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I recently bought a new to me old boat, when I bought it the PO started the motor and ran it for a few minutes, ran fine, through the gears, cooling water coming out.
The boat needed some interior work so after getting most of that done I thought I should run the boat in the driveway before venturing out. Good thing because I couldn't get it started.
I know Lee's is one of the preferred old OB motor mechanics but it's 100 miles each way for me to get to Hyrum.
My question is are there any closer trusted old outboard mechanics that members have used and been happy with.
The motor is a late 80's Mercury. 45hp, 4cyl, 2 stroke w/2 carbs and tiller controls.
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Fred's Marine in Layton would be my suggestion.
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Please describe why it wouldn't start...it might be something simple.
For example:
Is the battery ok?
Did the motor crank over with the key, or was it completely dead?
Safety lanyard attached?
Fuel in the tank, bulb pumped up?
Did it pop, fart or anyhthing?
Did it smell like raw fuel (flooded)?
Did you use the choke?
Those old outboards are kind of picky and many have a "ritual" that must be followed exactly. It might pay to contact the PO and just ask especially since you know it ran before.
Hope this helps.
I used to N.ot have E.nough T.ime O.ff to go fishing. Then I retired. Now I have less time than I had before. Sheesh.
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I kind of agree with NETO, if the motor ran okay before it's likely some little thing that needs to be done to get it to purring... My FIL recently bought a boat and after putting a couple grand into little fixes he sold it for less than he bought it for... Most of his issues were really not that big of deal and I have to work around the same type issues all the time on my boat. But when I wasn't there to tell him what he needed to do and he had to be towed in, then you tend to give up on things... You sort of have to learn to be somewhat of a mechanic with older boat motors so you can tweak the little things that like to make life difficult.. I guess being a former snowmobiler I learned that you have to be able to work with things if you're going to use them... Really if you have fuel, spark and compression the motor will run, so you have to check and see which of the three you are missing and then figure out how to fix that issue... Most of the time it's usually fuel is your issue, unless you have a safety switch somewhere cutting out your spark... Bad gas is probably 90% of motor problems, with deposits plugging carburetors up... Well at least they are my main issues... Good luck... Jeff
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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All great answers. Thank you.
Neto, yes to all. I seem to be getting it to run longer and better. Long enough that it should have started to squirt water, it was not. Impeller before going farther.
I will take it to Lees for an end of year going through but until then I'll fiddle with it. Carb cleaners, seafoam, that kind of thing. I have my 6 hp mounted next to it that I got running like a champ last year to get me in if need be. Better than an oar.
