I've just acquired an older 40hp Mercury outboard (Model 420, Ser.#3474958)which has been sitting idle for about 5 years. (Prior owner died, so I have no way of knowing what may or may not have been done to prepare the motor for storage after it was last used.) The motor seems ok on the basis of visual inspection; compression and spark seem good; starter cranks nicely. My questions at this point are -- (1) will I do myself a favor or just hasten plug fouling if I use a 32:1 fuel mix rather than 50:1 for my first attempt to start the motor, and (2) is there anything in particular that I should check out before hooking up a fuel line and attempting to start?<br /><br />I know that there MIGHT be water pump, fuel pump, coil, carb and/or other problems after long storage, but is there any reason why I shouldn't hope for the best and give 'er a try before tearing anything apart???
