Way2slow

As mentioned, lot of motors now come with them. If you buy gas from smaller stations and especially marina gas, it definitely pays to have one in line. Ethanol gasoline's are bad about absorbing lots of water when it's agitated, like when the trucks dump the fuel in the tanks etc, and then when it sits for a day or so, the excess separates back out and can cause you problems. A separator will help keep that excess out of your fuel system. That's also why, when you see the fuel truck unloading fuel at your station, you might want to drive on down the road to the next one. I never buy gas from a station that's getting fuel delivered or I know has just recently had it delivered, especially if it's an ethanol gas.

One thing you also have to remember, that old saying, it takes two to tango. There is always the possibility you have boat problems. Wet flotation foam, (though that's not as common as it used to be with the open cell foam). I have seen more than one boat with a bad hull where the bunk boards were not properly adjusted and cause a serious rockers/hooks in the hull. A lot of people don't understand props and think if they want to go faster, they just put on a bigger prop. It don't work like that. Doing that normally makes you run slower. I would do like suggested, make sure the engine is making full power, Check out Boat Setup and see what people with similar setups are running. Of course we all know a fisherman and bass boat driver won't tell a lie, but just in case, don't believe everything you see some of them post. I've seen a lot of them post speeds with props that would have to be making pitch as it spins because even with zero slip, they claim to be running faster than the prop and rpm is capable of. On average, bass boats have about 13% slip, good setups can get down around 9% and a few a little less but those numbers are usually from the Allison's, Bullets etc and a few that have invested large amounts of time and money on their setup.

OOPs, sorry about that, I thought I was talking about the 1986 but I got my wires crossed along the way. You posted it was an XR2 150 but my brain registered it as the 115 inline 6 tower of power, so disregard a lot about me saying it didn't have heads and the bottom spark plug might be a problem. The V-6 motor is much easier than the inline to work on However, still follow the same procedures I stated for doing the compression check and they percentages still will be the same. If the compression is good, you still have something you can work with, but it the numbers are off on that, there are some things you can try to do a good decrabing of it that might help, but we will chase that rabbit after the compression test.

If you have not already done so, do a compression test on that motor. That's something you can do yourself with one of those $10 Harbor Freight gauges. Crank it up on a hose and let it run for several minutes to get some heat in it, the cut it off and wait about 10 minutes. Open the throttle some so the motor can get air through the butterflies in the carbs. Make sure the cranking battery is fully charged and strong If you have a safety kill switch pull it so the motor won't start. If not pull all six plug wires off and do something to ground each wire. It can damage coils with no load on the wires. Removing one plug at the time check each cylinder. Cranking it over until it hits at least six times and write it down. If you remove all six plugs to start with, it turns much easier but sometimes you run into the problem of the starter bendix kicking out every time it hits on the cylinder with the gauge in it, but if it will let you it's best to remove all six. The bottom cylinder on that motor can be all kinds of fun to get a gauge in. You might have to drop the low cover or if the other five are all good, just "assume" that one is also. Once you have all your readings, there should be no more than a 5% difference between the lowest and highest. If there is more than 10%, the motor is probably close to being ready for the salvage yard. Even at 10% you can have running and loss of power issues and the motor is on it's last leg. Unless you are a very good mechanic, rebuilding it is not a viable option. Way to expensive and requires some special tools because it does not have a cylinder head and all six pistons have to go in with the crank from the bottom. Now, if the compression is good, those a good, strong old motors and would be worth looking into getting it running right. Maybe rebuilding carbs and having the ignition system checked out.

Going from an 86 to a late model motor may create several problems but I'm not versed on the Merc's well enough to say for sure what all. The first is, I'm not sure the transom mount on that 86 has the same bolt pattern as the newer one. Somewhere along the way years back Mercury changed. As for the controls. Again, might run into problems. As a minimum, most likely the wiring harness will be different. If they are, you will need to see if that make and adapter or have to replace the whole thing. If you go with a different make than a Merc, you will almost have to change controls to match the make motor. If you have dual cable steering and the cable are good and it turns fairly easily, that should work on any motor you put on it. If the cables are bad or if it's not dual cable, it needs to be repaired/replaced. If that's the case, it doesn't cost that much more to go ahead and upgrade to hydraulic steering. Before sinking a large sum of money into a boat that old, I hope you have checked it out very well. Making sure the transom and floors an nice and firm. As for the Optimax itself, do your research on line. For several years they had major issues with reliability and had the nickname Opti-Pop. Not sure when they started making the more reliable motors. Sorry for the vague answers and hopefully, someone that knows the FACTS about swapping the early Merc for a late model can help. Scream and Fly and Boat Setup * has a lot of people knowledgeable on your questions.

