How To Clean Carburetor On 90 Hp Mercury

Author	Topic: Mercury ninety-HP FOURSTROKE Carburetor Repair Bill
Ferryman	posted 03-02-2008 ten:25 AM ET (U.s.a.) I only got the bill from the local Mercury dealer to remove the carburetors from my 2004 Mercury 90HP, strip and reassemble with new gaskets, o-rings, diaphragms, etc. I collected the carburetor bodies and put them through my ultrasonic cleaning tank prior to him re-assembling them. He changed the oil and filter and so fogged the engine. Total cost including parts and revenue enhancement etc was equivalent to $ane,200-US. I did non have the fourth dimension to deport out the work myself
jimh	posted 03-02-2008 11:03 AM ET (US) Thanks for the information on the price of the service to rebuild the carburetors on your Mercury 90-HP FOURSTROKE motor. There take been quite a few reports of problems with the carburetors on the Mercury xc-HP FOURSTROKE motor in prior articles. I do not call back seeing anyone cite the cost of repair, so this is proficient information to have available.
Kingsteven18	posted 03-02-2008 11:06 AM ET (US) Ferryman: You should use Berryman! http://world wide web.berrymanproducts.com/Default.aspx?tabid=140
elaelap	posted 03-02-2008 11:18 AM ET (US) Note that ferryman paid this bill in pounds, and is discussing the 'equivilent' cost in USD. The GBP--the British pound--is at present worth ii U.South. dollars, and a Euro costs just most $1.52. This is great news for me and my wife, who get out tomorrow on an extended voyage which includes an almost-three month stay in Europe ;-) Timing is everything. Tony
dbrown	posted 03-02-2008 02:46 PM ET (The states) I thought simply the newest Mercury four stroke engines were being designated FOURSTROKE. Very confusing.. Running an additive such every bit Berrymans should aid with the gumming up. A fuel stabilizer is also a must for extended storage..
L H G	posted 03-02-2008 02:53 PM ET (United states) You lot should send that beak to Yamaha. Information technology'due south their product.
jimh	posted 03-02-2008 03:41 PM ET (US) Post-obit that aforementioned sort of logic, Yamaha would have to send it to Mikuni, who made the carburetor. So Mikuni would send information technology to British Petroleum, who fabricated the gasoline. British Petroleum would then send it to the retailer who allowed the fuel to become contaminated. And then on. For a long, sad saga of carburetor problems with the Mercury xc-HP FOURSTROKE motor, run into Mercury 90-HP Iv-stroke Unreliable; Carburetor Problems http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/009067.html Mercury ninety-HP Iv-Stroke: Carburetor Problems http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/009936.html 2004 170 Montauk 4 stroke carburetor problems http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/002726.html
BlueMax	posted 03-02-2008 04:sixteen PM ET (US) When I receieved my 2007 170MT with Mercury 90hp FOURSTROKE, the caput of maintenance at MarineMax Wilmington (NC) brash me to Always use Stabil in my fuel. He says this would status the engine to its presence too as reduce any h2o and gumming or fouling that may occur from "bad" or older gasoline. He advised farther that this would also reduce chance or instances of gumming in engine and fuel lines when boat is not in apply for extended periods (anywhere from iii weeks on). I accept put the proper proportional amount of Stabile in every tank of gas I fill and accept used since buy based upon that advice. Hopefully that will avoid expensive 'routine' maintenance costs over the life of the engine. On some other subject - elaelap - how is having your coin be worth less and paying twice as much for everything good news? Did yous stock upwardly on Euros for the trip when they were on a ane-to-ane ratio? (And are at that place for fifty% ahead of the game today?). Anyway, fair winds and enjoy.
jimh	posted 03-02-2008 04:33 PM ET (US) I find it somewhat ironic that in social club to keep some engines running yous take to add rather expensive ingredients to the fuel. This drives upward the price of the fuel. I of the principal advantages of these newer engines is supposed to be a reduction in fuel utilize, peradventure a 30-percent savings in fuel. But if you have to md the fuel with additives that raise the fuel price past 30-percent, what exercise y'all save?
lakeman	posted 03-02-2008 05:xiv PM ET (US) Hope not to steal a topic simply. I'm certain that at that place are many skilful products on the market to help keep Carbs and DFI,s clean, but I can adjure to one that has done well for my Optimax. It is Pri-Thou, I just got dorsum from a fishing trip and about 40+ gallons in my 60 Gallon tank was over 1.5 years old, and the other was over six months old and with Pri-Chiliad help the motor ran perfectly, great news for a 2000 engine.
