Way2slow

Can't help you there. I only buy Deka's and get them from one of their distribution centers. Bass Pro shops AGM's are Deka batteries but I don't think I would consider them as having the best price around.

Reserve minutes is a better guide than amp hours. In most cases, amp hours is based on a 20 hour test time and that's only at 4-5 amps. As the amp draw increases, the Ah rating goes down, as much as 35% - 40% under heavier loads a large trolling motor running on high places on one. Figure a 75 Ah group 24 running a MinnKota 30 on max should run for 2 1/2 hours, but in reality, it will only last about 1 3/4 hours because of efficiency loss at the higher load than the 20 hour rating. The reserve capacity rating is normally based on a 25 amp load. So, if a group 24 has a RC rating of 160, it come a lot closer to the actual run time you should get from that same MK 30. It will still be less because of the increased load over what was used rating it, but will be a lot closer than than Ah rating. I would suggest getting an AGM if you are concerned about the weight. Yes, they are expensive but are noticeably lighter and can be placed in any position, even upside down if needed.

As for buying cheap boats, it's really going to depend on how much you know about the and how good of a mechanic you are. I've bought tons of cheap boats, matter of fact, that's all I do buy. My current boat was an $18,000 boat at the time I bought it in good, running condition. I got it at auction for almost nothing because it had an Evinrude Ficht engine and all the injectors, along with some other parts were laying in a storage compartment. It only cost me $1,200 to get it running where the average person would have had to spend thousands. If you can fix them yourself, know what to look for and give one a good checking out, there are some very good deals to be had. If you are new to boats and not a fairly good mechanic, the cheap boat you buy could be one of the more expensive boats you could ever buy. Everybody knows some fishermen will tell a lie, guess whose telling you how good that POS boat is someone is trying to unload, so check them out before you buy.

Depends If the boat only runs 40 - 50 mph, I wouldn't spend the money for a hot foot. If the boat runs in the 60's plus, I wouldn't run without one. When a boat is up fully on the pad, you need both hands on the wheel at all times.

As mentioned, join a club as a non boater, most have them. You fish the back seat and you get to learn. Just be sure to pay your fair share. It's very expensive to run a boat and as a minimum you should at least offer to pay for the gas. After all. The boater is making the payments, upkeep, insurance and and coast of hauling it. Realize also, most tournament boats can burn a lot of gas if running very far so don't just offer a few dollars. Remember also, the front half the boat is his, so don't be trying to make cast beyond the center of the boat.

Sorry, I just did another search, and I am wrong, the one on ebay was sold and the others I made a quick look at said you were SOL.

I did a search for 0335137 Johnson poppet seat and found at least a half dozen places showing they had it. Runs approx $40 plus shipping. The 0335134 poppet valve was listed at a couple and one on ebay for $40 with spring.

When they will skimp on just a few dollars to cut cost, do you really think they would spend the major amount of bucks it would cost them to break in every motor they shipped. Today's strategy is build it as cheap as you can with as many cheap parts as possible to maximize share holders earnings. They only care about keeping failure rates to an acceptable level, while still under warranty, which can be as much as 20% or more by some companies.

I don't think I would be asking Mercury anything about an Evinrude motor.

Compression test on two strokes, starter needs to be turning the engine at least 250 rpm so make sure you are using a very good battery, and make sure you have the butterflies open in the carbs. Another common problem is, if you take all four plugs out, the bendix will kick out every time it hits on the cylinder with the compression gauge. If it does only remove one plug at the time. If you can get hold of a leak down tester, that's better than a compression test. 5% is good, 10% is the max you will want to see.

Not sure what you call the idle screw but it sounds like you most likely turned turned the wrong thing. When the motor has been properly adjust so all the Link and sink points are properly aligned, the idle speed is adjusted by the timing rod going to the timer base. If you adjust it by any other screws on the linkage it throws the sink points. As for the low idle itself, was the motor running smooth and making RPM? One thing you might check is the cam roller on the linkage at the top above the carbs. There is a post/roller for the cam, it should be about 3/8 inch in diameter with a clear looking outer shell. Over time the outer shell wears and brakes off, leaving just the black, inner section about 1/4 inch in diameter. When this happens, it throws off the adjustment and can cause your low idle to suddenly show up.

