mercury 20 electrical probs

[sammy91]

hi, i just bought a mid to early 70's mercury 20hp outboard with no spark? is there any common electrical problems with these motors ?? what should i look for and how should i test it??? any help would be great. thanks

 

[Silvertip]

Re: mercury 20 electrical probs

Start by buying a service manual specific to your engine. Use the troubleshooting section to isolate the problem. If you don't want to buy a manual, check your local library. If you plan to do engine work yourself, the manual will save you much grief and frustration, and save you a ton of time and probably money because you won't be throwing parts at an unknown problem.

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: mercury 20 electrical probs

Try disconnecting the wire that runs from the terminal block to the kill switch, to be sure it isn't shorting to ground. Had that problem with my 1976 Merc 200. Bad wires on those motors. If that's not it, you'll have to dig deeper, but it is worth a quick check. By the way, if that works, you can kill the engine by choking it, then fix that wire!<br /><br />Good luck!