8HP 2-stroke Mercury.......maximum timing adjustment -- ???

It's a 1998. I've noticed that the control lever (the part that the timing link connects to) doesn't come near the maximum-timing-adjustment screw when the engine is put in forward and W.O.T. (the engine is not running). It stops shy.....might move a little more from engine vibration (if the engine were running). The engine runs fine and the adjustment screw has NEVER been changed. I see the same thing on other 8HP 2-stroke Mercury. So, what's the point in trying to set the maximum spark advance to 36 degrees BTDC, if the engine timing never gets that far?? Is this something that only applies to the 9.9HP or 15HP models??

I would suspect, that if you have owned the motor from "new" that the dealer never did the "prep" which was included in the purchase price.

You need to put a timing light on it, with the motor running at WOT (ideally in a test tank, but alternately, on the trailer at the boat launch (because trying to fiddle with the timing running at WOT is just crazy), and then adjusting the screw until your max timing actually is 36 degrees. At this point there is no way of knowing what your actual max timing is..