HI ALL,<br /><br />OK. I AM A COMPLETE 'NEWBIE' AT THIS WHOLE THING. YA SURE, I HAVE RENTED A SPEED BOAT A COUPLE OF TIMES OUT AT THE LAKE AND KNOW HOW TO GO FORWARD AND REVERSE. BUT MAINTANANCE AND KNOW ALL THESE TECHNICAL WORDS....FORGET IT. <br /><br />ANYWHO..I JUST BOUGHT THIS BOAT RIGHT? AN '89 20 FOOT MAXUM WITH A 125 FORCE MOTOR. BOUGHT IT ON LAND, WITHOUT TAKING IT ON THE WATER. OWNER TOLD ME THAT THE BATTERY NEEDS CHARGING BECAUSE HE ONLY HAD IT OUT ONCE THIS YEAR(I LIVE IN WI). THE TANK WAS FULL OF GAS SINCE LAST YEAR TOO. SO HE ADVISED THAT I GET SOME 'EAR MUFFS' AND GET HER STARTED AND RUN IT A LITTLE BEFORE I PUT IT IN THE WATER BECAUSE THESE FORCE MOTORS TAKE A WHILE TO GET STARTED AND WARMED UP AND I MAY RUN THE BATTERY BACK DOWN IN THE WATER. SO I DID, TOOK SOME CRANKING TO FINALLY GET HER STARTED. LET IT RUN A FEW MINUTES AND OFF I WENT TO THE LAKE. <br /><br />DON'T FORGET, MY FIRST BOAT, MEANING MY FIRST TIME PUTTING ONE IN THE WATER. IT WASN'T PRETTY. LETS LEAVE IT AT THAT. FINALLY IN, PUT THE MOTOR DOWN AND STARTED CRANKING IT WITH THE CHOKE. NOTHING. JUST KEPT CRANKING. CHOKE, NO CHOKE, TOOK A GOOD 20 OR SO ATTEMPTS TO FINALLY GET HER TO RUN. SO SHE STARTS RUNNING AND SEEMS TO ME A LITTLE LOW IDLE SPEED BUT SURELY RUNNING. PUT HER IN REVERSE AND GET HER GOING DOWN THE NO WAKE ZONE OUT TO THE OPEN AREA. ALL THE WHILE SHE'S SMOKING SOME GOOD WHITE SMOKE OUT THE EXHAUST(I GUESS ITS THE EXHAUST). GIVE HER SOME MORE GAS, MORE WHITE SMOKE. SMELLS NASTY TOO. ANYWAYS....THOUGHT MAYBE ONCE I GET HER UP AND RUNNING FAST, MIGHT CLEAR UP. SHE RUNS GREAT AT HIGH SPEED. CAN'T REALLY SEE THOUGH IF IT STILL SMOKING THAT MUCH. TAKE A NICE 10 MINUTE HIGH SPEED RIDE AT AROUND 4-5000 RPM THAN HEAD BACK TO THE DOCK TO PICK UP A FRIEND. SO IM IDLING BACK IN AND SHE IS SURE ENOUGH STILL SMOKING UP A STORM. AS I GET CLOSER, I SLOW EVEN MORE THEN TO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE DIES. TAKES ME MANY CRANKS TO GET HER FIRED BACK UP BARELY. IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THE IDLE IS TOO LOW. I HAD TO KIND OF THROW IT IN GREAR QUICK AFTER IT WOULD START JUST TO GET IT RUN SO IT WOULD GET MORE GAS. <br /><br />SO ANYWAYS.....THOSE ARE MY PROBLEMS. <br />-HARD START IN THE BEGINING<br />-SMOKING ENGINE<br />-WHAT SEEMS TO ME AS LOW IDLE, ENGINE DIES AT IDLE OR LOW SPEED AND TAKE ALOT OF CRANKING TO FIRE BACK UP<br /><br />IT RUNS VERY STRONG AT HIGH SPEEDS. SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD WITH NO CLUNKING NOISES. WHAT SHOULD I DO? TUNE UP? MAYBE OLD GAS? HOW DO I DRAIN THE GAS, WHERE IS THE GAS TANK? <br />SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE SPARK PLUGS ARE? <br /><br />CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT HERE? <br />ALSO, CAN YOU TELL ME SOME GENERAL INFO ON THIS MOTOR. LIKE WHAT TYPE IS IT (HOW MANY STROKES OR WHATEVER AND WHAT IS A STROKE) I HAVE READ ALOT OF THESE POSTS AND HAVE SEEN ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE MOTORS. BUT MAYBE SHE JUST NEEDS SOME GOOD GAS AND MAYBE SOME NEW PLUGS OR SOMETHING. <br /><br />THANKS.<br /><br />LEE<br /><br />PS....OH YA, AND WHATS A PROP (PROPELLER MAYBE?) AND WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THAT.<br />OH AND ALSO, WHATS THE TRIM AND TILT FOR, DO YOU HAVE THE MOTOR UP MORE DURING CERTAIN SPEEDS OR WHAT?
<br /><br />Good luck and let us know what happens.<br />Nav.