opinions on what to do to motor ...

bsteckel · #1 12-21-2008, 06:57 PM

well, i did buy a 1989 mariner 150 for my project .. it is a 2.0. did compression tests and all are fine. i have the motor on a stand in the garage. over the winter, i would like to get the motor ready to install on my bracket in the spring.

my question is, what are the things i should replace as preventative maintenance on this motor. i already see the plug wires do not look the greatest, and the cooling hose looks old.

those of you who know these older merc motors, what should i plan on changing so that everything is a-ok for some time to come once i get this thing on the water? would like to do everything now before i install it.

as always, thanks in advance.

Brad

phatdaddy · #2 12-21-2008, 07:33 PM

i'm sure the more knowledgeable motorheads will chime in, but will it run now? if so,i would just change the foot oil & water pump assy w/ housing. if not running now & you have compression, check the fire on each cyl. if each cyl fires, then go through the carbs. when you get it running, its gonna be hard to tell how good till you get it mounted and a load on it. not sure if a 89 had it, but do you still have the oil; injection on it. if so, make sure all of the rubber components are in good shape, this system relies on crankcase pressure to charge the remote tank and push the oil to the pump on the side of the block. a lot of the guys on here will tell you to abandon it and premix, I'm running a 94 with the original set up for 1400 hours so far. the only downside is when it fails, it is usually catastrophic

spareparts · #3 12-21-2008, 07:52 PM

what phatdaddy said. Put a water pump in(do the whole housing and base), while you are stareing at it, you might as well replace the shift shaft seal assembly, it takes a special tool, if you don't wan't to tackle it, see if you can find a mechanic to replace it for you, if its in good shape, it doesn't take long. After that, the only seals you should have to worry about is the prop shaft seals. Pull the prop and look at them, if they don't look good, then have them replaced. Pull the carbs and go thru them, rebuild or replace the fuel pump(some times its cheap to replace it), replace all the fuel lines. Not knowing the history of the engine, I would ditch the oil injection. replace the thermostats and the poppet valve. Its rare for the spark plug wires to break down, they are solid core wire, clean up the insulation, if it still looks bad, replace them, check the terminal ends of the wires, clean them up, put some dielectric grease on them, check the grounds on the coils. get a new set of plugs but don't install them yet. this spring when you are ready to get it going, run it up to temp in the water, check the linkages and timing( i would drop the total back 2 degrees to tolerate the crappy fuel we have) do a heavy decarb using power tune, run the snot out of it, bring it back and them put the fresh plugs in it. After all this, you should be good to go. This is exactly what I plan to do to my 200 when I get to the engine part of my V, its going to be a while, so I will probably do it last. If you get too cold with it up there, bring to Charleston and I'll do it

bsteckel · #4 12-21-2008, 07:54 PM

thanks for the quick reply. i did not have the motor running, but was told it was running when removed from the prior boat it was on. the owner repowered with a new 4 stroke.

the motor does have the oil injection still installed and i think i would prefer to keep it on and working rather than premix.

i thought plugs and water pump need to be replaced right off the bat. also will do plug wires as the ones on it do not look real good.

also coolant hose and themostats would probably be a good idea.

what is a poppet valve? i have read something about them before ?????

bsteckel · #5 12-21-2008, 07:59 PM

spare ... may take you up on that offer ..

getting pretty cold here in the Pocono Mts. of PA ... snow is nice, but in a few months, i will be tired of it. :)

how hard are the carbs to do on these motors? i have only fooled with single carbs on cars, tractors, 4 wheelers .. never messed with multiple carb setups before...

phatdaddy · #6 12-21-2008, 09:09 PM

B, one thing that often overlooked is the small spaghetti tubes that run all over the block. there are check valves in the nipples and the tubes are bad about splitting and leaking, might want to give them a good looking over also. i think the worst thing you can do is not use a 2 stroke, from a weedeater to a 200 hp outboard. they love to run & drink gas. the only thing i have done to mine is a waterpump every year, but i use it 45 weekends out of a year.

THEFERMANATOR · #7 12-21-2008, 10:15 PM

Like stated above already. Also when you do the water pump, do the whole pump with the base assembly. Many overlook the base, and this is a problematic area with letting water into the foot. On a MERC the oil injection is disater waiting to happen. I pondered keeping it on mine, but after some asking around I ditched it. The plastic crank gears are too prone to breaking after they get to be 10-12 years old. If you are gonna keep it, make sure the alarm system is working properly ESPESCIALLY the magnetic pick-up for the oil pump drive alarm. Look over the stator and power packs for signs of the potting material for damage. The potting material in them likes to get soft and runny over the years and expose the internal circuits.

randlemanboater · #8 12-22-2008, 07:37 AM

Wow, that will keep you busy til spring.

bsteckel · #9 12-22-2008, 05:34 PM

randleman .. you are right . but better to do it in the garage than have a problem out on the water with 3 kids with me !!!!

i appreciate you guys telling me what to look for. the experience on this board is really great, especially when this is your first boat project.

keep the comments coming!!!!

reelapeelin · #10 12-23-2008, 09:21 AM

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...key=SiteSearch

Click on the above link...look it over and for $3.49 it'll save ya a LOT of grief and $$$...

Like Therm said, the gears that move the oil in that system are PLASTIC and WILL FAIL in time...when they do, as he said, you just TOASTED yer motor and everything else you did to it just went out the window...not to mention the problem you may encounter by being at sea far from the ramp W/ 3 KIDS when the motor goes "snap-crackle-POP!!

Not having to mix oil in is a convenience, no doubt, but the little bottle above makes it a no-brainer and EASY to do...trust us on this one...