Help please, not getting RPMs

bennylt

Seaman
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
67
Mercury 1986, 35HP outboard. Remote.

I am completely new to this, so please have pity on my for dumb questions.

I just installed this engine on my rebuild project. it starts up really nice and easy. idle seems very low though. it barely stays lit unless i give it some fast idle. When revved up it sounds great. (i do know how to change the idle with the set screw on the engine. i just didn't want to touch anything yet.

shifts fine.

On the muffs it has a little trouble not stalling when put into gear (low idle problem probably)

But the rev up as i throttle is sluggish. it will not climb right away, it will seem to "catch" and climb after it sits at one place for a second.

But the big problem. When it is in the water. it stalls nearly every time i put it n gear (extra load and low idle I guess?)

then when i do actually get it into gear without stalling, even at full throttle on the control box, I am not getting anywhere near full RPMs. the engine sounds good, not bogged down, but it just won't get the revs up there. doesn't plane out. I'm thinking im only hitting like like maybe 10mph. The prop I have right now is one for a pontoon boat. big mickey mouse ear looking thing. so maybe that drags a litte? i would think it would rev up fine though because this prop is a very flat pitch. new prop is ordered and on the way.

Out of gear it gets to full revs and sounds fine. not missing. or anything.

I have a Quicksilver control box. the one that the body is a rectangle, not curved. there is no idle adjustment on the box itself.

another strange thing is the fast idle lever seems to move the throttle cable immediately when you begin to lift it. but the lever seems like it doesn't move the throttle cable until about 1/3 of the way through it's travel. is that right?
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
38,579
On the muffs and in gear is still nuetral !---That propeller does not have much / any load on it just waving at the air.----Check compression and check for spark on both leads first.
 

bennylt

Seaman
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
67
compression and spark are both good. and it starts very easily right away every time. even if not primed.
 

bennylt

Seaman
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
67
EDIT: on the control box question. the fast idle lever begins to move the throttle cable immediately. The actual shift/throttle lever doesn't seem to do anything to throttle for the first 1/3 of it's travel. it shifts into gear right away, but the throttle cable doesn't move until it's almost half throttle. then goes up quickly after that. is that normal?
 
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