Thanks, and yes, I was using stainless hex nuts on the posts. Still can't believe the battery was the culprit all this time. I spent so much time chasing ghosts and beating my head, when I could have just replaced the battery.
For several years, I haven't been able to crack the code to getting the more sensitive 12V stuff on my old project Starcraft to behave properly. Stereo head unit, amp, fishfinder, running lights. Most of the time, everything is great, but sometimes they switch off when I throttle up, sometimes...
Long, aggravating story, but the integrated tilt/trim on my 1986 Mercury 75hp is DEAD, and today something happened that was the final straw...I'm finished screwing with it and trying to save it. It's kaput.
So today I hung my motor on a CMC PT-130 tilt trim that I know works, but I know very...
I'm almost 2 years late learning this. Damn. He and I actually met up once at our lake here in Georgia (Allatoona). We floated a bit and shot the breeze. (We both have decades-old Starcrafts and both former USAF). He always had good advice when I was arm-deep in some project and needed...
Finally managed to remove the old 1986 plastic valve with the head long-ago broken off (used one of those screw extractors) and now this arrived with a torn o-ring. Winter projects......
Tilt ram cylinder cap/top thing. 1986 Mercury 75hp. I have a cheapo adjustable pin spanner wrench, but it’s not cutting it. Need to get these new seals and o-rings in there. Help!
It’s a Garmin 160 Blue. Been a workhorse for 15+ years. Zero issues. It’s never been good at giving good depth while running, probably the transducer placement could be better, but it always recovered when I stopped, and after 10 seconds or so of no cavitation, the true depth would pop up...
OK, I have a spare rectifier. I'll throw it on and see what happens. There's no voltage regulator on this motor, and I'm considering adding an aftermarket rectifier/regulator if I can't get my electrics under control. I'm confident my battery is good: it's a Champion Marine (27DC-850CH)...
1986 Mercury 75HP. Rectifier, but no voltage regulator. Been seeing a 'high voltage' warning on my fishfinder, and experiencing occasional stereo shutoffs when throttling down. Voltage on the Garmin reads 16.5V and higher.
Today I directly metered the battery with and without the motor...
Fuel lines and bulbs are easy and cheap to replace and WILL go bad over time. Even a small leak, crack, or weathered connection will make impossible the low vacuum pressure you need. Especially the bulb. There are one-way valves in there that are delicate. If it's been a few years, just...
I haven't metered my stator in awhile, only when I replaced it a couple of years ago and checked it was within range per the book.
Could my battery be going bad if my 12v is suddenly spiky? No charging issues or other electrical weirdness so I just assumed rectifier & battery & stator were all...
1986 Mercury 75hp. Serial: A932083 Everything is great, she starts right up and runs strong and smooth. This is a constantly-evolving project for 10+ years and I've got a PhD in older outboards thanks to this baby. My only remaining issue is the 12V spikes very high when running above 50%...
