Way2slow

No, the detent is where I said it was, so don't go looking for one in the carb, it doesn't have one. Before messing with the carb, pull the gas line off the carb, pump the primer bulb until fuel comes out of it, remove the spark plugs and loosely hold your finger over the end and pull the rope a few times to make sure the fuel pump is working. There should be about five pounds of pressure on the hose so it should make a spray if not holding down too tight. A carb can't deliver fuel if the pump is not sending it to it. Start with the basics first. Now that you have confirmed the fuel pump, Check for weak spark. While you have the plugs out, connect a plug wire to a plug and hold the base off it against the block so it gets a good ground, it will let you know if you don't have a good ground, holding it so you can see the electrode. Pull the rope a few times and make sure you have a good blue spark. Red usually will not run it. Do this on both plugs wires. If you have a compression gauge, check it. Hold the butterfly in the carb open doing that, or it can cause one to show low compression. We are pretty sure it's getting air. Check the fuel pump like I explained, make sure the fuel pump is delivering fuel. Make sure you are getting a good spark. As for the timing of the spark, that's a little more complicated, but one of the main causes of it to change is a sheared key in the flywheel. So for now, we will assume it's good. Now: We have confirmed the fuel pump is pumping gas to the carb We have a confirmed good spark We have compression and going to assume the timing is good. So, if it still won't start, you might want to look at pulling the carb and cleaning it. If you pull it off, looking inside the intake with a flashlight and make sure the reeds have all the holes plugged. Just to make sure it hasn't broken one. That's rare but it can happen.

The short answer to that one, that's what manuals are for. I strongly suggest you get one and read up on what you are about to do, because it's a good chance you are about to get yourself in place you are not going to like. I was going to ask if you took the shift cable loose and tried adjusting the linkage loose and tried to manually shift it to make sure there was not a problem with cable or linkage, but I guess it's a little beyond that point. Now that you have it off, go up and down with the shift rod and see if it's locking the gears in. You will probably have to turn the drive shaft a little to get them to lock. As for getting to the gears, to even get started, it takes a special puller to pull the bearing carrier out, and it has to come out to get into the unit.

The choke on that motor is not a smooth motion, there are notches in the choke knob a detent spring drops in to hold the knob in different positions. If you look at the chock knob, it has a slot cut in it that sits over the choke lever on the carb so when you push and pull the choke knob, it pushes and pulls the choke lever on the carb. The choke knob has a couple of notches in it where a spring detent presses down on the choke knob and drops in those notches to hold it. I'm not sure if you can, I've never tried to see, but it sounds like you might have the choke knob upside down so the notches are on the bottom and the detent does not hit the notches. That or the detent is missing. For some reason, the detent is not holding the choke lever in the out position. You say you can't choke it, if you spray gas in the carb, to get it running, does it keep running after that? Usually, after one warms up, it does not need the choke to start. Mine's a mid 70's and starts first 1/2 pull after I've run it

A motor runs on a very basic principle. A 13:1 approx fuel air ratio under compression with a hot enough spark at the proper time to ignite it. If one of those elements are missing or off, it's not going to run, you just go through the process of elimination to figure out which one. Now, you said it will start on liquid fire, I'm assuming you are referring to starting fluid, which is not a good thing to use in a two stroke motor because it has no oil in it for lubrication. It's much better to use a little premixed gas in a spray bottle. With that said, if you are referring to it will run on either, then that seems to narrow it down to a fuel delivery problem. Before I can go any further, I would need more info on the motor, is it a two stroke or four stroke, approx what year model.

If you are asking can it be repaired by a prop shop, probably, but looking at the other blade, it needs a major rebuild. Now, if you are asking, can you repair it yourself, probably not, unless you are good with a TIG, have the dies to reshape the blades, can press in a new hub, and the machine to balance it. I hope you know, running damaged, out of balanced props can destroy your lower unit, I've even seen them break the prop shaft off.

Probably one of the most damaging thing to most any motor, two strokes especially, is carbon. The more oil you burn, the more carbon it's going to develop. So, figure that one out for yourself. The manufactors go through great lengths to reduce oil consumption, like thr VRO oil injection system that can reduce fuel oil ratios to over 100:1 at idle, and direct oiling like some of the DFI motors. They don't want any more oil being burned in the motor than is necessary, for one to reduce operating cost and two, the damage it can cause.