Most likely you will have to bore all six holes. This will can run $30 -$60 per hole, but you will also have to find a shop that can bore blind holes, most auto shops can't. If any sleeves need replacing, they will run you approx $200 each. Pistons and rings will run $65 - $130, depending on where you get them. A gasket set will run $200 or so. Figure six holes bored, pistons and gaskets, you can easily be at $800 - $1000. Water pump, carb kits, plugs and other small items will add $200 to that. All bearings can usually be reused, except the bottom main, it must be replaced, but it's not very expensive. The other thing is the rod bearings, good chance they are loose needles on both ends, easy to lose and are not that good. I always go back with caged bearings on both rod ends. They are better, and a lot easier to install, and are not very expensive, at least not like the mains. Now, this is just the mechanical, the electronics stator, timer base, coils, power packs etc, get very expensive quickly if they are bad. Also check the LU, make sure lube does not have water in it before getting into the power head. Might want to check the tilt and trim. If it doesn't have it, that's a heavy motor to be doing by hand every time. Then the cost of controls, might want to check on the cost and availability. Also be aware, around 77/78 they had a lower unit called a hydrostatic shift (or something like that) and you MUST have the controls for THAT motor. Forward and Reverse for that particular motor are backwards from all other controls. Also ba careful buying early control. If your motor has the normal LU, and you get a remote for that oddball, when you push forward, the motor will be in reverse.

That motor is a 1978 200hp Johnson. If you got it for $25, he must have been a real friend. Scrap metal value is over $100, so he definitely did not take advantage of you. Now, as for making a usable motor out of it when he has already said it has at least one bad cylinder, that's probably not cost effective unless you are very good with rebuilding motors and can do all the work yourself, and have the controls with it. If you are a ebayer, strip it down and sell it for parts, scrap what don't sale.

I haven't had a Merc in many years, didn't know that. I guess I'll have to recant my comment for those. Not many bass boat trailers are going to give you enough clearance to tow with the motor down.

Unless you like throwing money away, I wouldn't worry about it. I don't use transom savers, and don't encourage anyone else to use them, but they are one of those items that made it big with a brand name and advertising and now everybody things they are a must. I don't know of a motor that does not have a trailering support built into it. Using that is a lot easier on the transom and the motors lower unit, even with these big V-6 motors. I bought my first six cylinder motor in 1969, didn't use one then, and still have used one today. I know there are tons of people thinking BS, they wouldn't haul a boat without one, but, that's was the reason for the adds and brand name, just so they would think that. It actually does little to nothing for saving the transom and can destroy a lower unit. The majority of people I see using them, don't even know how.

My first big outboard powered was a 1965, 65hp Merc on a 14ft GlassMaster runabout I bought new in 65 when I was still in high school. My very first was a 17' Grumman canoe, square back I used a 3hp Johnson on. That one I bought used in 1962. Before that, it was a small wood boat I built from some scrap wood in the garage and used in a small pond close to the house. I also had a TM for the Canoe. It looked like a regular electric sitting vertical on a bent steel tube with a cable drive shaft inside.

Small, one person, easy to load a couple in a truck, is the definition of a kayak. Never had a desire for one of those so don't have a clue on prices and availability of used ones. Next option is an older, aluminum Jon. Old 10ft Jon's show up quite frequently at very reasonable prices $100 or so. I recently bought an old 1232 to use in south texas for $150. Both of those are easy enough for one person to drag around and load in a pickup. As for building a fiberglass one, at today's prices for everything needed, that's fairly expensive. If you build one out of plywood, they get pretty darn heavy and the proper wood is expensive. Forgot about those small pontoon things, never tried one so can't speak about those

Wow! So you think I'm a hack. Talk about being ungrateful, from someone who very obviously doesn't know their a** from a whole in the ground. I am a hellava long way from being the hack you just called me, you take the cake sport. You don't even have a clue how the fuel system works with that stupid statement you made about the anti-siphon valve. With that, I'm done, Trust me, you will never get another response from me, and with that attitude, probably not many others.

