review mercury 2 strokes?

[gazbee65]

I am thinking of buuying a new 90hp 2 stroke, does anyone have a review or preferences. mercury have a good deal for the carbed 90hp not the optimax. I don't know much about outboards so any advise would be appreciated

 

[wired247]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

They still make a carbed 2 stroke?

 

[oldman570]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

I thought that the only 2 stroke motors still made were the Optimax and all the rest had to be of the 4 stroke design because of the government standards. The older 90 HP two stroke carb motors are fairly good motors, and should be fine. Get the SR# of the motor and see if it is a new one or one that is older and may have just sat at a dealer and never was sold. Some are like this and there are some that have been used a fishing camps and have been returned to Merc and have been gone thru and refurbished to new specs. These are also sold as New motors by some dealers. JMO
Oldman570

 

[bilge rat jim]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Mercury hasn't marketed a 2 stroke 90 hp carb outboard since 2006.

 

[achris]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Mercury hasn't marketed a 2 stroke 90 hp carb outboard since 2006.

Not in the US, but in Australia, they are still available....

Gazbee65, the Merc 3 cyl carbed 90hp is a very good engine... Very reliable. I fitted one to my brothers' boat in 1996, he replaced it, with another Merc 90, in 2008.

Chris.....

 

[ondarvr]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

I have one and I like it.

 

[steelespike]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Most outboards are pretty even in quality and performance.Some designs do better at some things and not so on others.
The Evinrude Etec is a direct injection 2 stroke. They weigh about 320lbs.
There is no break in period,no service for 3 years or 300 hours.All 2 strokes have much fewer moving parts than a 4 stroke
and fewer and less complicated service intervals.

 

[gazbee65]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

ok so I brought the merc 90 get it back today, going out tonight, tomorrow the next day and maybe the day after come rain or shine. I have had withdrawals and even worse had the flattest waters/ocean for the last few weeks. bring it on.

 

[achris]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

If you bought it used, do a FULL service before you use it. You have no idea how well the previous owner kept the maintenance up (or didn't, especially once he decided to sell it :facepalm...

Full service is:-
Compression test (and record the results)
New spark plugs
Pull the fuel pump and replace the diaphragms
Drop the gearbox and service the water pump
Change the oil in the gearbox.
And finally, grease all the places that need to be greased.

Good luck.

Chris......

 

[gazbee65]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

achris
its a brand spankin shiny new merc 90, new dash and gauges, 5 year warranty and the guys at Mikes Marine in springwood went further and re-wired with no extra cost to me. woo hoo

 

[achris]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Sounds like a nice deal...

Just one thing I forgot to mention earlier... Prop towards the top-end of the range (and if you go a bit over, don't worry about it. These engines prefer to rev than lug.)

Good luck.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Those 90hp merc 2-strokes are notorious for galling cranks during the break- in period.

Just kidding----- I'm totally jealous. Congrats on a nice motor!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

The best 2 stroke carbureted 90 hp outboard used to be the Yamaha 90. Best power-to-weight ration. Not sold in the US any more. Rest of world ?

 

[achris]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

The best 2 stroke carbureted 90 hp outboard used to be the Yamaha 90. Best power-to-weight ration. Not sold in the US any more. Rest of world ?

If you liked destroyed crank bearings, yes.... And that's probably why they don't make them any more.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

What caused the crank bearing problem? I owned a 90hp yamaha ('98 model) and it was a great motor until I sold it recently along with the boat it came on. Still ran flawlessly just like new.
This is the first I've heard of a problem like this. Just curious---I'm a hobbyist only.....
JBJ

 

[theoldwizard1]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Only one thing ruins crank bearing. Lack of oil.

Many things can cause lack of oil !

 

[achris]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

Yamaha's use and 'assembled crank'. Once a bearing fries, it's trash-can the lot. I've replaced many crank/rod assemblies on Yams, and it's never been conclusive as to what has caused the problem. I've even ripped the oil injection system off a few and had the owners run pre-mix... Still had the same thing happen. One customer had twins on a tri-hull. After we re-built (at great expense) the port engine and rip the injection off both engines, a few months later he's back, with the starboard engine having done exactly the same thing. We didn't re-build this time, he had us rip the yams off and drop a single Merc 175 on... Happy camper for many years after that!

Chris.....

 

[phillnjack2]

Re: review mercury 2 strokes?

you can still buy brand new carbed 2 stroke engines in any brand !!!
if your a working fisherman it counts as commercial, and anyone can buy a commercial engine and use it even if its 2 stroke carb.
the emissions don't count for commercial use,its only recreational use that no NEW engines can be carbed.
so if you tell the marine dealer you use it for commercial use he can legally sell you a carbed engine that can smoke the place out.

personally I like the idea of the later engines technology, but the older simpler ones have a lot less to go wrong.