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2 stroke swap for 4 stroke

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hdjimmy93

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I have a Mercury 2010 50 hp 2 stroke.. I also have a 2004 Mercury 60 hp 4 stroke motor I want to switch motors on my boats. Both motors are remote control.. Will the controls/wiring harness.... switch for both motors? will I need a harness adaptor ? what if any pitfalls should I expect ??
 
If memory serves me right, the 2004 60hp 4 stroke has the same wiring harness and controls as all the other Mercury outboards. If you aren't sure, post pictures of your current wiring harness, and pictures of where the wiring harness connects to the outboard you wish to swap out.
 
What is the remote control you are using? If a Quicksilver 2000 or 3000 they have 8 pin circular connectors with pins powered, looking at the remote cable male connections:

5 o'clock position, pin 1, Black/yellow stripe: Ground to trigger modules to kill engine when ign switch is in off position.
3 """"""""""""""""""pin 2, Purple, switched 12v. Only on when ignition switch is on or start
1 pin 3, Tan with light blue stripe, OT or OIL alarm ground if a problem
12 pin 4, Black, system ground tied to battery - terminal
11 pin 5, Grey, tach pulse signal
9 pin 6, yellow/black stripe, fuel enrichment solenoid used in starting engine.
7 pin 7, yellow/red stripe, power to starting solenoid
Center pin 8, Red, battery power to ignition switch.
 
Texasmark said:
What is the remote control you are using? If a Quicksilver 2000 or 3000 they have 8 pin circular connectors with pins powered, looking at the remote cable male connections:

5 o'clock position, pin 1, Black/yellow stripe: Ground to trigger modules to kill engine when ign switch is in off position.
3 """"""""""""""""""pin 2, Purple, switched 12v. Only on when ignition switch is on or start
1 pin 3, Tan with light blue stripe, OT or OIL alarm ground if a problem
12 pin 4, Black, system ground tied to battery - terminal
11 pin 5, Grey, tach pulse signal
9 pin 6, yellow/black stripe, fuel enrichment solenoid used in starting engine.
7 pin 7, yellow/red stripe, power to starting solenoid
Center pin 8, Red, battery power to ignition switch.
Click to expand...

The 2010 boat harness has the round pin harness it goes to the motor harness w/same connector as the 2004 motor ,, using an adaptor cable 84-896539A01 to plug from boat harness into the motor harness. .. My thoughts are it should just plug and play ?? The remote controller is the same on both boats.
 

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hdjimmy93 said:
The 2010 boat harness has the round pin harness it goes to the motor harness w/same connector as the 2004 motor ,, using an adaptor cable 84-896539A01 to plug from boat harness into the motor harness. .. My thoughts are it should just plug and play ?? The remote controller is the same on both boats.
Click to expand...

Easy enough. Look at the connections and see if they mate. Look at the color codes and see if you have the same color wires connecting. Probably a walk in the park. Controls are made to fit a multitude of engines. Main current Merc/Quicksilver connections are 8 pin and they only have the 2000 on bulkhead mount and 3000 in bulkhead mount for general usage that I know of.

Mark
 
Texasmark said:
Easy enough. Look at the connections and see if they mate. Look at the color codes and see if you have the same color wires connecting. Probably a walk in the park. Controls are made to fit a multitude of engines. Main current Merc/Quicksilver connections are 8 pin and they only have the 2000 on bulkhead mount and 3000 in bulkhead mount for general usage that I know of.

Mark
Click to expand...
I will check it out over the weekend.. THANKS for the in-put ! Also what is the recommended cavitation height? my boat has a very deep V and w/the 50 hp my trim angle is very limited ? it is mounted all the way down on the transom. Jimmy
 
just curious but why are you swapping?i am running a 60 merc 4 stroke and if i needed any torgue on the high end i would be out of luck..and if you are looking for improved gas mileage forget it unless you are willing to run at 4200 rpm or lower..that new 60 at 5500 uses more gas than a 2 stroke 90 evinrude that i took off...
 
Gotta tweak the recipe to get the right answer. All things are up for grabs. You said you have a complicated hull at the transom. That requires a different recipe than a John boat which mine is, sorta, stepped aluminum hull but flat for 4 steps.