HuronBob	posted 03-02-2008 05:44 PM ET (US) jimh... were we to always run fresh fuel, this wouldn't exist a trouble, blaming the need for additives on the engine is a bit odd, the trouble is the fuel, moisture, time, etc., non the engine. I've yet to buy a gallon of gas where they told me it was guaranteed to stay fresh for half dozen months, or a twelvemonth, or a year and a half...if my usage is such, it is up to me to assure I'm treating the fuel appropriately. And, jim, similar you said in that first thread you linked to "I know it is frustrating, but if all the mechanics keep telling you that the problem is bad fuel, possibly that really is the problem." My feel, with all types of gas powered engines, has been that, if I bargain with the gas responsibly, I exercise not end up with carb bug...when I become lazy, don't treat the gas, allow it sit too long...and then I pay the price...
elaelap	posted 03-02-2008 05:49 PM ET (US) No, BlueMax, information technology is certainly not practiced news to be making an extended stay in Europe with the Euro at an all time loftier against the dollar, and looking to continue climbing. The last time nosotros were over there was in 2004, when well-nigh 80 U.S. cents bought a Euro (the British pound cost about $ane.80 back then). That means that my dollar is now only worth about 60% of what it was back then against the Euro. I've traveled a bang-up deal over the by forty years or and then, and lived abroad for a full of several years. I've never seen the American dollar this anemic, and it looks like it's gonna get worse before it gets ameliorate. Oh well, our fearless leader reassured united states of america virtually the economy yesterday. "What, me worry?", he said, or something simply as inane. Tony
fourdfish	posted 03-02-2008 06:10 PM ET (US) Tony-- please have a good fourth dimension and don't worry well-nigh the value of the dollar or annihilation else. Life is short!!! The wife and I are thinking most a smaller but similar trip in the fall!
BlueMax	posted 03-02-2008 08:08 PM ET (US) Elaelap - Didn't think and then but was just curious if your 'great news' comment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek or because you lot and the Mrs had the foresight to plan the trip early and buy currency ahead of the curve of current arrears - thus putting yourselves "ahead of the game" and then to speak. Meanwhile - back on topic - I have to agree with HuronBob that the reason for using additivies is non due to the lack of engine quality, but to protect the engine from a lack of fuel quality. Since for the most office, boat engines may not run as often every bit needed (i.e. daily), the gas may have a tendancy to go stale (particularly if yous have a big tank). Also, there is no garauntee that the gas you purchased today at the station/marina is fresh. With the size of holding tanks yous are always mixing older with newer regardless - and who knows what quality of fuel deposition your engine may have to debate with. Add together to information technology the on-agaion-off-agian use of most recreational boaters, it is simply a skillful idea to keep something in the tanks and lines to protect from fuel degradation. I retrieve of using the Stabil equally more of a preventative maintenance mensurate for protection of investment. "An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure..." Tony - Safe and Happy travels, looking forward to the stories... and the pictures(!). :-) Wishing you All the all-time. Enjoy.\\Andy
bigjohn1	posted 03-02-2008 08:52 PM ET (US) Is this a ninety "FOURSTROKE" or "fourstroke" model? I thought Mercury took care of this in after models?
boatdryver	posted 03-02-2008 10:27 PM ET (US) To followup on what BlueMax states in his 2d paragraph, that the primary problem hither appears to periods of be exceptional use of these carbureted four stroke outboards with small carburetor jets by many of us, hither's a summary of an annex to the Honda owner's manual I was given by the previous possessor when I bought a classic Montauk with a near new Honda BF 90 (carbureted) on it: ......Words to the outcome that commercial users who utilise their motors daily may get years or never have any problems like this. It goes on to recommend that for lay-upwards periods upward to a certain length, upwardly to near 2 months simply regular utilise of fuel stabilizer is plenty, with no special procedures. With lay-upwards of , say 3 months or longer, drainage of the carburetors is recommended. For me, I'chiliad lucky to live where the gunkhole is stored for the winter and so I just always use Sta-bil and hook up the hose and start the motor each month during layup and allow it run for 15 minutes. (No ice here :) Then far, no problems in two winters. Pitiful, I'm non where I can review the Honda insert to quote its exact recommendations. I just wanted to echo what BlueMax says. This is not just a Mercaha problem. We've had reports on this site of similar problems from Florida "snowbird" folks who accept to leave their motors unused for half-dozen months at a fourth dimension. This posting is valuable equally it states the highest expense I call back to address this problem. JimL
jimh	posted 03-02-2008 11:51 PM ET (The states) I know the fuel has gotten worse--at least it seems like it has--merely the problems seem to take been increased by the nature of this particular motor. Information technology has iv carburetors. Now on a 2-cycle motor it is only about mandatory that you have a carburetor for each cylinder, but on a four-cycle it is not. This motor could have been produced with fewer carburetors. And that might have made the idle jets larger, which might have helped with this trouble of clogged up passages in the carburetors. I don't think it is fair to blame it all on the gasoline. The betoken I was making virtually the additives is that yous generally don't have to feed a two-stroke that sort of nutrition. So fifty-fifty if the two-stroke burns more than gasoline, if y'all're not adding $12-a-canteen additives to every tank you might relieve money. I throw a can of something in the tank once in a while, but not every tankful.