I hope you understood, before pulling the carbs, I would get a manual and do a link & sinc. There's a good chance you might not need to pull the carbs, just get them adjusted a balanced properly. But then, what the heck, if something ain't broke, just keep working on it until is broke.

For quietness, potential reliability, and longevity (any of them can break), it would be the Verado, hands down on a luxury liner like the Z22 . . I'm not real sure you would even see a big drop in speed.

Unless it has sat for a long periods of time where really bad gas was left in it, probably no problem. If you are really concerned, pour you a gallon of denatured alcohol in it, shake or tow it a little peace to mix it in and then just let it sit for a couple of weeks and then tow it around again to shake everything up, then pump it out.

They are about the easiest carbs on the planet to clean a build. One big plate on top comes off and the whole fuel path is laid out in front of you. You do need to get a manual and go through the synchronization though, that's probably off. Also, there is a cam system on top of the motor that operates the crabs. The roller on it is bad about coming apart and the outer piece missing. Look at yours and see if there is just a black piece sticking up about 1/4" in diameter, if so, you need a new roller. It should have a clear looking outer shell over the black and should be about 3/8" in diameter. If it missing, it will throw you sinc off. Also, once you got through and get the sinc right, paying careful attention that all marks are hitting dead on, and all three carbs or opening at exactly the same time (very critical so get them right), do not adjust the idle speed with the linkage stop. Also, make sure they butterflies are fully closing at idle. You adjust the idle with the timing rod on top of the engine going back to the timer base. In other words, your idle is adjust by timing not throttle linkage. This does not affect WOT timing, so don't worry about that, there is another stop on top of the engine that adjust that. I guess I should have also said, you still have to pull the bottom off to get to the float, needle and seat, etc to check those and set the float level.

deleted text. Didn't realize to be a bay boat, it had to come out of a specific mold.

I use the system that was made into my Javelin but use Rod Savers in my jons a couple other boats. They are easy to find, install and use, but in the long run, the most expensive because you will probably be replacing the dang things every two or three years

Age has some to do with it, but there are other things to be considered. Several years back, I was looking at a Sprint bass boat a dealer was selling without the motor. Someone had traded boats but was keeping the motor off the Sprint. I had a motor so that was what I was looking for. The Sprint was only three years old and looked great but it didn't take long to figure out why he was trading it. It still had the motor on it, where the dealer was waiting for the new hull to come in before he took it off. I trimmed it up, climbed on the mid section at the anti cav plate and bounced up and down with my 215 pounds of a**. I could actually see and hear the transom bowing and cracking when it did this. Transom was totally rotted where who ever put the motor on, didn't seal the bolts/bolt holes. That three year old boat was basically pure junk.

What I mentioned above should be done and check it, and I would not leave a battery connected until it's checked out, especially if it's making a click when connecting it. If everything is right, it ain't suppose to be doing that. You won't be real happy when the fire department shows up and tries to save what might be left of your boat if it does it again.

OK, yours is the reduction gear starter that has the Bendix on a separate shaft and your starter just drives a small gear that drives the Bendix. It's not uncommon for the Bendix to stay in the flywheel when you quit cranking on one and it hasn't started. As mentioned, as soon as the flywheel is spinning faster than the starter, it should spin the Bendix out of it.

If you have it together right, their should be the bendix, with the gear away from the starter, a spring, retainer and nut. When you engage the starter, the sudden motion kicks the bendix up into the ring gear on the flywheel. The spring is to keep it from hitting so hard and also assist in getting it to disengage when you stop cranking it. If the bendix is not going up when you engage the starter, you may have the cables backwards and spinning the starter backwards.

