Merc XR6 issues

For a year or so I have had trouble with my Merc XR6. It would crank fine in the mornings in warm weather but after a stop fishing then a restart would not crank until you WOT and let it sit. Engine was flooding. Then ran like crap until it leveled out. Occasionally was getting the over heat alarm after a no wake zone and then back to cruise speed but was still pumping water. Turn off and alarm would quit and may never be heard the rest of the day.

I had all three carbs rebuilt, changed the bulb and hoses, replaced the check valve and had the fuel pump checked. I pumped the entire tanks dry.

No Ethanol free gas close by but had a feeling about it as it tends to loose octane quickly and temperature has a lot to do with it. It also burns a lot hotter.

I have a good freind with the same motor who has spent hundreds trying to get his fixed with no avail.

To make a long story short, I filled up Saturday with 89 Octane pure Gas. No problems at all. No alarms, better efficiency and ran like a raped ape.

My buddy was with me as he was fishing no boat due to his being in the shop again trying to figure it out. We saw another guy fishing in a Triton with the same motor and asked him was he having any problems with it. He pretty much gave us the same deion of his issues and I told him what all I and my buddy have done and he had done the same.

It seems like a common problem not only with this motor but others but this carberated High compression engine seems to me more sensitive to the Ethanol.

I am pretty sure this problem is now solved so if any of you are having these problems try it and let us know what comes of it.

Good fishing!

Messages from Bender, MS Gulf Coast

Damn Ethanol from 5keepers 4/17/2012 6:36:10 AM
There is no telling how much money ethanol has cost boat owners.
Why do we put up with it?

Obumer needs a "Ethanol Czar"------- from Smokin Joe 4/17/2012 6:45:32 AM
Then you would have somebody to complain to. It sounds like you have found the answer, Bender!!

Smoke

Isn't there a clause in the Constitution from Jeff Hahn 4/17/2012 8:04:10 AM
Isn't there a clause in the Constitution that says something like "the government can not deprive someone of property without just compensation." When the government invokes eminent domain to use private property for a public purpose, the land owners must be justly compensated. Isn't that what the government has done to us? It has, in effect, deprived outboard owners of time and money in repairs by forcing ethanol gas on us so that (supposedly) the US can be less dependent of foreign oil...or at least that's the excuse they've used. If so, where's our compensation? Shouldn't the government be covering the costs for our lost time and money? So, where is the ACLU? Shouldn't they be fighting for our rights?

Jeff Hahn

Hey Bender from 5keepers 4/17/2012 8:10:47 AM
I just had this question. Did you use any of the ethanol treatments like Sta-Bil marine Blue?

Told ya Ethanol Sucked! from Rangerman 4/17/2012 8:47:10 AM
and so does a goverment that pays 54 cent a gallon to the distributor to pump it, with MY TAX MONEY!

Same Problems, but... from elunde #18605 4/17/2012 2:42:00 PM
I had had the same problems with my 2004 XR6 and did a few things to get the motor back on track. Fuel lines, thermostats, plugs, and water pump - all of which were originals when I purchased the boat motor in 2010. All of these fixed the bogging down and alarms, but only minimally helped on the hard starts.

Over a little trial and error, I found a sweet spot as to where I needed to keep the motor trimmed when not running and sitting while fishing. For my motor, is was just above horizontal, which I guess prevents a vapor lock or whatever. I haven't had a hard start since.

Only once have I put E-free gasoline in my boat b/c its not readily available around here either. I actually had some funny motor stuff going on that day with e-free. I really think my motor was choking on the E-free, full on gas, and saying WTH is this stuff. I guess it was kind of like eating a big salad and drinking a bunch of water after a couple days of nothing but fast-food, pizza and booze. It tends to throw you off a bit.

It aint only on outboards from JerseyBasser 4/17/2012 4:30:16 PM
Ive got several classic cars. The Corvette is designed for super un leaded stock from the factory.It wont run on anything less and thats when gas was real. The Camaro is a built out the gills pro touring car with a small block also.(Up for sale as we speak) Both these cars I use to put Super Unleaded in and they ran fine until this ethanol crap came about. I use to drive the Camaro a good bit to local shows and just to cruise around in and scare my kids and there friends. Not now! Try anywhere from 7 to 10 bucks a gallon for racing fuel. The Camaro gets like 4 miles to the gallon,its cheaper to refill the nitrous!
Needless to say i dont take it anywhere to but 1 show that 5 miles from the house.

As far as the outboards,I had the same problem with my older Mercury. I took and filled the tank and put 2 gallons of 113 octane in it.It ran like a striped ass ape..... for a little while. Burnt a hole in all the pistons.i rebuilt it and just buy non ethanol gas.

Jeff Hahn, we use ethanol for a greener America.... from humminbird #11206 #11206 4/18/2012 9:20:44 PM
which is bull shit. The supposedly Green Jobs have cost the taxpayers billions. Can you say Solynda (sp)?

Humminbird

Humminbird...can you say... from Jeff Hahn 4/19/2012 8:12:44 AM
I can say Solyndra. Can you say Shinola? Cause some folks don't know the difference between $hit and Shinola or they wouldn't believe the nonsense the government is feeding us about ethanol!

Jeff Hahn

Here's some help for those I mentioned above from Jeff Hahn 4/19/2012 8:14:30 AM

for not knowing sh*t from MikeF 4/19/2012 8:47:54 AM
For not knowing sh*t there are sure a lot of greenies full of it. If you have to subsidize and legislate the crap out of a product to make people use it MAYBE it's just a bad idea wrapped in green paper.

Belive Me! from Rangerman 4/21/2012 7:47:10 PM
I ran Ring Free Yammie, and started with he Blue Marine Stabile once the Ethanol deal atarted. Did all the right deal and the Ole Merc blew all to hell. Once torn down it was Ethanol. I assure you I did the deal, but Da Big E KIlled my motor. All the snake oil or the planet earth will not keep Ethanol from killing a motor. Four Stroke or
two stoke. It SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! AND so does our goverment that pays to pump it!!!!!!!!!

Follow up from Bender, MS Gulf Coast 4/22/2012 6:48:18 AM
My Buddy that has the same motor and was experiening the same problem fished a tournament yesterday after draining the Ethanol from his tanks and putting in 89 Octane real Gasoline also experienced NO problems from his Merc. He said it ran perfectly all day from start to finish. So, After me spending close to 600 bucks and him almost a thousand with repeated trips to Merc shop and two different mechanics, old Bender the Reel tech, has figured it out over a Cigar and a Beer. Total Cost...... Bout 5 bucks.

enjoy from RJR 4/22/2012 6:54:20 PM
life is good sometimes.

We need to get rid of from Rangerman 5/4/2012 8:29:21 AM
Ethanol and Obamacare at the same time.

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