WT	posted 03-03-2008 01:26 AM ET (Usa) I had a 2004 carbureted 90 hp four stroke on my 170 Montauk. I used the gunkhole year circular averaging 100 hours per twelvemonth. My feeling is, if one has to use additives in order for your outboard to run correctly, it was not engineered correctly. My Boston Whaler dealer rebuilt my carburetors twice at no cost to me. They billed Mercury as a warranty item. I at present have a 90 hp Mercury EFI, the one with the aforementioned block as the Verados. Expert luck with your motor. Warren
lakeman	posted 03-03-2008 06:29 AM ET (Usa) When considering the potential toll of repairs to Carbs, and fuel track and injectors on the dfi models, the cost to treat approximately 250 gallons of fuel with what I use, Pri-G is most $xviii dollars, seems like a good bargain or insurance policy against potential problems. Mercury and Yamaha have there ain products for these problems discussed here just they are expensive.
Binkie	posted 03-03-2008 06:46 AM ET (US) I have e'er run the gas out of every outboard I`ve ever owned even when there might be only a few days of no utilise, and have never had a carb problem, but then I never endemic a 4 stroke. Rich
Feejer	posted 03-03-2008 06:53 AM ET (United states) Wow, Glad I have an EFI
Tohsgib	posted 03-03-2008 ten:34 AM ET (US) Man...My mechanic charges $twoscore a carb and and then $60 an hour to remove and reassmeble and so probably almost $200-250 for that job soup to nuts. If that was a dealer...I keep telling you lot guys to find somebody else.
Ferryman	posted 03-03-2008 12:38 PM ET (US) Well The labour charge ran the equivilant of $800 The remainder was for parts. The boat had sat idle since I bought it, waiting to ship it to the UK, and so there was the transit time. When we ran the engine up it ran real rough. In futurity I will practise my own wrenching. Tomorrow I will see if I can scan the beak and post a copy so yous can all see what the dealer did for his money. I guess the upside is the dealer was impressed with my ultrasonic cleaning and now wants me to clean carbs for him, and so possibly I can earn some of the coin dorsum.
L H K	posted 03-03-2008 03:57 PM ET (US) Since Mercury bought those xc HP 4-stroke carbureted engines from Yamaha, with Mikuni carbs installed, I'g wondering whether Mercury passed those warranty claims back to Yamaha, every bit their powerhead vendor. I'll bet they did. It would seem the actual manufacturer of the defective product, Yamaha, would be held liable. Years ago, my local Mercury dealer, who also sells Yamaha, told me never to purchase a carbureted 4-stroke. Notation likewise, that except for the carbureted Mercury/Yamaha Articulation Venture 50 HP engine of 1994-2002, Mercury has never built a 4-stroke engine of it'south own pattern under 25HP with carbs. Approximate they learned the lesson well from Yamaha. All are fuel injected. The problem with the carbureted 4-strokes lies with the considerable fuel economic system of the 4-strokes at idle, requiring very small carburetor passages to meter the fuel. These tiny fuel passages are what clog up and so hands during times of inactivity.
HuronBob	posted 03-03-2008 07:29 PM ET (Usa) "These tiny fuel passages are what clog up and then hands during times of inactivity." all the more reason to e'er run WOT :)
WT	posted 03-03-2008 07:33 PM ET (Us) Supervene upon those stinkin' Mikunis with a Holley double pumper!