Not sure what it's called, It's just a thin, flat piece of steel the width of the starter with a notch in the center so it will slide past the armature to the edge of the starter. The one made for it is bent so it actually clips onto the back of the starter but for a one time thing, I would just notch me a piece of thin, flat metal deep enough for it to slide all the way past the housing and just hold it while slide the back onto the shaft. Then just slide it out when the housing is all the way down.

you need to buy or make the tool, that holds them in place while you put the back on it.

Did you charge the battery, or have you left sitting a run down? Since most likely you don't have a way of checking a sealed battery, you need to fully charge it and then take it to a parts store or some place that can check it with a Medtronics tester. If it test ok, get you one of the marine adapters that will clamp onto the post and give you a stud terminal to reconnect you cables. Also, pick up a couple connectors to go back on your wires. The larger wire for the motor cable needs to be cut back to good insulation, and clean copper, cleaned and new end crimp on and soldered, because unless you have a very good crimper, you will not get a good crimp on it, and that can put you right back where you are at now when that bad crimp heats up. That stud most likely melted out because the wires connected to it were not tight and they was a large, steady current on it. One of the key causes of the melting of the positive stud is what you have on that negative stud. Take those flipping wings nuts off and throw them as far as you can and get stainless steel hex nuts, and use a wrench to tighten them. It's also a good chance the trim motor is fried, but there are some checks you need to do before coming to that conclusion. Once you have a known good, fully charged battery, before you hook it up, the first thing you want to do is take the cover off the motor an find the connecter for the trim motor and unplug it. Look at the size wires at the trim motor and try to follow them up into the main wiring harness. It will be about the only two/three wire connector in there with wires that large. Now, make sure the key switch and main power switch is off and connect the battery and see if you still hear that click. If you still hear that click, one of the trim switches are most likely still stuck and you are hearing the relay energizing, so disconnect the battery. There is a three pin connector on the motors main wiring harness for those also, if you can find it and disconnect it, or you are going to have to start disconnection switches. Since I don't know what kind of motor you have and everything is speculation right now, that's as far as I'm going until you can get the battery checked and installed.

My 1982, 25hp Merc, had been running this ethanol/methanol gas for years, It has never given me a problem. My 1972, 9.9 Johnson, same thing, no problem. My 1997 4hp Mercury, never a problem. Well, I take that back, one time about six years ago we going up the head of a small river and the motor kept dying like it was running out of gas. When I got it home and took the fuel pump apart, moisture had rusted and broken a small spring in it. my 1989 Johnson 200, modified to over 300hp, same thing, never had a problem My 1996 Johnson 225, modified to 325hp, I've never had a problem running this junk gas. My 1999 Evinrude 225 Ficht has never had a problem Same thing with my 1988 115 Merc, 1990 Johnson 28hp SPL or 1996 130hp Evinrude. Plus I have a couple 60's and 70's 25hp Johnsons I don't use any more that I'm sure would start and run just fine if I put them on a boat. I use a 1/2 ounce per gallon of SeaFoam when I use one of them, and I drain and purge the fuel system when I'm done with them, because other that a couple of them, some may not get used but once or twice every couple of years. Just keep a check on the fuel lines and a few other things, because they can and will dry over time, every five to eight years they get replaced. But other than that, all my motors run just fine on the junk I have to feed them today. With the older motors, pre 80's especially, you should run the higher octane, Premium grade gas because their compressions are usually a lot higher than later year models. I think I need to have a boat and motor yard sale. Between was running and all the pieces of motors I've accumulated, I could start my own salvage yard.

The battery is not going to shock you, not enough voltage. If you short it out, it can explode in your face or get what ever you shorted it with red hot but don't worry about getting electrocuted. At the most, if you ground a tender part of your skin, you can get a little stinging feel. However, you do want to be careful handling it, and wash your hands afterwards. If you spill the electrolyte in it on you cloths, you can throw them in the trash because every were it touches in going to be a hole when washed. The electrolyte is approximately 12% sulfuric acid so I can also cause skin burns if left of it very long. Use baking soda if needed, to neutralize the electrolyte and then rinse everything off with water. Sprinkle baking soda, keeping it wet and rinse it off until there is no more foaming action when you add more.

