Way2slow

Float level may be a little high

You will love the boat, other than feeding that motor, they do luv gas, and pushing a that heavy 201 hull, it will really luv the gas. Take it out, run it a few times at Wide Open Throttle (WOT) and get it out of your system. Then keep it around 4,500 rpm, limit the running and gunning and learn to fish an area, and you will be much happier with the cost of a days fishing trip. Basically, use it like you did your little boat where you didn't have the capability to run just anywhere and everywhere you took a notion. I'm not sure if they were doing it in 96, but if they were, that trailer is going to have one feature you are going to hate having to load it with the TM. If it has that little spring loaded arm in the front, it will be the most aggravating part about it.

Look at it in the practical since. You say two group 27's run you all day. They are probably close to being 105 amp hour batteries, so figure 105 Ah @ 24 volts, that's pretty close to 2,500 watts of power. Now you figure good group 24 batteries are probably in the 80 Ah range, so figure 80Ah @ 36 volts is going to be close to 2,900 watts of power. Then you can also figure the 36 volt motor should be noticeably more efficient than the 24 volt motor, (how much, I don't have the figures, but I would think the difference should noticeable, but even if not, your still getting more available power) so it's not going to put quite the drain of the batteries to get the same speed you would be running with the 24 volt motor. So, looking at it that way, what do you think? Understand one thing, unless your current batteries are very new (rule of thumb, have been charged less than 25 times), you will need to buy three new batteries, even if you stick with the groups 27's or you will for sure have battery problems. Anytime you are running batteries in series, they all need to be the same type, size and age because the same load is being felt by all three batteries. Even if trying to add one more of the same make type and size. As a battery ages, it's internal resistance changes and if they are not all three about the same age, the internal resistance of the new battery is going to be different than the other two. Internal resistance creates heat, so if its not even, if the new batteries is greater, it will over heat, or if the new batteries is less, the other two batteries will over heat.

There are number of factors you have to consider when buying a TM battery. Is this a battery that is constantly being set in and out of a boat every time you use it? A good 105 - 120 amp hour battery is going to weigh 60 to 70 pounds. So, with that in mind, how long do you fish and how far, in other words, how long do you run the TM. Also how much do you run on Max. Max speed runs a battery down fairly quickly. If you only use it a couple of hours and don't go that far, a smaller, lighter battery will work just fine. You just have to remember, the lighter the battery, the less runtime you are going to get, unless you are running Lithium batteries, but all lead based batteries are dependent on that lead for power, so the lighter the battery, the less lead, the less lead, the less power, which equates to less run time. Before someone jumps in to say AGM's, they are lead based, so the same applies to them. A 45 pound AGM is not going to have much more run time than a smaller flooded cell battery weighing 50 pounds. If you fish long, and cover a lot of area, you need to look at 105 - 120 amp hour or 225 reserve minutes, however these are very heavy to be handling. Just so you understand, Reserve minutes are based on how long a battery will run with a 25 amp load before it reaches a fully discharged state (approx. 11.8VDC). This does not change, Reserve minutes are just that, whether they be AGM, Flood cell, lithium, gel cells etc so don't think one is going to run longer than the other just because of how it's made. How it's made makes a huge difference in how long the battery last (life span) but not how long it will run the TM.

I'm very skeptical of any company that bills a credit card before the item is shipped so I immediately notify the credit card company and try to stop payment. I don't care what their product is, if I don't have a tracking number when the items is billed, it gets cancelled. Too many of these fly by night companies out there that takes all these orders, get the money and never ship the item. Leaving you having to do battle with the credit card company after the fact, trying to get a fraudulent charge reversed, and don't even begin to be dumb enough to do any sort of wire transfer of payment in advance or you are most likely totally screwed. That crap of item being billed now and will ship later and tracking number will be provided then, is usually just to buy time to process the payment and get the money in hand, making it a hellavalot harder to do anything about it. Hopefully, this company is legitimate and just have poor business practices, but I'm afraid somebody might be disappointed. I've done been around the block too many times to feel comfortable about any of these type dealings.

If you want good, they ain't gonna be cheap. If you want cheap, Wally world is about as good of a cheap battery as you can get. You can go to some of the local, who knows what brand names they import for China, Korea etc and buy really a "cheap" battery at a cheaper price, but you won't save that much money and in the long run, it will probably prove to be the most expensive one you can buy when you figure the run time and charge cycles you will get out of it.

