1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

[tommy N]

Everything is clean and/or replaced on the this motor. Ive moved the idle adjustment out and in and it doesnt help. Dies when I put in forward and reverse. I have to slam it it in gear and am afraid this will damage my gears. Idles geat at 1100 and runs great at top end. In fact after a long run I can llet out of the throttle and it will idle fine in gear for about a minute then dies. Put it back in neutral and it is fine. thank for your help again BFHP.

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Carbs were recently cleaned. Compression is good also. Please help

 

[Rangerbilt]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Hey Tommy N, I didn't realize that you are already have a post here. anyway, check this link out http://www.themarinedoctor.com/fuelproblems.htm hope this helps.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Do some tests to check if the engine is leaning out after idling awhile or running rich. Try squirting a little fuel into the carb throats when it starts to die to check for lean idle (or try choking it). Unplug the fuel connector at the engine a little bit before you expect it to die and see if it continues a little longer. Maybe you have a carb float set incorrectly or the idle mixture is off.

 

[AndyL]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Check that the throttle cam is clear when in Neutral. Mine was not set correctly and hence the butterfly valves were partially open at idle. The error being adjusted out with the mixture screws. This caused the engine to be over rich I think at idle and causing stalls.<br />ANdy

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

I think it may be runnning a little rich. How do I look into that? Smokes heavily at start up and idle even when warm and always smells like 2 stroke.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

If its running rich a little squirt of premix (or choking if you have a choke) into the carbs will make it worse. If its running lean it will pick up a bit. Also pull the spark plugs after the engine has run a bit at the suspect rpm. Black plugs = rich, brown = correct, white or gray = lean.<br /><br />When you said you moved the idle adjustment in and out were you referring to the idle mixture or to the throttle butterfly linkage? If moving the idle mixture screw in and out has no effect your carb is not working right and needs to be cleaned/rebuilt with special emphasis on the idle orifices. When you said everything is clean on this engine were you referring to the orifices or just the outside of the carbs?

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Thanks Jim. I believe I moved the idle mixture adjuster in and out a few turn in both directions. In caused my engine to not idle at all in neutral. Out helped the idle but didnt take the idle up as it went out to the end. This is the screw in the middle of the throttle arm that run up and down from under the flywheel. I was told never to touch the top screw, the middle screw was my idle adjuster and the bottom screw (closet to the throttle cable caused my idle to zoom) Carbs were just rebuilt by my wrench. He is at a loss

 

[AndyL]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Just wondering if maybe your oil pump is set too high and you are pouring in too much oil at idle to sustain a spark. Failing that it may be a stator problem causing a weak spark at the lower rev range. As I understand it the stator works in 2 stages, one stage at low rpm and the second at higher rpm. No doubt someone more experienced may step in here and correct me. In my opinion if you had a weak spark at idle there would be more chance of the plugs fouling enough to shut the old girl down.<br />Interesting problem though that I am sure will find a cure here.<br />Andy

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Stator has been replaced, spark tested good. Wrench thinks there may be a oil injection problem but would rather the engine too rich than too lean. Keep the ideas coming. Ask the questions you need to. thanks

 

[KCLOST]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

I don't mean to just jump in and disrupt all the checking you may be doing....<br /><br />But if it will only idle at 1100 rpm that is to high obviously. It should purr around 800....<br /><br />Check the spark plugs as jimd mentioned, I would also check compression... This could be something not related to the carb/settings...<br />Get a spark gap testor and check all the coil leads for spark at cranking.<br /><br />You could have a stator issue as Andy mentioned, but could also be a head gasket problem (getting water in one of the cylinders at lower rpms) <br />Don't mean to scare you, but this is the easiest place to start. Carbs don't easily go out of adjustment, and since your adjustments aren't helping, I would look elsewhere for now...<br />These motors smoke a lot at idle, so don't worry about that at this time...<br /><br />When you run the motor on the muffs, do you see any indication of fuel leaving the exhaust (prop)?

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

KCLOST, Compression looks fine120 on 5 112 on 1, but it has been that way for awhile and has ran fine. no sign of water and ive tried several times. idles the same with 2 different sets of plugs the bu8h and the similars with the risistor. We hooked it up to a spark testor that tests all 6 at the same time and everything appears fine. Shoot again.

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Someone at one time mentioned exhaust blockage. How do I check for that. How close should the two exhaust vents in back of engine sit to water.

 

[KCLOST]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

The vents (upper exhaust ports) should be above the water but how far varies obviously from boat to boat. Mine where almost completely under water at one time but the engine still idled ok, however when I tilted up the motor so the ports cleared the water it idled great. So raising the motor to achieve that will help....<br /><br />I just thought of something. Take the exhaust ports out of the equation. On the muffs, do you see any difference in the idleing performance with the engine trimmed down all the way versus being vertical or tilted out beyond vertical. This is with the throttle at the idle position only... Reason being, I heard that these engines don't always idle well, due to the floats being stuck or something when the engine is tmimmed all the way down.<br /><br />Do you have a trim stop installed on the motor mounts?

 

[KCLOST]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Exhaust blockage can be checked by removing the exhaust manifold... It will be full of crude most likely... Theres a bunch of bolts that hold it on right between the two heads, under the coils... But don't start that job until you check your manual.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Tommy, I am not personnally familiar with your engine, but your description sounded like you were messing with some sort of idle speed linkage adjustment. Maybe someone here with more experience with Mercury carbs can verify but the idle mixture screws should be on each carb and not connected to any linkage. On some brands of engines the idle mixture screws meter fuel and on others they meter air so the direction to turn for enrichening is opposite. Go to the bottom of this webpage and order a manual for your engine before you go any further.

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

I have the SELOC and read through it again on Sunday. If I read right there is no carb adjustment on this engine. I should have an idle stop screw and a primary pickup. Ive narrowed it down to adjustments there or th idle sensor (black box part) Anyone know anything abot these? thanks for all of your help. This forum is awesome.

 

[quantumleap]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Did this ever happen before the HotFoot install??

 

[tommy N]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Didnt happen before the hot foot, but didnt happen after the hot foot either until after carbs were cleaned and timing set and idle adjusted on the hose.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: 1988 200 Black Max Now Dies everytime I put it in gear. PLEASE HELP AGAIN

Self edited, you been there done that. Besides, I cant make my own boat run right.