A 1999 Evinrude is a Ficht. Most likely a motor you want to run as far as you can from. However, saying that, I have a 1999 Ficht and love, but, I sent my ECM of and had all the updates done on it about 5 years ago, that cost approx. $1,000 today. If that motor is still running the original ECM, and has not been replaced in the last seven or eight years, it's ticking time bomb. Also, don't fall for the line that the motor has had all the factory updates. That means nothing for the ECM. The only factory update was mandated by the Coast Guard to install keepers on the fuel lines going into the injectors so they didn't back out, leak, and blow the motor up. Not internal, like a bomb from leaking gas and fumes inside the cover and creating one big fireball. The factory has never done any type of updates on any ECM after it was sold on the motor. As the problems arose, they redesigned the current production models to cure those problems but never did anything to fix known problems after it left the factory. It took BRP a few years to get all the bugs worked out so by 2004, they were pretty good ECU's. However, the only way to get anything prior to then updated was to buy a new one, or send it off to some place DFI Technologies and have it done. At the time DFI did mine, there were 49 known problems they updated. Without the updated ECM, that 1999 is way to subject to cause major problems and high dollar failures. You read all the time where people repower their old Fichts because they got tired of replacing power heads or paying for those expensive repairs. As for repowering, to a different manufactures motor, it's done all the time. Don't let them say you have to stick with that make. As mentioned, it's a little more work and if they don't have the control head, a little more expensive. IF they shift gears in the same direction, you used to could buy cables that will adapt OMC/BRP to Merc and vise versa. Now, is a dealer going to want to take that Ficht off and put something else on, not no but h**l no, not if anyway possible to get out of it, even if it means lying his a** off. First off, he does not want to be stuck with that motor, and second, he does not want to spend the extra time and money into swapping them.

If it's only five years old, it's probably the four stroke.

A 24 volt is about 25% more efficient than A 12 volt, I'm not sure of the numbers but I think the 36 volt another 10-15% more efficient than the 24 volt. There are a number variables that come into play when figuring actual run time but if you go with a variable speed 24 volt motor and not one of those with set numbers, and are running at less than half speed you should get well over double if not triple your run time you are getting now. You will see a big gain even running on max but no where near the numbers you will get at the slower speeds.

Spun hubs are rather common. I've spun more than my fair share. The last one I had done was $75 in a 28" Raker. You probably won't be able to spin it by hand it you try, there is still a lot of resistance on it, it's just can't handle the load the water is putting one it when you put power to it.

Well, I just finished installing the Minn Kota 330D I ordered. It's big and heavy, and I had to do a little changing to make room for it but, I figured for $250 to my door plus a $30 mail in rebate, it was cheap enough, so what the heck, I would give it a try. Had the 330P not been on factory back order for a while, I would have gotten it. It has the conditioning feature that desulpates the battery. Which I don't let my batteries stay at a state they could sulphate.

Ahh, sorry Charlie! but your charger ain't gonna do what you wanna. You stated you have a 10 amp two bank charger. That's only five amps per bank which ain't really big enough for one deep cycle battery. Now, you throw two batteries, lets say they are 105 Amp hour, in parallel. Even if you only run them down to a 50% state of charge, that's 105 Amp hour you are going to have to put back in them. DO the math, for 5 amps to deliver 105 Amp hour of charge, even in my simple mind that's 21 hours it's going to take to recharge them. If they are down to 30% charger, you had better plan on just fishing twice a week. Not only is it not going to charge them within any reasonable amount of time, it will eventually let the batteries stratify, which will ruin the batteries.

Not just any old meter, you need a digital. As mention, harbor freight has them for about $5. Hopefully it will work more than once or twice. Also, as mentioned, a hydrometer is an essential item if your battery has removable caps. A volt meter will not show you when a battery being charged has reached full charge.

I swore by Pro Mariner for years, until my last failure. I was running their Pro Tourny 300's until this last one failed. When you get old, time does not seem to mean much so I don't keep track of it, but years ago, I bought one of their new (Made in China) PT-300's, it lasted about a year and died. Sent it in and they sent me a replacement. It lasted about three years and died, sent it in, they said it was not repairable, outdated boards in it. They gave me a small credit for that one against another new one. It lasted about four years and died. I sent it in and same story, it's not repairable because the boards are outdated, but they could allow me a credit against a new one. I asked him if I could get a schematic and just return it. I have a degree in electronics and very good at repairing stuff myself, he said he could not send me a schematic. I then told him once he removed it from where I told him to stick it, he could do what he wanted with it but, I had no need for another one.

Stress cracks are totally normal. Bump a dock too hard and they will show up, and very common around the corners of the transom at the splash well. That's as long as they are stress cracks, fine hairline like spider web, not something you can see into.

I think you are leaving out some very important considerations. What kind of water do you mostly fish? Big glass boats totally suck in small bodies of water. Small Jon boats can be used on most any body of water, but kinda suck on large lakes, especially large enough to get big waves in hard wind or where you may have to go several miles. What are you going to be towing with? Big boats burn transmissions up in smaller vehicles and can get down right dangerous when trying to stop under adverse conditions. You also have to realize you are looking for a boat right in the peak of the bass boat buying season. After the season is over is the best time, not at the beginning of the season. To buy a descent boat for $3,000, it's either going to be small, or it's going to require some work. If you don't have the skills/knowledge to do most engine and boat work yourself, you can wind up with a very, very expensive $3,000 boat. Shop rates for any kind of repair will eat you lunch, so don't think you will buy one and have it fixed.