Mark
 
papyson said:
just curious but why are you swapping?i am running a 60 merc 4 stroke and if i needed any torgue on the high end i would be out of luck..and if you are looking for improved gas mileage forget it unless you are willing to run at 4200 rpm or lower..that new 60 at 5500 uses more gas than a 2 stroke 90 evinrude that i took off...
Click to expand...

That is really an interesting piece of information. I sorta suspected such, and the relationship with auto engine 4 strokes but this remark really firms it up.

Mark
 
papyson THANKS ! you reminded me of the motors weaknesses... for instance.. I have on the 60 4 stroke the SAME prop I had on my "40 hp" 4 stroke Yamaha a 10.375X13.. turning it about 5900 WOT..... sounds crazy a 60 hp using the same prop as a 40 hp ??? pushing the boat the SAME speed.. HELLO the 60 just don't do it.. ! ! duh I ordered a NEW 75 hp OptiMax.. subject closed.
 
Smart move!

So far (and this could change) the 4 strokes are heavy, gutless at mid-range, and maintenance intensive. Furthermore, an Optimax will get similar gas mileage.

Jeff

PS: I was waiting with baited breath for someone to trash the 4 strokes!
 
I don't know anything about them to trash the OB's. However I had a friend and drove his 55 Homelite back when it was new. Really quiet and smooth. It was a good match for his 15' fiberglass boat that was pretty light for FG....boats of the period.

Having come up through the 2 stroke fuel enhance engineering advances, and having had an I/O with it's fuel efficiency (and related problems), I too feel that the advances of the former far outweigh the so called benefits of the 4 stroke and inboard engine. I have my current engine as proof and it's not even fuel injected or computer controlled.

Mark.
 
The 4 strokes do have their place (tow vehicles for one :)).

I don't like them for the most part on outboards for a number of reasons. The biggest being the marine industry never educated the consumer as to how different they are from the two strokes that they sold for years. They flog the benefits, and to give them their due, there are a few, but they failed to really drive home that they are "not 2 strokes" and you can't treat them like one. They "need" regular, meticulous maintenance whether or not they get used and the maint schedule is "not a guideline", it's the minimum that should be done.

Yes, at idle through mid-rpms 4 strokes are quieter and far more fuel efficient than a 2 stroke (even the direct injected models), but above 3500'ish rpms they guzzle just as much gas and they are just as loud.

This makes them "ideal" for applications that involve alot of trolling, running in speed restricted waters, etc - not for the "2 speed applications" of most consumers. (hang around a public launch - you will get the impression outboards have only 2 speeds - idle and full throttle).

They are almost always heavier. A 4 stroke has upwards of 200 more parts in a powerhead compared to a 2 stroke - that not only adds weight, it adds a pile of parts that can/will "fail".

The cost of an oil change (oil and filter) is usually equal to the cost of a jug of 2 stroke oil for the "average boater" - in fact, many 2 stroke owners don't use a whole jug of oil per season, you must do an oil change on a 4 stroke regardless.

They are "cleaner" says the sales man - but an Opti (2 stroke DFI) is CARB 3 rated and that Verado (supercharged 4 stroke) is only CARB 2 rated - they usually frown at that point and move on to fuel numbers.

They do not have the torque curve of a two stroke - half their "strokes" are not producing any power, they are "stealing" power that would go to the prop on a 2 stroke. That gives then a poorer hole shot, so if you use the boat for water sports, you either live with it or strap on a bigger motor to try and get the required performance.

I have never had to adjust the valves on my 2 strokes - after the first season of use you absolutely should have the valves adjusted on a 4 stroke (dealer doesn't mention that when trying to sell it). And it's this kind of thing that bothers me and ultimately leads to piles of scrapped 4 strokes that are "young" (way under 10 years old).

They sell them with "easy payment terms" without disclosing - "hey, this isn't dads/granddads motor" - you are either going to have to do "x,y,z" yourself or bring it to a dealer on an annual basis. If you bring it in it will run you 200-300 bucks a visit - AND if you don't, you will have a pile of scrap in very short order... (not exactly a selling point).

And to cut my rant, I will only make two more points on this thread -

The 60 horse model being discussed here is made in China - ok, it's Merc's own plant but don't think they flew all the workers in (or the parts for that matter, which according to their own documents, are sourced from Asia).

