2003 150 hp Mercury carb. OB - jetting?

[MTNPIKE]

I had a 2001 90 hp Merc (carb.) on a Tracker Pro Deep V. I had it jetted for sea level and use it at 1100 ft elevation in Saskatchewan (1 week / year)and up to 4500 ft in Colorado (where I live) the rest of the year. Most use is between 3000 - 4500 ft. I don't know how to jet it myself and it's a hassle trying to get it jetted through the dealers during the summer (3-6 weeks waiting, no reservations). I'm trying to set it so that it's usable but not harmful to the motor across these two elevations. I was told that if I jet it for the higher elev. and take it down to 1100 ft., I could damage the motor, and that if I jet it for sea level and take it to high elev., I would lose some performance but wouldn't harm the motor.<br />I never had a problem, so this seemed to be true from my experience.<br /> I'm about to buy a 2003 Crestliner 1850 Sportfish with a 2003 150 Merc 2-stroke carb motor. Am I ok to do the same thing with this motor. I'm looking for warnings or recommendations. (Cost is the reason I'm going with the carb motor) Thanks for your help / ideas.

 

[Huck BB62]

Re: 2003 150 hp Mercury carb. OB - jetting?

You know what you could do? Try running Royal Purple synthetic 2 stroke oil ( http://www.royalpurple.com ). It will not load up at the higher elevations and this I guarantee: It'll run smoother and give a tad more power too! I love the stuff. I use Royal Purple products in our power plant. It's pricey but hey, every little bit helps and you can use the money and hassle from tuning the carbs for justification. (now, do we REALLY need justification for spending money on our boats?)

 

[Trent]

Re: 2003 150 hp Mercury carb. OB - jetting?

Sorry...I disagree. Oil has nothing to do with the jetting that is required when changing altitudes.<br /><br />If you set it up to use in both elevations...Use the lower altitude setup. Jetting is not hard; Just takes a little time.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 2003 150 hp Mercury carb. OB - jetting?

If possible, get an EFI Motor and you won't have to worry about it at all! It will be worth it in the end!

 

[Huck BB62]

Re: 2003 150 hp Mercury carb. OB - jetting?

I guess you'd have to trust me on this one. It DOES make a difference, plenty of difference. While you are trying to make the fuel ratio different, you're also trying ot not load the thing up and foul the plugs and ports. While it might not run optimally, the Royal Purple makes enough difference to not have to mess with it. Ocean, to lakes in the Sierras, I have to do it. I don't like messing with my jetting. I'd rather run a little rich at the lake. West coast boaters know this better than anyone and anyone that boats elsewhere is underqualified to know about this (what's the highest elevation of your boating?). I'm kind of betting that the left wing extremist will have two strokes banned from all lakes in the near future though.