap Dutchy

I’m curious. Do you guys not replace the spark plugs every year when you winterize your boat? Maybe it isn’t necessary when you don’t use the boat every weekend.

I use to change plugs every year. Then one year I thought they didn’t look bad and skipped it. Ended up going 3 years before I noticed it in the motor. I did keep an extra set of plugs in the boat however.

2001 Merc 90 hp that was out every weekend for 15 years.

It always amazes me each spring. Put it away everything working fine. Pull it out and find a list of things to repair. Really it is maintenance that should be done periodically.

Came out of storage this year with a dead live well pump and weak trolling motor power.
The live well turned out to be a disconnected spade connector. Cut it off, crimped on another. Back in business.
The trolling motor wiring got new breakers, sanded clean brass bars between the breakers and the wire connectors, sanded clean connectors, one connector cut off and replaced.

Bad battery, leaking trim ram seal and leaking power steering seal were my gotcha issues this Spring. Translated, $500, ugg.

Not the boat but my wire for left turn/stop to the trailer plug magically got severed about where cab and bee meet, only one with an issue in the bundle. Fortunately we moved this spring so used my utility trailer enough in March/April that I discovered with plenty of time to fix it prior to tugging the boat around.

For me my starter wasn’t engaging. Had replaced this within the last 3 years. Had my onboard charger plugged in all winter. Had replaced my starting battery last June. Finally got starter engaging but wouldn’t start. Changed plugs, cleaned fuel filter. Still wouldn’t start. Noticed fuel leaking from fuel filter. Bad gasket and oring was cracked also. Replaced and got started. But starter still wasn’t engaging consistently. Hooked starter battery to trolling motor battery and starter would engage good again. Thought maybe my charger wasn’t working on starting battery. Picked up a new battery charger the night before opener and charge all night. Bad battery indicator was lit up in the morning. My 6 month old battery was bad. Replaced via warranty and all is good so far.

It’s fun having stuff ????

B-man wrote:

Nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room?????

(Fired the boat up…..for the first time…..on OPENER )

Just giving you crap Dutchy

I was laughing at ‘winter nap’

sticker wrote:

I’m curious. Do you guys not replace the spark plugs every year when you winterize your boat? Maybe it isn’t necessary when you don’t use the boat every weekend.

Nope. I’ve replaced the plugs on my 2007 Mercury 2 stroke just once.

ClownColor wrote:

Nope. I’ve replaced the plugs on my 2007 Mercury 2 stroke just once.

And that’s even with fogging the cylinders in the fall. Sure smoked for a while in spring, but ran fine after that.

Had marine mechanic tell me not to bother with plugs unless notice a problem. I’ll probably change out at 200 hrs or so just to see what they look like then decide from there. My kicker is another story. I change every two years. Can tell on how it starts and runs when new plugs are needed.

Make sure that meces lol, did not make any nests in your carb/carbs. Had this same issue a few years ago. Engine started fine, unloaded into River, left at idle to warm up while I parked the truck/trailer. Got in the boat and put the throttle down. No power. Wouldnt get on plane. First time out for the year. Put boat on trailer, got to looking around at her in the parking lot and found mouse nest in one of the carbs. Cleaned it out. Ran great.

robby wrote:

Make sure that meces lol, did not make any nests in your carb/carbs. Had this same issue a few years ago. Engine started fine, unloaded into River, left at idle to warm up while I parked the truck/trailer. Got in the boat and put the throttle down. No power. Wouldnt get on plane. First time out for the year. Put boat on trailer, got to looking around at her in the parking lot and found mouse nest in one of the carbs. Cleaned it out. Ran great.

I had a very similar story except instead of ‘started fine but no power’ replace that with ‘did not start’.

And replace ‘built nest in carb’ with ‘built gigantic carpeted nest in motor case, complete with dead, squishy, rotten baby mice scattered throughout’.

slipbob_nick wrote:

It’s fun having stuff ????

The more S!$t ya got, the more S!$t ya gotta work on. Proven fact.

sticker wrote:

I’m curious. Do you guys not replace the spark plugs every year when you winterize your boat?

I’ve never replaced a spark plug in my life.

not problems that I ran into but was planning,,,,far earlier than this meh,it is what it is.
four new live well pumps,new bilge pump,new terrova,pack the wheel bearings,install all new LED lights and rewire the trailer with heavier wire and better grounds than OE.

the tough part is I have a to top end overhaul two plane engines,do their annual inspections,put a freshly overhauled prop back on one and install my own plane engine after I overhauled it last weekend and break it in.
this plus my day job and I am leaving for my vacation thirty days from,,,,OH CRAP !!! NOW!!

Checking plugs is an easy indicator of how the cylinders are doing. If motor is running great why bother, if anything acts out of ordinary will let ya know if it’s running lean before ya burn up a cylinder.

I do love the sound of a wide open Verado ripping across the lake!

fuel injector?

Have they looked at it yet?

robby wrote:

Make sure that meces lol, did not make any nests in your carb/carbs. Had this same issue a few years ago. Engine started fine, unloaded into River, left at idle to warm up while I parked the truck/trailer. Got in the boat and put the throttle down. No power. Wouldnt get on plane. First time out for the year. Put boat on trailer, got to looking around at her in the parking lot and found mouse nest in one of the carbs. Cleaned it out. Ran great.

LOL! Reminds me of the friend that came down to the river in early spring. His motor wouldn’t turn over. Bought a new battery. STILL wouldn’t turn over! I suggested pulling the plugs to see if there was any metal stuck to them (thinking seized piston)…

Turns out he had a mouse house IN his Cylinder!

It was an older two stroke an why a mouse would have set up his pad there I don’t have a clue. We figured he/they climbed up in inside of the lower unit and through one of the ports because we couldn’t find an opening around the air cleaner.

SuperDave1959 wrote:

Have they looked at it yet?

No. When I called the guy and said I was bringing it in he said…..”It will be close to two weeks, not before Memorial day for sure.”

That was OK as i’m headed out of town anyway. As long as it’s ready for my Canada trip i’m ok.