97 Mariner 40HP Magnum

I am looking to purchase a 97

I am looking to purchase a 97 Mariner 40HP Magnum for a good price. It comes with power tilt and electric start wich is a bonus really for me. Now the guy told me that he had to replace a coil last year and ever since then the engine will not idle slow and does not have good power but will start and run fine at just above idle. He told me that a mechanic down the road recommended he replaced either the switchbox (cdi) or the stator to solve the issue. From what i could make of it it almost sounds like a bad coil making the engine run on 3 cyl or a bad ground. If the switchbox was bad would it even fire?! Could the stator cause this lack of power? I am debating between this 97 and a 93 40HP mariner with no electric start or trim for 100$ more and dont know whcih way to go. Any thoughts?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ZT

"The Magnums were really nice

"The Magnums were really nice motors and would love to have one myself.

The "not idling slow" sounds more like crud in the low speed carb jets than an ignition problem.

The "lack of power" could also be carb, fuel pump or even carbon build up issues. Could even be as simple as a new set of sparkplugs.

If a single cylinder is not firing properly that is most likely a trigger - if not firing at all, could be the trigger or the switchbox.

If the stator was to blame you would notice it accross all cylinders and if it was the low speed stator coils you wouldn't even get it to start.

The Merc ignition on both models you mention is quite durable (both use the Thunderbolt 4) and is less likely the cause than a fuel related issue.

You don't mention what the asking price is, but if the difference is only 100 bucks, I would go with the Magnum model even if you have to replace a trigger or a switchbox - the motor is well worth it if the selling price is right..."

"Could you negotiate with the

"Could you negotiate with the buyer to try these cheap fixes before laying the cash out?

If so, you'll have a better idea to the real issue. You'd hate sitting with a anchor to suit a tugboat after the seller has bought a few cases of beer, basking in the afterglow of ridding himself of your new-found heartache...

Do a comprehensive test on compression and other items before commiting either way."

well i just got back from seei

well i just got back from seeing the motor. The guy replaced a burnt coil 2 years ago and says the problem started after that. The motor starts very well and seems to smoke but he mentionned it had been fogged and never used afterwards. it would idle a bit high and when he pushed the electronic choke the engine idle would die down to normal. If you gave it throttle it doesnt seem to want to pick up rpm like it should but there was no miss firing whatsoever and even at idle it ran very smooth. I did notice the lower carb bowl was dripping leading me to beleive this motor has a carb problem. He also told me he never cleaned the carbs so i would almost bet a good cleaning would get her running back normal. the trim works great and cosmetically it is in good condition. As for price i have him down to 1100$ so i think i will pick this thing up and hope for the best.

Thanks again for all your help. It is much appreciated.

Roger

"Ya - 12 year old 40 horse, 11

"Ya - 12 year old 40 horse, 1100 bucks plus a couple of carb kits, new impeller, plugs, gear oil - even if you have a shop do it you are maybe up to 1500 or so.

A brand new 50 horse 2 stroke sells for about 4K, so even with a couple of major ignition components you would still come in well under half price of a new model.

Sounds like a deal on a motor which would typically have a 35-40 year lifespan with reasonable maintenance - after all, a 97 model means it's just getting "broken in" good..."

"check to see if you have a re

"check to see if you have a red stator or black one, the red stators are the replacemnet as the black ones had igniton issues, if it is red, then it sounds like a good tune up is needed"

"Its the red stator. im going

"Its the red stator. im going to start with the obvious gas leaking from the carb bowl. from what he knows the carbs have never been cleaned. like Graham mentionned, even if i have to dump a few bucks im still ahead of the game.

what is the performance diffrence between the mariner 40 2 cyl and the 40 4 cylinder magnum? any diffrence performance wise or just a smoother running motor at low speed?

Cheers"

"The 4 cylinders had 10% more

"The 4 cylinders had 10% more displacement than the twins, so better torque at the lower end - they get up and go better - and the all round smoother running is an added bonus."

MUCH smoother running.

Je

MUCH smoother running.

Jeff