Inspecting 2002 Tracker 125 HP Outboard

Hello,
This weekend I will go to see a used boat that is for sale, it's a 2002 Nitro 185 Sport with a Tracker 125 HP outboard, I've read this tracker outboards are Mercury OB just named differently, my plan is to check compression, see if the gear lube is not milky and no water in the transmission, what else should I check for it, as we will be looking at it in the lake I hope the owner will allow us to have a ride, but if you could give me some advise in this motors and what to look for.
I don't see tracker in pages like marine engine for spare parts, should I look as for a Mercury and use the same serial numbers?

Also about the boat, I will look for obvious cracks overall, transom etc, according to the owner bilge pump doesnt work, I think that is an easy fix. Hopefully this is a good boat to take home.

Thansk

No ride ? Bilge pump dead ? Should be a beat up boat. Do not waste time and money.

Tracker stickers wer put on OMC outboards

The Tracker 125 is a Mercury outboard with "Tracker" decals. The 125hp is a four cylinder two stroke that runs on two cylinders till it hits 1800 rpms, called a 2+2.

dfrants said:

The Tracker 125 is a Mercury outboard with "Tracker" decals. The 125hp is a four cylinder two stroke that runs on two cylinders till it hits 1800 rpms, called a 2+2.

Click to expand...

My last OB engine was a 2002 Mercury 115 2+2....same basic engine but has RPM limiter set to 5250 RPM. I don't know what makes that 10 hp increase on the 125...could be just no rev limiter allowing the RPMs to climb on up to a higher number....5500 or 6000, or carb jet increase my guess. My 115 was a great engine and not shy but in my later years I didn't go out very often and it was stubborn to get the first start of the day. After that it hit before you could get your fingers off the key.

Tracker was both once and mercury. Johnny Morris got pissed at one because they did not want to put tracker on the motor so for a couple few years he switched to the other, then went back when they decided I was OK.

Check oil after running on muffs. Checking first can have the oil water separated if sat a long time.

History



Jack Aylsworth's Post
Evinrude - Johnson outboards. Facts, history, racing and OMC. ·
Jack Aylsworth
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Group expert
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June 18, 2022
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Tracker Outboards by Evinrude & Johnson – So how did that happen?
In 1978, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris introduced the Bass Tracker, the first fully-rigged fishboat & trailer package powered exclusively by Mercury outboards. Obsessed with everything on the package being branded Tracker, right down to the trailer tires, Johnny pressed Mercury to produce Tracker branded outboards to complete the package. Mercury refused, much to Johnny’s displeasure.
In 1988, Johnny took his request to OMC. Realizing that a Tracker deal could mean well over 20,000 outboards per year, OMC was happy to agree. It was a real coup for Johnson & Evinrude until Brunswick played their trump card in 1992 and did a joint venture investment with Tracker Marine ousting OMC. Soon after, Tracker, Sun Tracker & Nitro packages went back to Mercury.
THE BACK STORY – Boat & outboard motor packages by Tracker (and Bayliner) were the impetus that changed the entire marine industry. Starting in the 1980’s, OMC & Brunswick went on a boat company buying spree thereby creating boat & motor packages for their boat brands in an effort to control transoms. Independent boat builders quickly followed suit. While many marine dealers hated the change in how they did business, there was no turning back. Bottom line – Johnny Morris had helped revolutionize the marine industry. Today, 200+ Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s stores across the US and Canada feature package boats from Johnny Morris’ White River Marine Group including: Tracker, Sun Tracker, Triton, Ranger, Nitro, Mako, Regency, Tahoe and Hatteras Yachts.
TRACKER by Mercury – For a short period following the joint venture Mercury produced Tracker branded outboards. To Mercury’s credit, the Mercury identification on the hood graphic was much more tasteful than the Johnson & Evinrude Tracker motors – which were graphically heavy-handed