If you do a search, there are several, large salvage yards around. I try to avoid anything run in salt water but that can be a problem if you are not able to see if before you buy it. When it comes to Mercury technical expertise and parts help, Scream and Fly is good source. An awful lot of those guys eat, breath and live Mercury. If it is the torque master, it will be probably be easier to find than the sports master because of lot of the guys pull the pull the torque masters off to install the sports master because of the lower drag and higher speed rating. If it didn't distort the housing and none of the hard parts are rusted, you should be able to have it TIG welded and install new seals. If there are any questionable hard parts, it's about as cheap to go ahead and find a used one by the time you pay the parts and labor bill.

NEVER!!!, use a file on a prop. Small bits of those hardened teeth on a file break off and emb in the metal so when it goes to the shop, they create all kind problems for the guy having to TIG metal back on edges to rebuild it. Always use a sharpening stone. One of the biggest causes of prop damage is power loading. On most ramps, the bottom is close enough that you are sucking sand, rocks and all kinds of crap up and through the prop. You won't see many people power loading with their $800 - $1,000 custom tuned props. You get pretty good at getting the boat lined up and putting it all the way on the trailer with that first run toward it. It also doesn't take much of a lick to roll an edge slightly. Performance losses are much more noticeable on high performance bass boats than your average 45 to 60 mph boats. I always keep a couple spare props ready to go, because even those small dings will cause several mph loss in speed and most of the time, if you have a good prop guy and he's only having to do those minor repairs, he doesn't charge you for a full rebuild. One other word of prop advise. Be careful having your prop worked on. If you are one of those that want to dial in you setup, custom tuning a prop is a must and most custom tuners will not mess with a prop someone else has already worked on. So, if you have a nice prop needing work, that has not already been worked on by someone else, you might want to look into getting one tuned for your boat. It's not that much more expensive than just having one rebuilt and can sometimes make a world of difference in how a boat performs.

Again, depends on the size of the wave and the boat you're in. A runabout with a full deck and a full size windshield all the way across can take wave much better than a bass boat. If the bow of a bass boat bites into the wave the water is coming right on into your lap, so you basically have to do what ever is possible to keep the bow above the wave peak. The can be using the trim and gas to get the motor trimmed out as far as possible and enough power on the motor to keep the boat plowing with the bow riding very high. I have been in one situation were I got caught having to run head on into 60 and 70 mph gust on a large lake that had kicked up ocean size waves. The only way I could keep the water from coming over the bow was to pour the coal to it and run too fast for my own likings and run on top of the waves. I was in a 20' boat and wishing it was 60'. I had to do this for almost 10 miles with a boat that was probably in the air more than it was in the water. I was not real sure the boat wasn't going to bust the hull because we were hitting so hard on some of them it was down right painful. If we tried to turn toward the bank, which was a couple miles away, the waves would come over the gunwale so we were stuck in the middle of the lake, running like a bat out of hell skipping along the tops of four foot waves, with my boat and body getting beat to hell and wondering if we were going to survive or not. We just knew if we slowed down, we were for sure going to sink and that water was cold enough we most likely would not survive long enough for someone to find us. One can't imagine how relieved I was when I finally made it to calmer water. That was probably my worst day on a lake. The second worst was probably when stripper fishing on winter and it started sleeting. When the sleet got so thick on the boat it was dangerous to move around in, we decided it was probably time to go. We haven't given a thought to the fact if the sleet was building up on the boat like that, what it might be doing on the ramp, that happen to be a steep incline for about 100 yards to the water. Even with a full size, 4WD pickup, one can't imagine how hard it is to get 3,600 pounds of boat, motor and trailer up and a steep iced over slope. Luckily, I keep a couple of e-tools in the truck and spent the next couple of hours shoveling dirt and sand to make us a path up the ramp.

Either it's bad or well on its way to being bad. Sounds like you cooked it pretty good. For an open top battery, I would prefer using a hydrometer over the electronic tester. The electronic tester is ok for sealed batteries but a hydrometer, load and voltmeter is a much better way of testing one.

There is no such thing. You have two options for that, buy a new motor and sell or trade it in for another new one before the 100% coverage warrantee runs out, or hope you are one of the lucky ones when you buy a used one because there's not a make or model out there that's not going to have a certain percent of failures. Now, you have to do your homework because some have a much higher percentage than others, but they all break. As for what you have right now, you need to see which ECM you have and see if the guys on S&F can tell you what you need for diagnostics software and cable, or if it takes a special hand set. I'm pretty good with the JohnnyRudes but haven't done much with Merc's since the early 70's. Somebody might be able to give you an idea but without the software and being able to look at the ECM and possible fault codes (if that model has them) anything you do would be strictly a guess, and guessed parts can get very expensive. You will need to give them the ECM number and year model of the motor. These things are not different than your computerized cars now, it takes a computer to check the computer to see what's going on. Also understand, if you plan of keeping the motor for a long time yet, and you think you can work on it, you had just as well spend the bucks for the diagnostics software because this is probably not going to be the only time you will need it. I was just doing some searching and you might have a problem. Diagnostics software ain't readily available, seems Merc only sells it to dealers. CDI seems to have a version they sell, but not sure it's for the straight EFI motors, or even if there is any for the EFI's. I know DFI motors like Opti-Pops and Verado's have it.

