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  1. DJ_Allatoona

    My 3-year electrical headache was solved today, and it was a simple fix! Wondering if this is common.

    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...
  2. DJ_Allatoona

    Does anyone know anything about the CMC brand tilt & trim?

    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...
  3. DJ_Allatoona

    Got my new stainless tilt release valve, and it shows up like this. Ugh.

    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......
  4. DJ_Allatoona

    How on EARTH do I get this thing off?

    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!
  5. DJ_Allatoona

    My fishfinder just shows me 1.3 ft depth now wherever I am.

    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...
  6. DJ_Allatoona

    Electrical weirdness. Here's my Multimeter test results

    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...
  7. DJ_Allatoona

    No voltage regulator on older Mercury. Can I add one?

    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%...
  8. DJ_Allatoona

    Need a touch more RPM in reverse

    My winter project motor (1986 Mercury 75HP) is 99% complete. Everything is great except for the one remaining puzzle I can't crack: Shifting into reverse is solid and smooth, but the most throttle I have in reverse is "just enough" to back off the trailer. After it slips firmly into reverse, I...
  9. DJ_Allatoona

    Confirmed: I'm the dumbest man alive

    1986 Mercury 75HP. About three weeks ago I replaced the stator, trigger, and flywheel because I was having some random electrical weirdness that I blamed on the ignition system. After I swapped the parts, the motor would start, but ran like garbage! Ridiculous lean, idle was screaming and I...
  10. DJ_Allatoona

    Changed stator & trigger. Now no spark.

    1986 Mercury 75hp. It sat for many years and replaces my identical motor that locked up. I've got it running but have some occasional power-drop and electrical issues. I've been gradually replacing everything I can with parts from my old motor that I know are good. Yesterday I swapped the...
  11. DJ_Allatoona

    Lock nuts on the cowl mounts! Grrr...

    My motor ('86 Mercury 75hp) has three of these rubber cowl frame mounts that have to come off occasionally. It's a puzzle to me why they have to use those LOCK NUTS on the top and bottom, the type with the two-way distorted threads. On one of mine the top threads are ruined, on one the bottom...
  12. DJ_Allatoona

    What is this part? Mercury switch assembly?

    I'm chasing down a weird electrical thing and I see this in the diagram: Part #58124A19 Mercury Switch Assembly. What is it for, and what happens if it's bad?
  13. DJ_Allatoona

    Can this CMC tilt cable be replaced?

    I have a CMC power tilt on my Starcraft. The cable running out of the top (pictured below) has been pinched a few million times where it crosses the transom and it's damaged in one spot. I've fixed it for now with liquid electrical tape, but I can't seem to find JUST this cable. Is it...
  14. DJ_Allatoona

    Motor & everything suddenly shut down

    1986 Mercury 75HP. Yesterday I was puttering along at about 25% power when everything suddenly just shut off: motor shut off and all my electrics went dark: radio, fishfinder, dash. After about 3 seconds, the 12V stuff came back on, but the motor would not start. It turned and turned and...
  15. DJ_Allatoona

    Anybody done new decals for their outboard cowling?

    Just repowered my boat with a mid-80's Mercury. The graphics on the wrap-around cowling are sun-faded and cracked and look terrible. Plan is to get some new decals for the main and lower cowlings LIKE THESE. What's the best technique to get the old crappy decals off? Heat? Scraping? Some kind...
  16. DJ_Allatoona

    Seized steering cable. It's about to be the death of me.

    Repowering my mid-70's Starcraft with a used 75 HP motor that sat for many years. It's all ready to go, except for the steering cable. Just telling you that it is "stuck" does not do justice to the word "stuck". It is Excaliber. The cable on the helm side had been just cut off when I got the...
  17. DJ_Allatoona

    First time starting after sitting for years.

    I just bought a used motor. Mercury 75hp made in 1986. Dude says it was sitting on a junk boat in his neighbor's backyard for at least 5 years that he knows of, likely many more. When I picked it up, we did a compression test, 130-ish on every cylinder and the starter seems capable. It...
  18. DJ_Allatoona

    Inline fuel filter under the cowl?

    I'm going to look at a used motor in a couple of days, and this is one of the pictures the seller sent me: https://i.imgur.com/3nfjcL5.jpg This used motor and my current motor are EXACTLY the same, identical model number and year: Mercury 1075726 (75 HP) made in 1986. My motor (that I bought...
  19. DJ_Allatoona

    I'm looking at an older motor. Is good compression THE MOST important thing?

    My current motor is dead. An older motor I'm considering has (reportedly) 140 compression on all cylinders. I have no powerhead experience at all...but I feel comfortable with everything fuel, electric and lower unit related. So if the compression is good, and other stuff is fixable, what...
  20. DJ_Allatoona

    Can I put a 115hp motor on a '75 Starcraft SS 16?

    I've long wanted to replace my problematic 75hp Mercury and got a possible good deal, but it's a 115 hp. I wasn't looking to jump up in power that much, but I'm wondering if it's OK. And is the issue stern weight or too much power? My old motor is a 1986 model and the 115 is from 1992.
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