40hp 97 force, poor performance info

Just thought I would share info on a recent problem I had with a 97 force 40hp. on a tracker p/f 16. The indications were, it was weak when planing, along with a sputter and a high speed miss with lower RPMs than normal. The plugs were coated with fuel/oil when checked after running Also, idle was a little rough and would usually stall when shifted. Visual inspection revealed the red wire on the regulator was arcing on the engine. Also, the regulator was fried. This was obvious because the epoxy was cracked and you could see burnt internal components. Also, it failed resistance test.(no suprise) After that I checked resistance on the stator(grn/wht,wht/grn) and read an open circuit. Upon replacing the plugs(again), regulator and the stator, I tested the idle and shifting in a drum of water and it idled and shifted perfectly. I plan to test in the lake this afternoon and check the performance on the run. Hopefully, $320.00 will be the extent of the damage to my wallet.