Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Scorpio

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Sep 21, 2002
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I have a Mercury 2001 40hp 4 stroke carb. <br />It boggs regardless of RPM. eg. 750,1000,2000<br />As you know from past postings everything has been replaced.<br />I would appreciate all those Mercury carb owners to reply to their motors performance. Thanks.
 

SpinnerBait_Nut

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Scorpio, I don't have one that big, but mine don't bog any. Hit the gas and it goes.
 

Scorpio

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Thanks for the response. I'd sure like to hear from others.
 

Hooty

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Have you checked the needle and seats in the carbs? If not, you might try replacing them.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty
 

Scorpio

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Hi HOOTY. Yes the carbs were looked at,adjusted and tested by a Merc. mechanic and Merc rep/trouble shooter.Lots of fuel with lots of equal pressure. Would still like to hear from those who have 4 stroke carbs. :confused: :rolleyes:
 

KeltonKrew

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

I have an 86 Merc 35 and I don't recall it bogging down. I think I'm overpitched, but that's another issue that I'll deal with next year!
 

Scorpio

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

We even tried a smaller pitch prop.That didn't improve anything.
 

Hooty

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Sounds to me like it's flooding when you hammer it.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty
 

Scorpio

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Thanks Hooty for the reply. Yes it sounds like it's flooding,but three Merc experts can't solve the problem.The Merc rep says that it is normal.<br />I really don't think it is . That's why I need the help of the forum . There's alot of knowledgeable guys out there. :confused:
 

entropy

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Jul 18, 2003
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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

I have a 2000 Mercury 40Hp 4 stroke and have had numerous problems. The engine intially would stall all the time and run poorly at low idle or trolling speed. The dealer cleaned the carbs, replaced spark plugs etc. and it ran okay for about 1 hour. Then it would start surging wildly and loose power took it back 2 more times for carb cleanings and finally a carb replacement. It performs somewhat better but still poor. Now it has problems with acceleration - you have to do it just right.<br /><br />It seems very finicky - I feel like I'm chasing my tail. The dealer can address one problem but then another appears - all seem related to fuel and carbs.<br /><br />To make a long story short I believe the 40 hp 4 strokes have a design issue that causes this boggin problem.
 

rodbolt

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Sep 1, 2003
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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

hello<br /> having worked with and on the 4 stroke motors for the past 10 years or so for honda and suzuki and yamaha and merc I have not really seen a design flaw. I see a lot of two stroke techs that just cant quite make the change to a 4 stroke. a certain amount of "bog" is normal and more pronounced at low speeds. its also called throttle lag. 4 strokes only produce a power stroke every other piston cycle not every cycle like a 2 stroke. there for they only produce a intake vacum cycle every other piston cycle. that is why 4 strokes need some type of accelerator pump system to force the mix richer during rapid throttle movements and a 2 cycle does not. before I blamed it on a motor design flaw I would have to have a session with a dyno or a test wheel at a minimum to make sure the motor made the correct power under load with a known accurate shop tachometer. you would not belive the amount of engines I work on that were never set up correctly from the factory or the dealer. remember most riggers make minimum wage and really have no training. if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.<br /> you need to find someone that has the test equipment,dyno and/or a test wheel, that can duplicate your problem while the engine is running under load. most bog problems on a 4 stroke at rapid throttle opening are lean conditions due to the fact that the intake runners are fairly large and we are just not moving a lot of fuel. that motor should have an accelerator pump or enrichment device. I am not going to hunt through all my manuals today. but it does have the circuits. have you tested fuel pressure between the pump and the carbs, and are the floats set correctly. the motor design is capeable of smooth acceleration but at low speeds and rapid throttle opening it will have some lag. <br /> good luck and keep posting
 

Clams Canino

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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

I'm with Rodbolt. Four stroke motors without an accellerator pump tend to bog if you hammer them too fast. Try feeding throttle in a little more slowly.<br /><br />-W
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

I am sure your mechanic probably checked it out but what about the electro thermal choke switch. Rodbolt, can probably say whether or not this would cause the bogging but I know it is suppose to open as the motor warms up. The stator provides power to this switch if for some reason it is not operating properly I would think it may cause a flooding situation. Maybe these other guys can answer that. If it is lacking just a little in tork then I would I agree it is just a four-stroke characteristic.
 

dilligafda

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May 13, 2003
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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Ditto rodbolt's statement with one addition. Does your dealer know that the idle mixture can be adjusted? If he doesn't, I would recommend finding a dealer that knows 4-stroke to perform this as it can be tricky. I have seen quite a few of these that come from the factory with the mixture screws set too lean. once the idle mixture is set and the carbs are properly syncronized, these engines run really well with very little "throttle lag".<br /><br />Good luck and keep us posted.
 

rschnack

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Oct 29, 2002
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Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

Last summer I bought a Smokercraft Stealth 162 with a 2001 Merc. 50 hp four stroke. It replaced an old 16' runabout with a 1970 85 hp Johnson. At first I thought the new engine bogged a little but I was comparing it to the old motor. The Johnson did not idle great for long but if you gave it a little throttle the boat would really launch quickly. The four stroke just doesn't have that quick launch like the two stroke. After playing with it a little it seems the four stroke just smoothly accelerates without the initial jump. I seem to get up to speed just as fast overall. It just doesn't seem as fast, or sound as cool. I love the new motor though. Quiet, idles nice, and uses about 1/4 the fuel compared to the old motor.<br />RCS
 

outboardguy

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Jan 16, 2004
Messages
262
Re: Mercury bogging ,is it common?

A couple of years ago I had a customer complaining of poor performance.After checking through the carb adj/synchro,timing,and everything else.Finally I found that the fuel fitting coming out of the tank was only 1/4in in diameter. After replacing the fitting the boat ran alot happier.BTW the boat was a Kayot pontoon,so if yours is one of these check the fitting.Anyway there's another thing to check that does'nt cost any money. Good Luck :D
 
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