1985 50 HP Mercury Won't Start

E365

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Jun 17, 2012
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Trying to do a little research on a non-starting 1985 Mercury 50 HP before I head out of town to help fix it. Looking for any tips for things to look when I get there.

The unit has been very well maintained since new and has generally run perfectly, except for the last two years. It will crank like crazy (good battery/starter) but is difficult to get firing. From the description I hear (not my boat) the main, obvious symptom when this started getting bad was the presence of a pretty-good oil/gas slick behind the boat when trying to start. The hard starting has slowly been getting worse for the last two seasons, but now it's to the point now where it just will not start at all.

I'm reading maybe the fuel pump diaphram? Probably a carb rebuild kit, or at least check to make sure the float/needle/seal is working properly? Thanks!
 
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