95Outrage17	posted 03-03-2008 x:45 PM ET (Usa) "all the more than reason to ever run WOT :)" Exactly. Hahahaha. Seriously though, I wish I knew how many hours my '04 Merc 90hp 4-stroke has on it. It'south GOT to exist at least 500 by now, but who knows. I use the gunkhole a LOT during the spring/summer/fall. Anyway, we bought the Outrage with the Merc on the back of spring '05 (motor had been used niggling). I've had the carbs tuned/fix one time or twice (under warranty) for minor idling issues (mostly me existence pickey) and have not yet needed to rebuild them (knock on wood). I think they need to be fix this spring as the lesser plug showed a fiddling lean running when I performed the winter service. Anyway, my bespeak is the motor has worked quite well for me. I service information technology "by the book", plus synthetic oil, run it on 89 octane and put fuel stabilizer in the full internal tank every wintertime. I also have an external fuel filter/water seperator that I change every year or then. The only existent failures so far have been the thermostat (like shooting fish in a barrel to replace) and voltage regulator (expensive > I took one off a dead '00 F100). I hope information technology continues to work well for me! - Chris
jimh	posted 03-03-2008 10:57 PM ET (US) Two points to follow up: I recollect I mislead people re the carburetor manufacturer. It might be Keihin, not Mikuni. 2nd, regarding the pull quote from another thread attributed to me: I made that remark about three years ago. Since then it has become credible that the problem with these 90-HP Mercury 4-cycle motors is not isolated to one owner with bad fuel. It seems to exist fairly widely reported.
HuronBob	posted 03-03-2008 xi:34 PM ET (US) Jim, Y'all're the one that linked to that thread.. :-\
bigjohn1	posted 03-03-2008 eleven:40 PM ET (US) For every action, there is a reaction. For every owner of a Mercury 90hp 4-stroke who has reported carb problems, there are many owners who accept had no problems at all. Try an interesting experiment: Utilizing Boolean Logic, practise various spider web searches on this engine and variations on these carb bug. See what site the various searches lead y'all to. From my searches, it appears the vast majority pb you to CW and not many of the other popular boating forums. This is not meant as a swipe on CW, just as a personal ascertainment.
fourdfish	posted 03-03-2008 11:41 PM ET (United states of america) Just a annotation here. These engines were sold by Mercury with the Mercury name on them and any problems with these engines are Mercury's responsibility. Information technology does non thing who Mercury bought them from! It would be Merc's trouble to right problems that Yamaha passed on to them. They could then effort to go after any bounty from Yamaha.
swist	posted 03-04-2008 07:36 AM ET (Us) C'mon Jim, yous of all people should know that CW or any forum is not a statistically valid measure of problems with an engine. I take that engine, and have had no problems whatsoever - I'm not likely to first a thread in the "repairs" subforum to discuss the problems I don't have. I know this forum doesn't do polls, but there have to exist a fair number of users of the 90 fourstroke Mercaha hanging around. It would be a mechanism by which the people with no problems could chime in.
Tohsgib	posted 03-04-2008 03:03 PM ET (US) ANY carb not ised for every bit picayune every bit 3 weeks with todays crap fuel we buy will have bug at point or another. Yamahas?meraha are more prone to it with their modest needles that like to stick. No big bargain to remove, clean, blow out with some air and slap them on.
twostrokeob	posted 03-05-2008 05:54 PM ET (US) Getting dorsum to cleaning the carbs, I was wondering what sort of deposits you lot removed. Was information technology the light-green varnish, or the white corrosion we run into here when water sits in aluminum carbs for any length of fourth dimension. I have had poor luck at cleaning out the corrosion, for it seems to fester and abound back, even with "practiced" gas. I believe the aluminum is treated with a sealant, and once this blanket is breached, the moisture nowadays in the fuel attacks the aluminum. I have had better results replacing float bowls, and take had to supplant an entire carb once in a while. I love ethanol.
jimh	posted 03-06-2008 01:22 AM ET (US) GOOGLE searches lead to here because the website contains a fabulous amount of information and GOOGLE ranks it very highly. GOOGLE is in the business of figuring out where practiced information is located, and they do a adept job of it. That is why GOOGLE is the number one search engine. GOOGLE finds that CONTINUOUSWAVE has good information. This feeds on itself, and if JOE-BLOW searches for a detail topic he is probable to find information technology here. Then he comes here and adds more than data to the topic. You can see this phenomenon in several topics. Attempt searching for "Mercury stator problem" or "Mercury oil injection plastic gear" or "Mercury BEEP BEEP BEEP" You volition see that CONTINUOUSWAVE is the number ane hit, sometimes the number i AND number ii striking on all those topics. The funny affair is that at one time people would say there was never any trouble with those things, they were bullet proof. CONTINUOUSWAVE did not invent all the people who post about those problems, but it did cause a certain synergy to happen that makes it more likely in the future that people volition come here to hash out those problems. So don't think that there was some sort of vast right fly conspiracy that caused certain topics to become more than frequently mentioned hither. What happened was that a very successful search company found that the best information on those topics was hither, and that process atomic number 82 to more than people contributing information about them. CONTINUOUSWAVE actually tries to be brand-agnostic when it comes to motors. Nosotros like the skillful ones and we tell you virtually the bad ones.
