Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

I just bought and old 1980 Terry Bass boat with an 85hp Merc. It's been sitting for about 5 years, but amazingly most everything works, and the engine starts, but won't keep running. My biggest question is about the controls. There is the large lever for forward,neutral etc. It has the trim in the handle/grip. Towards the rear of the control is button that says it's the choke, but there is a lever that raises and lowers to the right of it and seems somewhat connected to the large lever. What is that extra lever for, what does it do? Thanks,

Re: Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

the extra lever is for your high idle...if you go look at a newer control it has a button on the bigger lever towards the bottom that you push in and move the throttle without it going into gear to rev up the engine..that lever does the same thing just an older design

Re: Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

And make sure to push the warm-up/ high idle lever back down to idle before shifting out of neutral.

The carbs/fuel pump probably need to be rebuilt after sitting five years. And the impeller replaced as well.

Welcome to iboats, Moose.

Re: Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

Ditto on both. To clarify a point, you have a Quicksilver 2000 remote. The large black knob that Vision91 mentioned is on the 3000; a different model that mounts in the bulkhead rather than on the bulkhead like yours; so forget about that.

You should be able to put slight pressure on the key, pushing forward toward the control and the black button the key is in should move in about 1/8". This is your "choke"; not really but enriches the fuel mixture for starting.

In starting the engine, shifter vertical in N, fast idle lever up; as far as it will go (45 degrees), half way, whatever works; don't even use it if the engine is warm and doesn't need choking.

Ok, squeeze bulb pumped up till firm, shift lever in N position, turn the key cw to the first position, push in and hold for about 5 seconds, release (let it pop out) and turn the key cw more to the start position. If the engine doesn't light off after about 10 seconds, repeat the process. Unless you have a problem you should be good to go. Don't run the fast idle faster than you need to to keep the engine running. You aren't buying anything by having it scream at you when you first light it off.

Also as GA mentioned, don't forget to put it all the way down so that your engine is idling below 1000 rpm before shifting into F or R....saves wear and tear on the lower unit gears.

My experience with engines today is that they are leaned out pretty well. It may take a few minutes for your engine to warm up where it is ready to respond to your commands as you think it should. Once it gets warm it should settle down.....like on my engine, I launch the boat and all, motor out to the end of the no wake zone and punch it out. More often than not it stutters and stammers getting on plane blowing smoke and all. After 15-20 seconds on the water it cleans up and runs like a top the rest of the day.

HTH,
Mark

Re: Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

My reason to push the warm-up lever down is different from yours, Mark. Saving the lower unit is good, but my reason is for safety. If the motor is at fast idle and you pull the control back into reverse the boat will fly backwards off the trailer. Or at the dock and shift to forward it's going to move much faster than you expect. Not a good thing if the operator is experienced and can be deadly for a novice or even an experienced boater.

EDIT - Moose if you are new to boating do yourself a favor and take a boating safety course. Time and money well spent.

Re: Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

You all are great, thanks for all the info. I've never been involved in a forum or a thread before and will continue to monitor and use Iboat. I'm looking for straight up info and you all sure supplied it. This boat is kind of a project for my son and me. Its finish is in really rough condition, so there will be questions on that, but first is to get it running. My son and I did talk about carb and fuel pump work is probably needed. I think the impeller is what draws the water in to cool the engine isn't it? When I was on the lake for a little time (got back to shore by using the elec motor) there was a stream coming out, doesn't that mean the impeller works? (sorry about the spelling). There is a choke button, but it doesn't seem to push in or move and feels solid, is that how it should feel. I'll have to check the key enriching the fuel by the 1/8 turn, didn't know that existed. Thanks to you all, Moose

Re: Mercontrol, Newbie needs help

The tell-tell stream shows that water was getting into the motor via the impeller, but the problem is after sitting for a long time the impeller rubber becomes hard and can start to crack and eventually the vanes could detach. These broken vanes then could migrate up the into the moor and block cooling passages. Cheap insurance is to replace the impeller at least every two years. Some guys do it annually but most of us feel two years is often enough. It is not a hard job at all.

On your choke - I don't know about your particular motor but some Mercs use a solenoid activated choke. My Merc 500 is this way and when the key in the on or start position pressing the choke button actuates the solenoid which in turn lifts the choke plates on the mouth of the carbs. You can hear the "click" when the button is pushed. Sometimes the rubber over the choke button on the control gets hard over the years and you have to be firm with it. Also under the top cowl you may have a manual choke knob. The difference is the control button is open or closed choke, no in between whereas the knob is open, closed, or anywhere between. Newer motors have an enrichener which squirts extra fuel (enrichens) into the carbs. Same as a choke really because the closed choke means less air so the mixture ratio is richer (enriched) with the same amount of fuel. Forgive me if you already know what a choke does but I have ho way of knowing your experience so I tend to overkill.

What's the serial number of your motor? It should be on a plate over the tilt tube in the front of the motor. The S/N will help identify what you have and find what parts you need for the carbs, fuel pump and impeller.

I find the Mercs are fairly easy to work on, Moose. And the guys here like to help. And I hope this helps.