Just wondering

[yowoodchuck]

What do people think of 40 H P Mercury oil injected motor...I'm still waiting to get a year on the engine...might buy the pontoon that it is attached to.  Are these at all like the Johnson VRO units that were best removed?  Can it be trusted?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

[Ketchup]

1 hour ago, yowoodchuck said:

What do people think of 40 H P Mercury oil injected motor...I'm still waiting to get a year on the engine...might buy the pontoon that it is attached to.  Are these at all like the Johnson VRO units that were best removed?  Can it be trusted?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Well, there is a mechanic on this forum that knows the ins and outs of a Merc, and according to him, they are the best built thing since fuel lines were invented. He will be with you shortly. I have him tied up at the moment. 

[fishinwrench]

The 40-75 HP 2-stroke Mercs are fine units.   No issues with the oil injection system on those.   

Their weak areas are the tilt/trim system, and the charging system (stator & voltage regulator).   Keep a good fresh battery installed and you likely won't ever have any trouble......but run it around on a battery that is about to puke, and you'll be sorry.

[fshndoug]

Hey Ketchup what is the best knot for Wrench ?

[Ketchup]

8 hours ago, fshndoug said:

Hey Ketchup what is the best knot for Wrench ?

Haven’t found one that will hold him secure, but can tell you he likes to be hog-tied. 

[top_dollar]

        I had a 98 40HP Mariner that was oil injected.  I never had any issues with it, and I didn't have to premix the gas which was convenient.  I got rid of that boat a few years ago because the deck was rotting out, and it needed lots of electrical work done, but the motor ran great when I sold it.  In fact, it gave me less trouble than the 2002 Evinrude I currently have.

         One thing I noticed was, if it sat for any length of time, it always started up really rich/smoky.  I think, even when I ran the gas out of it for storage, that some oil was dripping into the carbs, or maybe there was some residual oil in the tube that fed the carbs.

[top_dollar]

My personal boat philosophy that has kept my crappy boats running is:

1.) Get new batteries every year, or at  the very least every other year.  They are relatively cheap compared to the boat, and dead ones will ruin your day 

2.) Don't use gas that has been sitting around any longer than it normally would in your car.  About 2 or 3 weeks.   

3.) If you have to finance a boat for more than 3 years you cant afford it.  

[top_dollar]

Just now, top_dollar said:

My personal boat philosophy that has kept my crappy boats running is:

1.) Get new batteries every year, or at  the very least every other year.  They are relatively cheap compared to the boat, and dead ones will ruin your day 

2.) Don't use gas that has been sitting around any longer than it normally would in your car.  About 2 or 3 weeks.   

3.) If you have to finance a boat for more than 3 years you cant afford it.  

 

[rps]

My philosophy:

Unless you are a guide, why but a boat longer than 17 - 18 feet?

Buy two stroke engines. Service annually unless it is an ETEC, then every other year.

Lead acid batteries annually, unless you can afford lithium.

Rarely run at WOT, but do so for 2 or 3 minutes maybe once a month.

If you aren't using it more than 50 times a year, sell it.

 

[top_dollar]

15 hours ago, rps said:

 

If you aren't using it more than 50 times a year, sell it.

 

Agreed.  I probably only use mine 15-20 times per year, but my brother and I only have about 5K invested in it.  Living in St. Louis county, there are a few pretty nice bass boats in my area that I have never seen out of the driveway.