Mercury Outboard tune up/check up in metro area?!?!

I bought a pontoon last fall with a 2001 Mercury 40ELPT (Bigfoot) 4 stroke outboard. Took it out a few times and it ran and started great and everything seemed fine.

In the next few weeks I am looking at bringing it out of storage for the early cold cruising season on the river.

I would like some IDO recommendations on where to get it checked up so near Hastings, MN. Or should I not even worry about a check up? It just worries me not knowing much of the history of the motor and its tune ups.

Thanks all

If you didn’t before storing, I’d just change the oil, oil filter and lower unit lube. Run it.

-J.

Send it!

There is a couple dealers right out of Hastings on hwy 10 or 61? They should be able to handle something simple like that if it will make you sleep better.

Dutchboy wrote:

There is a couple dealers right out of Hastings on hwy 10 or 61? They should be able to handle something simple like that if it will make you sleep better.

Sorry, I’d avoid both like the flu that is going around….

-J.

I would have posted Frankies but would have gotten ripped that that was to far. Anyway, it’s not my motor.

Jon Jordan wrote:

If you didn’t before storing, I’d just change the oil, oil filter and lower unit lube. Run it.

Change the oil and oil filter! Thanks that’s a good reminder…I have never had a 4 stroke before and that might have slipped my mind! I also haven’t heard great things about our friendly boat dealers off Hwy 61….

It would be nice to know how many hours are on the motor. Is there a reader like you have for your car that tells you this or is this some sort of dealer only secret reading device.

You can google that motor make/model/year and download the owners manual. Good info in there.

I doubt that motor tracked hours. I would not expect a ton of hours on a pontoon. Solid motor with the heavy duty bigfoot lower unit. Should last many, many more years.

-J.

On a modern, EFI 4 stroke there’s no tune up because there’s nothing to tune up. It’s either running or it ain’t. Not like they have to adjust the points and set the timing.

Change oil and filter, change lower unit oil. Add water. Have fun.

Personally, I’d also change the plugs simply because a) I don’t know if or when they have last been done, and b) I like to make sure they are gapped correctly. There are still a lot of people that think plugs are “pre-gapped” out of the package.

If there is an inline fuel filter, again, I’d change that just because I don’t know when it has last been changed.

Don’t be hoodwinked into thinking you can only use Mercury branded maintenance products.

Grouse

It’s a scanner that dealers have. I would think $100 or less would get you the print-out I would think. Any Merc dealer should be able to do. Just give them a call and ask.

Thanks, all very helpful

I’d change the water pump and any fuel filter too. It probably has never been done. BTW there were some voltage regulator problems on the 30 to 60hp engines. Might want to talk to a dealer about it.