Not trying squash your ambitions but unless you are a competent mechanic there's probably not a whole lot you are going to be able to do yourself. It sounds like something causing the ECM to go haywire, possibly the TPS causing it to rev up like it did. It sounds like when you started off and it would only go 10mph it was in a limp home mode, there are a couple things that can cause this. I'm pretty sure you are going to need the computer interface to diagnose the problem. Now, if you have the skills and equipment, because there's not much use in trying it yourself without both, you can go over to Scream and Fly http://www.screamandfly.com/forumdisplay.php?20-Technical-Discussion and just about every Mercury guru in the country is on that site.

Ooops, If someone read this post before I deleted it, I missed the first sentence in his post saying he had the proper switch. Either switch will work, The DPDT only gives you a second set of terminals that do exactly the same thing as the others. Sometimes in higher current situations you can use a DPDT to help keep it from over heating buy connecting the terminals in parallel. Just wire your battery positive to the center terminal and the lights in the configuration you want to the outer terminals. The negative wires do not got through the switch, they connect back the battery negative terminal block or directly to the battery negative if your boat does not have terminal blocks. If you don't have terminal blocks, while you are doing all this rewiring would be a great time to install them. They help clean up the battery compartment and makes it where you only have to worry about one wire on each battery terminal for all the accessories versus a dozen different little wires to have to deal with.

I guess it just depends on how much you wanna spend. All you have to do is a little basic math. First, figure you was only to get a bare minimum that would charge a battery, say about 5 amps going into it, and it should be eight to ten amps, but well will go with five. To do even that little bit, you would need 14.2 VDC @ 5 amps, that's 71 watts (per battery), not allowing for any losses that will be in the system from heat/internal resistances. Just as a maintainer, you will need a 15 watt unit that will give you 13.2 VDC per battery. If it won't give 13.1 to 13.2 VDC with the battery connected it's not suitable even as a maintainer and with many AGM batteries, you need 13.4 VDC. Now as one mentioned wanting to run a TM or charge a battery while he's running it, all you need is about is enough of those panels to give you 350 to 600 watts. I guess what I'm saying, if you buy a quality 15+ Watt panel and charger interface box that will regulate to the voltage at 13.2 VDC and fully charged the batteries before connecting the solar charger, it "might" work. However, notice a said a quality unit, and it's very important to have a good charger interface, if not, you WILL ruin the battery. As for who's to buy, I don't have a clue because I've never messed with one. I can't stress enough, the battery charger circuit is going to be the key to if and how good it works, so I would not even try some bargain basement model. One more thing, even if you try to use one as a charger, a flooded cell battery "MUST" still be charged at a 10% charge rate every couple of charges. It takes that 10% charge rate to make the battery form gas bubbles inside, and these are necessary to keep the electrolyte from stratifying (to keep it from separating into water on top and acid on bottom) because that ruins the battery.

Never tried them myself. I've had two friends that have tried them, one had them on his two jet skies and the other used one on his boat cranking battery to keep them charged over the winter. In both cases, the batteries were door nail dead when they tried them in the spring with they got ready to use them. I realize there are different quality levels of them and a good one, with a good charger system might work, but these things you find at Harbor Freight, ebay and places like that, I would not put much faith in them. Besides, you should understand, unless you buy a really large one, they are only good for a maintainer. You would still need to charge the battery to full charge before connecting the solar system to it.

Just one word of caution. While you are working with trying to get that race off, be careful and don't put any marks on the section of spindle just behind it. That's a smooth, Machined surface for the seal to run on. Nicks and dings in it can cause the seal not to seal or cause it to eat the seal up. A few marks on the spindle doesn't bother a thing. Just file and sand smooth until the bearing will go on. Just don't get carried away with the file and make it too small and let the bearing spin on it. A little green locktite will take care of that too. It just won't be easy to get back off next time.

I'm assuming he's referring to the bearings inner race where the bearing has come apart. One thing to check is to make sure the spindle didn't get eat up by the hub. If you have access to a tourch that bad race can be cut off. If it put a mark or two in the spindle, file it smooth and run it. If you have a Northern Tools they should have new spindles and hubs where you can just have that one cut off and install a new one if it's messed up too bad. That a whole lot cheaper than an axle.

