1988 60HP ELOPT bogging down under load, cant get over 3000rpm

Well I have a new to me 1988 Magna 17 tracker and the engine was running fine. I thought i'd do some PM so I replaced the plugs..still ran great.

Then I noticed gas on my hand from the bulb developing a small crack so I replaced the primer bulb and fuel line (it was in decent shape but it was 4 years old). At this same time I pulled off the "airbox" cover and cleaned the throttle bodies with seafoam deep creep. I also placed a inline fuel filter in the new gas line. I took it out and it starts fine and will high idle fine but when put into gear wont spool up and boggs at 2500-3000 rpm. I ran it back and forth across the lake this way with no change. shut it down, fished a spot for 2 hours, started it back up, took off, still bogging down but running smooth otherwise.


I took out the fuel filter thinking I was restricting too much and it made no difference. I was told by a outboard mechanic (unseen) that it sounded like I was sucking air somewhere. I checked and rechecked and tightened every connecton in the new fuel line. Still bogging down, runs fine at idle.


I am now thinking that I may have not put the "airbox" cap back on properly? That's the only other thing I touched. but the job of that box is to pull air isin't it? Seems like that would not be it if I lined up the screws and tightened them down. Any help would be appreciated as I am still paying for this and have little funds to take this to someone. I am open to all troubleshooting suggestions.


Thanks
Sean

Well i dropped the lower end and replaced the impeller last night, the impellar was thrashed and there was a small rock in the pump housing. I guess that could havve been part of it. Still not pumping water but I'm just in the backyard trying it with muffs. I have heard with older MERc's you have to put them in the water. Anyone have any experience with that?

never had a problem using muffs. might want to do a compression check, I had one that bogged down like that it had a scored cylinder. if the casing where the impeller goes is all scratched up it will prevent the impeller from working.

gl115 said:

never had a problem using muffs. might want to do a compression check, I had one that bogged down like that it had a scored cylinder. if the casing where the impeller goes is all scratched up it will prevent the impeller from working.

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I checked the cup and plate, they were nice and smooth. Not sure how i escaped that damage with a stone in there. Ill try to check compression. Ill try to rent a kit from the auto parts store.

is the timimg advancing?

kimcrwbr1 said:

Did you have the boat on the water prior to doing the service work and did it reach proper WOT RPMS. How are you loading the boat and have you tried different trim angles. Yea do a thotrough diagnostic on the motor compression, spark gap, sync and link, fuel system. Is the double bottom water soaked is the hull and prop nice and clean. Take the time now to get to know everything you can try loading the boat different and use different trim angles. From slow speed to WOT the bow should lift up and then quickly level off. Almost sounds like you stuck in the hole. If your trimmed all the way down and the bow stays high in the water shift weight forward to hit a plane.

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So I bought the boat from my best buddy, I've fished this boat for a long time. I have had it out and run well before servicing things and it ran great. It likes 4700-5000 rpm and starts to plane at 3500-3700, but this was giving weak power AND only spooling to about 2900 rpm.


I plan on dropping the lower unit tonight, I think I may have not properly inserted the water pick up line from the pump to the upper grommet in the top of the leg. That would be the easy answer after seeing that thrashed impeller that was only 1 yr old. I plan on getting 3 sets of hands to assist and then give it a lake water test this evening. If it still runs like poo and doesn't run all the way up, ill check compression. I checked the plugs and wires, they are all good so spark is fine. I still owe this boat $800 bucks I have a bead on a good mechanic but that needs to be a last resort right now.

Well I definitely dis not have my water line attached correctly. Now all is buttoned up and looking good on the lower end. I decided to pull the plugs based on you alls advive. Check out these plugs. I have no idea what caused this to the plug on the left

Here is the picture, how do I read this? The one on the left looks galvanized and it was new this spring. It was also dry. I replaced it and water tested it. Everything running fine, thanks for all the help. I'm concerned that I am just concealing a larger issue here.

Any ideas this is an other pic from a different angle. Too hot? Too dry?

They are not 2 different kinds. I know that the coloration of the metal lends you to think that but these plugs are identical model numbers. They are OEM NGK plugs. The one on the right was the 1 year old plugs that I removed and then cleaned. The one on the left was brand new about 3 service hours ago. It was dry as a bone when pulled and you can see it is now a matte color and covered in something. Just a bad plug? The other 2 looked like the one on the right aside from the gold/silver hue of the metal.