Yea, right! Dream on Alice, you're in wonderland now. With all the damage being to the boat, it's going to be hard to convince much of anyone in a court there were personal injuries involved, and as mentioned, the insurance companies are only going to be looking at replacement price at their fair market value. If he was one of those that financed it forever to keep the payments low, and owes more than the boats worth, he might not be a happy camper when all the dust has settled.

Well, if he had found the 2001 Silverado 2500 HD I recently bought for $1,000 to tow it with, he would really have a deal. I'm talking about one with a very nice looking body and like new inerrior, not some raged out piece of junk.

Mine won't clear the trailer when it's down! Unless I back my truck half way in the lake to get the trailer deep enough to clear, and don't care to do that. So, if I have to be in the boat to deploy the TM after boat has cleared the trailer, just as well go ahead and pull boat to dock while I'm at it.

What's the RPM doing? I hate to say this, but you have thrown me a curve ball. You said it's a 2000 year model, 225 Johnson, which means it should be a two stroke. My problem is I have always thought I knew that motor pretty dang good and I've never known one to have an oxygen sensor. I'm gonna have to do a little research on that one. As for your loss of speed, it would help if there was a before and after RPM. What type and pitch prop are you running?

I need to clarify my comments on oil and gas burning at a 50:1 ratio in two stroke engines. That only applies to carb a EFI. DFI motors like the eTec's do things different. They use much less oil because they only mix enough oil with the gas to lubricate the top rings, so those will be nowhere near 50:1.

Well, sounds like you just diagnosed your problem. Two strokes can't run very long without a constant supply of oil, no more than they can run without gas. If the gas tank is going down, the oil tank should be going down proportionally also. At 50:1, if you used 10 gallons of gas, you should have used 26 ounces of oil. It can't take spells that it does not use oil, not and live for very long anyway. I know I've heard on a couple of Merc's that have a plastic drive gear on the oil pump that has a tendency to fail. So, it sounds like you have a hellava expensive anchor, because if that's is the case, that powerhead is basically junk.

You can order two part closed cell flotation foam and replace it. Apparently What you have now is open cell. I didn't realize anyone was still using open cell because it will absorb water and hold it for a long time. Closed cell will only absorb a minute amount, and it dries back out pretty quick. Just make sure you read up real good on using it. It has a very short working time once the two parts are mixed and it can destroy a boat if you use too much. I expands at about a 5:1 ratio and will develop a lot off pressure in any area it does not have room to expand.

If it's locked up, it's most definetlly "BROKE". Now, if you have been living right and the fishing gods have smiled on you, it could be a stuck piston, that's about a $1,500 repair by the right person. If the above does not apply, the oil injection could have quit and welded a rotating assembly into a solid unit. If that happened, they may not even give you core credit against a remand power head. There are a number of builders I would not hesitate going remand over new if money was tight. They are usually a couple thousand cheaper. The next thing is finding why, and repairing that, which a mechanic can tell once it's torn down.

Well, I would have made him give me a better definition. Most reputable dealers don't rebuild powerheads, they swap them out for either new or mercury authorized remain units, and through a dealer, that's very expensive, $5,000 or more. The reason being, at dealer labor rates, it's not that much more because of the time it takes, and it's under warranty by someone besides him. If the dealer is saying he will rebuild it, I would be extremely suspicious of that. The typical price just for a remain'd powerhead is $3,000-$$4,000, and that's none of the labor and other work that should be done, like new water pumps etc. I've been messing with outboards most of my life and I have come across more shady, crooked mechanics than I have good ones and finding a good, honest one, is hard to do. There's a few thousand extra dollars easily made by a guy that says you need a new powerhead and will rebuild yours, when in fact, all he does is pull it down, possibly repairs one cylinder and puts it back together, gets it running, and claims he rebuilt it. He puts a couple hundred dollars in parts in it and charges you for about $2,000 worth. You are non the wiser until a couple years later it blows again, and you are right back in the same situation. There are guys selling Remain'd powerheads heads at full remain'd prices doing this. After enough law suits and people getting wise to them, they just go bankrupt, change names or something, and keep right on screwing people. Now, understand, there is nothing wrong with just repairing one cylinder in an otherwise perfectly good powerhead, (if that's the problem) but this is a repair, not a rebuild and will carry a $1,200 to $1,500 price tag and not a $3,500 - $5,500 price tag. The reason for all the questions, I was going to see if I could help you out, but with you in Main, and me in the middle of GA, don't see that happening. Plus the fact that's it's a Merc, and I don't like to work on them, or have any of the special tools the might be need for them. Sorry. I would start doing a whole lot of research and homework about repair facilities. Many times it's worth that couple hour drive to get to a good mechanic and get a second opinion.