Trust me, I would not move out of a bass boat into a yak or canoe for an only way of getting on the water. I have never even set my butt in a kayak and at my age, have no intentions to. I have had canoe since 1962, which was my only means of getting on the water until 1965 when I bought my first 14' Boat with a 65hp merc. I did have a small 1.5hp outboard I used on the canoe but once I got my first boat, The canoe was for ponds and places I could not put a big boat, and that's still the same purpose it serves today. I would never get rid of my canoe, my wife says she will probably just bury me in it. In my first post, I was just commenting on some of the things that's going to come along with getting a bass boat, not that I would not get one over a kayak, but there is a learning curve that goes along with using one. I have boats for everything. Three bass boats, my Javelin I keep at the house, a Stratos that stays at my brothers for a lake he lives on, and a Stratos that stays at our farm, just in case I'm there and didn't take the Javelin. Then I have a 17' square back aluminum canoe, a 1436 Lowe aluminum jon and a 1232 aluminum jon, and probably 10 different motors between what used on the boats and hanging on a 2x12 the length of a storage shed, but no kayaks.

Tom, look at those broken strands like this. Your TM probably has a #8-10ga wire, which can handle 40 to 50 amps for very short runs with minimal loss from resistance and minimal heat caused by that resistance when running on max and say drawing 45 amps. Circuit breaker, motor, everything is happy and trucking right along with no problems Now, if you cut that #10 wire and placed a 1/2" long piece of 12ga wire in it, which can only handle about 30 amps for a short distance and you are running along at max and motor still trying to draw 45 amps. Circuit breaker or fuse is not going to know that 12ga wire is in there and it's a happy camper, motor is just going to slow down a little bit because the additional resistance that 12ga wire is causing, is also causing some voltage loss to the motor, but it's going to keep right on trucking along. However, that piece of 12ga wire is not going to be happy at all trying to pass 45 amps through it and will start smoking and melting before long from the heat the resistance it's causing. Other than that piece of wire, everything else thinks things are just as they should be so no fuse or circuit break will ever trip. I've seen those circuit breakers that mount on the battery have a bad connection that melted the battery terminal and plastic housing on them, but the bi-metal strip inside never heated enough to trip because there was never a current over load to cause it to.

Battery disconnects are always a good idea, but they are not fuses or breakers, just disconnects. If you make it a habit of turning it do disconnect the batteries, you don't have to worry about forgetting the turn the main power switch off, mice/rats chewing wires and shorting them, or as mentioned, a trim motor switches shorting. Me being a lazy butt by nature, I tend to be hit or miss with them. About half my boats I've installed them and the others I never get that proverbial "round to-it" and they never got one. My Javelin does not have one, a Stratos that stays at the lake does and I always turn it to disconnect.

Somebody just rewrote ohms law and physics. Current passing through a bad connection does not produce heat!!! A dirty/bad connection creates resistance. I always thought as current passes through resistance, it produces heat. The higher the current or the higher the resistance, the more heat it produces. Let see now, depending on the size of the motor, a starter can pull a hundreds of amps when cranking a motor. A starter gets it's power from the engine cable connected to the battery. What's suppose to happen to that 40/50 amp fuse/breaker that someone says "should" be connected to the engine battery cable when you try and crank the motor. A trim motor only pulls three amps??. Why do they have a 10-12 gauge wire going to them and I wonder what happen to that relay those switches are normally connected to. I always thought they just energized the relay and the relay ran the trim motor because there was no way those little switches and wires could ever handle the current the motor itself pulls. I guess I need to get some more learning on how all this stuff works. Looks like I've always had it wrong. Oh well, maybe I will get it figured out one day, ya'll have a nice day.

Fuse would not have prevented it. It was not a short or over current situation. The trim motor has a pretty heavy current draw and that current through a bad connection for an extended time can be like a several hundred watt heating element wrapped around the post. No different than a loose TM connection heating or melting a terminal. Fuse ain,t gonna prevent that either