At wits end with 50hp Merc 4 stroke carb problems

" I'm ready to throw in th

" I'm ready to throw in the towel.

I have a carbureted 50hp Merc 4 stroke (the first year it came out, not sure what year though) on a 17ft Glaspar. I need to slow troll at 800 rpms.

The motor ran well for a few years then started to miss. 3 tune-ups by merc certified techs at reputable shops did not fix the problem. Finally they dialed into a carb problem (I thought this was it from the start but they didn't listen) and rebuilt all 4 last year at considerable expense. Well worth it if it fixes the problem.

It was ok for 4 trips then started acting up again. So I bought harth drogues last month to slow the troll speed allowing the outboard to operate at 1400 rpms.

Now it has gone in the dumper again. The techs that rebuilt it say I need to rebuild the carbs again. It's running too rich. They say a rebuilt carb is as good as new but it doesn't make sense to me so I asked them price replacement carbs. They just don't seem to ever be the same after rebuilds in my humble opinion.

What should I do? The gas was a bit old but has an in line water separator. Fuel filters were replaced with the last service.

Am I throwing good money after bad or can this problem really be fixed?

Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

Rick "

Did they use a mamometer to s

Did they use a mamometer to set the carbs?

" Tom,

Not sure what a mam

" Tom,

Not sure what a mamometer is but if it checks the pressure from carb to carb the answer is yes. The tech advised after the last carb rebuild that he cannot get it dialed in any better. My impression was the proper diagnostic tools were used.

Does that help?

Thanks for the response "

" It is also called a carb tun

" It is also called a carb tuner. It actually measures intake mainfold vacuum on the carbs.Carbs usually can be rebuilt many times, as long as they are not cracked or corroded. The technician should be able to show you just what in the carb is causing the problem. What is the serial# of your motor? "

" Tom,

The serial # is: 0G

" Tom,

The serial # is: 0G-722717. Engine model # is 1F50412VD.

Thank you again..........

Rick "

" Rick,

When you say that t

" Rick,

When you say that the gas was a bit old, it leads me to believe that the engine was laid up for a while. If the fuel system was not properly prepared for the lay off, it could easily cause trouble in the carbs. The carbs are vented and this will allow fuel to evaporate, leaving sticky deposits behind. It doesn't take very much to clog the low speed jets, or interfere with the proper functioning of the inlet valve.

Carbs can be rebuilt, as Tom has said, but if they are very bad it can be tough to get everything cleaned up. Frequently the fuel hoses, filter, pump, etc. are just as gummed up as the carbs. A mechanic can easily miss something, and then when you start using the engine the carbs can get fouled up again.

Tony "

" Rick...These motors had a fe

" Rick...These motors had a few problems and recalls,were they done? The motor you have is designed to idle at 850rpm in neutal so if the idle is to low it may not run correctly if the oil pump is not pumping oil suffiently. Also check youe oil level to make sure correct. I agree that these carbs can be fussy and properly cleaned and maintained will last forever. The recalls I refer to are probably not stiil active but you should look into it with your dealer to make sure they were done as I know one involved fuel pump replacement,could be helpfull in the diagnosis...DJ "

"DJ,

Arghhh......just picke

"DJ,

Arghhh......just picked the boat up today. They cleaned the carbs again and tuned them. Also replaced all the fluids so they are fine. Ran it immediately once home and it idles at about 900 rpm but she's not smooth at all. Not like when I first got her. It seems the computer wants to kick in from time to time and increase the rpms.

I did not receive any recalls and no upgrades were performed. It makes sense that some would occur given it was new technology and these types of things are inevitable.

Do I have any recourse now if the recalls are not active? One would assume the "Merc Certified" shop(s) would be aware of these types of things as a matter of routine to ensure quality service.

I've easily spent $2,000 on maintenance on this engine and it still is not right.

Any advise is GREATLY APPRECIATED. I have no problem running with this. I am the director of customer service for a public company and know good people will do the right thing to support a quality product when exceptions occur. Something is not right here.

Thank You!!!!!!!!!

You can email me directly at [email protected]

Rick"

" MERC CERTIFIED MEANS NOTHING

" MERC CERTIFIED MEANS NOTHING!!!!! sorry if i offend ACTUAL TECHS THAT GO TO SCHOOL, The mercury dealer in town is PLATNIM PLUS CERTIFIED BY MERCURY AND SO IS ALL THEIR TECHS AND I KNOW FIRST HAND THE MECHANICS HAVENT HAD ANY TRAINING FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS!!!! If she is out of warantee go find a different shop that has access to the diagnostic tools that isnt afiliated with MERC and I bet that she will be fixed right the first time.

Money
Exiting wallet
Repair shop
Counting on
Unnecessarily
Returned outboards
Yearning for repair

the MERCURY repair shop moto

little story rick a customer i know of while working at a mercury dealer had your same OB model, spent as much as a new OB in repair to the dealer all because the person who rigged the boat set the tach to a 2 cylinder rather than a 3 cylinder and put a 6" to large of pitch prop on it!!!! the little " OOPS" cost 3 powerheads (OUT OF WARRANTEE) due to "engine bogging" 2 lower units, 6 sets of carbs, 5 cylinder heads , multiple exhaust and intake valves that got bent and several burnt pistons. all in all about $9000 over and above the cost of the engine... I found the problem as a LOT ATTENDANT when i was hooking up his boat the last time i worked there.. 19'boat with a 50 hp bigfoot and a 21p prop... not quite... changed the tach to 3 cylinder mode bolted on a 14p prop and as far as i know he hasnt been back with any problems... moral is THE SERVICE DEP ISNT AS GOOD AS THEY CLAIM... I QUIT THAT DAY AND HAVEN'T BEEN BACK!!! "

" Rick...I don't agree wit

" Rick...I don't agree with Nick and yes I think he has offended a few of us. I will admit that not all tech's are as good as others but I also belong to a Platnuim dealer and must keep up my schooling to maintain my certification. You may consider another dealer but I still think another Merc dealer is your best bet if you change dealers. If you have access to a fax I can send you copies of the updates that should have been done, they may or may not help but it cannot hurt to have them. PS. need ser# of motor. Phone 1 905 835 1774 ask for Dave in service...DJ "