Tohsgib	posted 03-06-2008 11:52 AM ET (US) Uh non true Jim...I bought that 115 a few years back and y'all never told me it had a bad block seal. :)
PeteB88	posted 03-06-2008 12:49 PM ET (US) $1200 Basic? Shoot, human, I'd be takin a grade and gettin me an official manual from the manufacturer and some tools. No way- did they give yous an estimate? I can purchase a automobile and run it three-5 for $1200 bucks. You lot know, whether y'all got information technology or not - I am sick of this crap of large money for everything. Just got involved w/ shoppping for new cell phones, young bucks behind the counter think I am going to add on, drop my money, gotta accept it, need this update, must accept web access and email, you gotta text, here's this accessory bag, oh - I can go you lot 25% off if I tell my boss you attended the session this morn - and dumb asses let their kids talk them into all this and get locked away in a payment/contract that could go into an investment for a flipping phone. Maybe the labor and parts are worth all that - I never debate and always respect a person's technical skills and their right for fair bounty - this sounds like a joke. And I will bet yous if you lot wait around you lot volition find a perfectly capable mechanic, with a family who will do your repairs, side job or otherwise, that would appreciate your concern, become the extra mile and willing to sustain a long term relationship with you - that you would refer others to for honest, off-white piece of work.
Ferryman	posted 03-06-2008 02:59 PM ET (US) PeteB88 Jimh put me in affect with someone to go the manual, and I am more than than capable of doing my own wrenching. Unfortunately at present fourth dimension is confronting me, so I opted to become the dealer to do the work. Orginally he estimated effectually $500 but the excuse for the extra charges was that I had him winterise the motor. Now I aint a rocket scientist but if I cannot winterise a motor in 3 hours so I will give up wrenching. The strange affair is there is a accuse for fuel additive but there are no gas tanks on my boat. I took them off and emptied them into the grass cutter. (I go out my gas tanks empty all winter) Still lesson learned, when I finish with the boat in future I volition disconnect the fuel line and run the carbs dry out. I e-mailed Jimh a copy of the pecker as I did not know how to attach a PDF file hither
PeteB88	posted 03-06-2008 04:05 PM ET (US) No criticism, just a reaction - I understand. I hope I did not offend you - not intended. I remember the shop gets more than the tech in also many instances.
Ferryman	posted 03-08-2008 01:10 PM ET (US) How-do-you-do PeteB88 No offence taken. I am hoping I volition recoup some of the price from doing Ultrasonic cleaning for the dealer. I take a 36" 50&R Tank so tin accomodate 4 carbs at a fourth dimension no problem
jimh	posted 03-08-2008 02:37 PM ET (US) [Added inline paradigm of a facsimile of the invoice for cleaning the carburetors.]
swist	posted 03-08-2008 09:31 PM ET (US) Notation the 17.5% sales revenue enhancement. (Typical in Europe). And people complain about taxes here.
erik selis	posted 03-09-2008 02:43 AM ET (U.s.) In the United kingdom it's 17.5% sales tax. Hither it'south 21% and information technology used to exist 25%. Erik
A2J15Sport	posted 03-09-2008 09:37 PM ET (United states of america) It is the fuel, folks. There are and so many regional blends for gasoline out there, it is mind extraordinary. Many contain booze, and gauge what? Booze attracts water. Anybody recollect "dry out gas"? In my earth, automotive, we run into like [problems] and we're shoving fuel through injector nozzles at [more than than] 40 PSI, and higher in direct injection engines. Diesel is even worse, particularly bio-diesel. There is no ASTM standard for bio-diesel yet, so you are rolling he dice when you lot apply information technology. Not to mention "bio" is showing up at supposedly "regular" diesel pumps. Stay with a main brand that pumps a lot of information technology. In the ii-cycle world, we rebuilt carburetors regularly. Why? Because nosotros let our fuel sit down in a damp environment and expected it to be pristine when we decided to venture out. At least with 4-cycle motors you're non always melting down a cylinder, or more. I used to take to rebuild my Mikuni [carburetors] (Suzuki) regularly. I got far too expert at it.