1990 Mercury 90hp 2 stroke 3 cyl

[Winning1988]

Hello iboat community. This is my first post here. I am posting now not only because I need help but because I have surfed the boards and think this is a great place and community. I have a 1990 mercury 90hp that has a cable hanging out. I believe it is a speedometer cable but am not sure. I do not think it connects anywhere because from the way it looks it was just held down by pull ties. I came back from the lake and it was hanging out. I just want to make sure it is safe to run the boat after I put this cable back where I think it goes. Thank you all for any help and I can't wait to shine my new baby up and give you guys some pics of my 1988 Winner ZZ880 Mach II. I am going to try and add pics today so thanks again. If what I said sounds right cool. I just don't want to mess the engine up.

 

[Winning1988]

Re: 1990 Mercury 90hp 2 stroke 3 cyl

Here are the pics I snapped. Let me know what you think please.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Re: 1990 Mercury 90hp 2 stroke 3 cyl

That is the speedometer tube. It connect to hose that runs to the speedo in the dash. You are perfectly safe to run the boat with or without it.

 

[Winning1988]

Re: 1990 Mercury 90hp 2 stroke 3 cyl

alright I feel like an idiot. it has been a while since I took the boat out and I am bring to figure out how much oil to mix with 5 gallons of gas. Any help on this people please? lol thank you all of your time. I did get the other issue fixed and she is running fine.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: 1990 Mercury 90hp 2 stroke 3 cyl

Only problem if you don't connect it to something is that if the engine end of the tube is connected to the barb on the front of your lower unit, which it is, per your pics, then water will squirt out of it while underway.

On oil that engine is probably VRO which means variable ratio oiling, as is my 2002 90 triple. You have a tank mounted on the engine and all you have to do is keep it at least half full of a TCW-III oil which is "oil made for 2 cycle outboards". WW has it in Quicksilver (Mercury) brand or usually Pennzoil. The engine does the mixing for you from 80:1 at idle to 50:1 at WOT. If no oil container under the cowl on the engine, then you have to supply 50 parts of fuel to 1 part oil, 1 pint of the oil I mentioned to 6 gallons of gas for 50:1 mix.

Mark