You might be able to break the race with a hammer and chisel. Just be sure to wear a jacket and a face shield. If pieces brake off, they are like sharp bullets and will penetrate skin. Once you get the race off, you can probably clean the spindle up.

I'm in with the rest of the oldfarts, while I like the butt seat, my back likes the sit down fishing seat and my back wins everytime. My deck is large enough I can stand and have plenty of room when working a spinner bait in close cover, flipping, or pitching but doing those things are not for long intervals. It's not long before I have to plant my butt back in the seat.

All aspects of performance will improve with a SS Prop. If your current RPM is 5130 with just you and a normal load I would definitely drop down one pitch size if one is available. Most companies only offer a limited number of SS props for their small motors. Normally on the small motors, the SS prop only cost about twice what an aluminum prop and you will be wondering why you hadn't done it a long time ago. If someone says it's not worth it, they just haven't tried one. Dropping down one pitch and going to SS also, you will see a big difference in hole shot, even with a 9.9. Do not go up any in pitch thinking you will gain more speed, most likely it will slow you down more and will definitely hurt hole shot and performance all the way around.

Are you talking about something like the lower tech bulletin in this http://www.mar-fab.com/MarFab_Tech_Bulletins_D9579.pdf Stuff happens. They claim 25% show up with this crack so the other 75% must still be kicking butt. Almost any motor you pick will probably have some sort of common issues with a certain percentage of them. When buying one, you just have to hope the one you're getting is not one of those in that small percentage. As mentioned, after almost 20 years, if it hasn't broke by now, probably a pretty good chance it's not going to break anytime soon.

Not sure how they could be made by Mercury, I don't think mercury even makes it's own small engines. I'm sorry, but you couldn't give me a Gamefisher. Buy a motor because it's cheap, could be the most expensive motor you will ever buy. Poor quality, worn out, no longer stocked parts, all kinds of things tend to bite you in the butt when you start buying off brands and cheap motors. A couple of the Japan motors are pretty good motors, that's where the small Mercs use to come from, may still do, but then parts for some of those tend to be rather expensive. Stick big names Mercs, Johnnyrudes, Yama's Hondas, etc. Oh, and Force does not classify as a big brand either.

Never been in a yak. As for the canoe, by accident once, on purpose no couldn't count. The accident happened when my wife was with me and nature called, so I paddled over and let her get out but the spot was kinda bad so I was going to be the good husband and move to a better spot for her to get back in. Well a 17' Grumman's bow rides kinda high when 200 pounds is in the back and nothing's in the front. As I was going up to the new spot on the bank, there was a tree root just under the surface I couldn't see and as I slid up on it, it rolled that sucker just like somebody had grabbed it and gave it a twist. I used to teach canoeing many years ago and a couple pointers I alwas gave. Anything you don't want to loose, it had better float or be secured to the canoe at all times. The rod you are fishing with, have a one of those bobber on a lanyard clip to it. If you get caught in rough water, get out of the seat, and sit in the bottom of the canoe toward the center and have your legs under one of the braces. That way if it get knocked over, you can brace your thighs against the support and hold yourself in, then use the paddle you right yourself (provided it has flotation cells. I would demonstrate this by barrel rolling a canoe several times. Same technic used for yaks. The canoe will be full of water but you can bail or paddle to the bank and dump it out.

I've considered one several times, but I have to keep doing a reality check. I've known myself long enough to know it would never be fast enough to suit me. I would always be trying to get that couple extra mph out of it. I've had a Allison once, many years ago, and ended up with twin 135BHP Merc racing engines on the back. As far as I know, it's still sitting on the bottom in about 90 feet of water at Clark Hill. I'm a speed freak, and while I would luv to hang one of the motors I have on the back of a bullet, knowing it would run over 100 mph with one, I have to keep realizing I'm tooo flipping old the be doing those stupid things like that now. We put one on a friends 20' Bullet a few years ago and it ran 107 without a whole lot of setup or the perfect prop, so I know what one will do. He already had a motor like mine, just no where near the HP. With his motor putting out 278 hp, it still pushed his Bullet 93 mph with just him in it.

The universal ones usually have three terminals, common, normally open and normally closed. You just hook one wire to the common and the other is based on your motor. If the motor uses a voltage through the switch to run, you would use the NC, Mercs require a voltage. If they require a ground to shut them off, ie omc's/brp, you use the NO terminal The common will connect to ignition terminal on the key switch and the wire you disconnect from the key switch will connect to the NO/NC terminal of the kill switch.