That fitting you have in your hand is the antisiphon valve. They are notorious for causing fuel delivery problems and one of the first things I do is take them out and replace it with a barb fitting. Unless you fish costal waters and subject to USCG inspections they are not needed. They are a coast guard requirement, the idea is if you have an engine fire, the gas can't drain back into the tank and pull the fire with it. You can keep on wishing, but that gas that don't go bad probably has your whole fuel system screwed up. The carbs need to come off and cleaned, all the line flushed, and hope the fuel pump survived because you really don't want to take it apart, and even a new, none CRO (that's not a typo, since about 1998 they are CRO instead of VRO) DO NOT take it to the lake and try to run it if it's not running right. That's the best way there is to blow an engine. A dirty carb can lean a cylinder and melt a piston in a heartbeat. Then you and your mechanic can blame it on the VRO. Like I said, you have some expensive lessons to learn about your thinking gas don't go bad. Granted, tank life might be a little longer for you because you have shorter, milder summers than we have down south, but, I still would not run any gas that's several months old.

Go here, http://epc.brp.com/Index.aspx?lang=E&s1=f7c27727-2fa4-4cb7-ad5e-7259868ba61b click on the pull downs until you find yours. I think you will find it's a 1978 115 Evinrude Yes, Johnson and Evinrude were made by OMC, which folded the doors in 2000 and BRP bought it. Both motors were basically the same motor. You can compare part numbers between the two to make sure they will interchange, 99% of the time they will. You might want to check the SN. on the data plate against the one on the block. There is always the possibility someone swapped out the engine mount. The SN on the block will be stamped into a recessed, round disc that looks like a freeze plug. Usually on the top of the rear part of the block

The motor has or had a diafram fuel pump. It probably went bad and it was cheaper for someone to install that electric instead of replacing the factory pump. You might want to make sure they are not pumping through the factory pump, that can cause problems. Also, with an electric pump, I would remove the primer bulb, it's not needed and can be a restriction. The pump you bought should have a paper or on the box showing the pressure and flow rate. Anything over about seven psi may push the needles off their seats, and if the float level is set a little high, it can take less than that. That old of a motor may have been approx four psi, depending on the type fuel pump it had.

For that motor, you need approx 5 - 6 psi at a minimum of 30 gph. Most of those vibrator pumps will not deliver that volume. They also come in a numer of different pressure levels. I also prefer electric pumps but I use the Carter 80 gph @7.5 or 15 psi rotary pumps and run those with a pressure regulator taking them to 6 psi. Now, this is also over kill for your application but it can be hard to find something between one too small and over kill. The Holley rotary is another popular model.

Wow, gas don't go bad, especially after only sitting for a"Year". I beg to differ with you. I've been turning wrenches for over 50 years on almost every kind of motor there is and I won't run gas that's several months old. I will say, you have some expensive lessons to learn about gasoline and outboard motors.

First, the type motor would help, Make, horse power. Second, I have serious doubts Autozone would have a pump in stock that would work. Unless you bought something like a Carter or Holly, high performance rotary pump that matches your application, you probably wasted your money. As mentioned, the pump has to suitable for your application. You may have too much pressure and pushing the needles off the seats.

Each tank should have a line from the tank to the switching switching valve. A single line goes from from the switching valve to the engine,. The primer bulb and any filters/separators will be in the line between the valve and the motor. So, if it is only having a problem on one tank, it has to be I with the tank, the tank line or the switching valve. Like I said, the anti-siphon valves are notorious for causing fuel delivery problems so my first action would be to swap it out for a plain barbed fitting. This valve is the fitting the fuel line connects to. If you check, you will find there is a check ball inside that sticks and causes problems, unless someone has already swapped it out.