The Opti is made in Japan.

Some of us here are old enough to remember when everything you picked up had that little "made in Japan" sticker somewhere on it (much like the made in China tags today).

What most of us never thought at the time was, that we would ever live to see the day that the "made in Japan" label would be an indicator of a "quality" product. Given the current climate, we now seek that source.....
 
For "ME"................... yes ! ! as stated before, anything after midrange power is poor at best.. NOT even to mention the hole shot...UGH
 
I'm not saying they "suck" but they are a maintenance intensive motor and that point is not (advertised) by the mfg's.

These motors want to run "all the time" - you don't have trouble with your car but it runs just about every day.

We treat our outboards quite differently.

Here's a little piece that illustrates what I'm saying -

Say you parked your car in the driveway the weekend after labour day. Don't do anything in prep, just park it and what the heck - leave the hood open a bit.

Now, the first nice weekend in May of the following year get out and start it up - you might need a boost, but otherwise, do no prep if you can get it to start.

Then put it in gear and give it just enough gas to keep it going. At idle speed limp down to the nearest highway on ramp then floor it for the next 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes shut it off for an hour, then start it up and floor it all the way home. Park it in the drive and leave it until the 4th of July weekend and repeat the process.

How long do you think the vehicle would last???

Sound ridiculous? That's how most boat owners treat their outboards - no prep, no maint, put it in at the launch, idle to the channel, then full throttle to the fishing spot. Fish for an hour or so and then full throttle back to the dock...

A two stroke will "stand for that", a four stroke turns into scrap...
 
Brilliant explanation! Just goes to show you how good 2 strokes really are.

Jeff

PS: Mind if I post this a John's Old Merc site?
 
galamb said:
I'm not saying they "suck" but they are a maintenance intensive motor and that point is not (advertised) by the mfg's.

These motors want to run "all the time" - you don't have trouble with your car but it runs just about every day.

We treat our outboards quite differently.

Here's a little piece that illustrates what I'm saying -

Say you parked your car in the driveway the weekend after labour day. Don't do anything in prep, just park it and what the heck - leave the hood open a bit.

Now, the first nice weekend in May of the following year get out and start it up - you might need a boost, but otherwise, do no prep if you can get it to start.

Then put it in gear and give it just enough gas to keep it going. At idle speed limp down to the nearest highway on ramp then floor it for the next 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes shut it off for an hour, then start it up and floor it all the way home. Park it in the drive and leave it until the 4th of July weekend and repeat the process.

How long do you think the vehicle would last???

Sound ridiculous? That's how most boat owners treat their outboards - no prep, no maint, put it in at the launch, idle to the channel, then full throttle to the fishing spot. Fish for an hour or so and then full throttle back to the dock...

A two stroke will "stand for that", a four stroke turns into scrap...
Click to expand...

This is some good verbiage man. Pretty well sums it up.

Mark
 
Go ahead Jeff, post away.

I wouldn't have half the issue with 4 strokes if the mfgs/dealers would simply tell the truth.

Yes, at low to mid rpms they do burn less gas than 4 strokes.

At full throttle they burn just as much and are just as loud (at least db wise - some say the sound is "different")

They cost more to maintain than the average 2 stroke for the "average" owner.

An oil change and filter for a 4 stroke used say 100 hours a year will be more expensive than the 2 stroke oil you would burn for the same 100 hours whether mixed or injected.

The cost for the dealer to service your motor once a year will equal at least two of those "easy monthly payments" that attracted you to the boat/motor package in the first place.

And finally, NO, the service schedule is NOT a recommendation, it's the MINIMUM that you want to do unless you want a pile of scrap in 5 years (which would still leave you with 5 more years of those easy payments).
 
Many of the newer motors that I own are indeed good looking 4 strokes.-------Deemed too expensive to repair after hitting rocks or running with little oil in the sump.------Seems the folks who say that mixing gas and oil for a 2 stroke is too much bother are also the ones who jump in the boat and never check the dipstick on the 4 strokes.
 
Yes, that certainly seems to be the care - it's just now the 4 stroke doesn't "forgive" if you treat it like your "mother in law" :)
 
If doing your own service work is a problem.-------And if the supply of money is not a problem.---Then a 4 stroke may be a very good option.
 
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