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I got to take the boat out in the ocean on monday. We went salmon fishing and caught our limits, then headed 20 miles south and fished for halibut with salmon bellies in 300-500 feet, no bites. We then ran 7 more miles south east to the rocks for some cod fishing.I cought one lingcod and 3 blacks then went to move the boat and the one engine started running rough then died, I got it restarted and it smoked really bad and died again so we pulled up the lines and limped home on one engine. We were 25 miles south of the harbor and it was slow going, those vent holes in the new props made all the difference. They let the engine rev up to normal rpm and not lug, we ran for 2.5 hours at 10mph at 3200 rpm half throttle. I had the bad engine tilted all the way up out of the water and at WOT it got up on plane and did 28 mph @ 5000 rpm. I just ran the compression on both engines, the bad one was 110 on all 4 holes, the good one always cranks slower and was 100 on all holes.The bottom plug in the bad engine was perfectly clean and white, all 7 others ware white with one black streak. The plugs are surface gap BUZHW. I think I just had carb problems on that engine so all 8 will get rebuilt. I thought I blew the engine up.
Engine problems aside, sounds like a fantastic day. I have a 1986 90HP Mercury myself and am looking to clean the carbs shortly as well.
Any chance you'll be taking any photos during your rebuild? I would love to see how you do it. I'm thinking about a carb cleaner to add to the fuel as a short term fix before I go on a camping trip to the Lower Saranac Islands. Hopefully the carbs can wait until after I return. We'll see!
That is one the benefits of being slightly underpropped on a twin engine boat; if you loose one motor, the other is still propped low enough to plane the boat and get home safely.
