2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

[lakelover]

Today I'm getting my motor ready for winter. I started it up, got it warmed up and began spraying a lot of Deep Creep into the carb as it idled.

After a few minutes, thick oily crud about the consistency of molasses started oozing out of the right weep hole. The left hole appeared to be clogged up, so I stuck a wire in it, and after a few seconds, it started oozing too. This crud was darker. As you can see there is a lot of it. I've decarbed other outboards before but never saw it come out like this. I shut it off and sprayed a real good long shot into each cylinder and it is soaking now. I know the best decarb is when you can get the motor hot by running flat out, but I missed my opportunity this year, so I'm doing it in a barrel & will repeat next summer.

So does this goo look like a normal byproduct of decarbing, or is there some other problem?

Sorry for the spot in the center of the photo, there was something on my lens.

 

[bgbass.1]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

that is nasty if thats carbon that motor is loaded you may have to do more than once.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

I continued on and sprayed until the goop wasn't running out much any more, it was nasty. By the time I was done, the left hole must have unclogged quite a bit because there was exhaust smoke coming out of it as well as the right hand hole, and both holes were spewing much less crud. And it was running more smoothly when I got done. Man, what a mess.

Here's the aftermath:

I'll definitely have to do it again in the summer when I can get it really heated up. Now it's all cleaned up, polished & put away for winter. Anyone seen goo like this before?

 

[Fenwick2]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

No, I've never seen anything like that! Hard to believe it's a 2004 Motor. Is it a 2 or 4 stroke. I put cleaner, made for Merc. in every tank, 150 OptiMax and 15 hp. kicker. I also Sea Foam every Fall and Spring. I fish 8 months a year now even here in Wisconsin. Mild Winters. How was this motor running before you cleaned it? If it's a 2 stroke were you heavy on the oil or did you do a lot of trolling? Thanks for sharing.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

No, I've never seen anything like that! Hard to believe it's a 2004 Motor. Is it a 2 or 4 stroke. I put cleaner, made for Merc. in every tank, 150 OptiMax and 15 hp. kicker. I also Sea Foam every Fall and Spring. I fish 8 months a year now even here in Wisconsin. Mild Winters. How was this motor running before you cleaned it? If it's a 2 stroke were you heavy on the oil or did you do a lot of trolling? Thanks for sharing.

That's the funny thing. I've had this 2-stroke for 2 years and it's run great, spunky & fast on a light 14' aluminum boat. 50:1 mix; it was a fish camp motor for the year before I bought it, so it might have done lots of trolling that first year. This is the first time I've decarbed it. It ran well, but maybe started a just little harder this year and seemed a little smokier. The plugs look good, good electrodes & the gap is good.

When I use it, it's almost always at cruising speed or flat out.

 

[gss036]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

You should be adding a little SeaFoam to every tank of gas. Also try using synthetic or synthetic blend oil , TCW3. Wal-Mart sells Penzoil at a decent price.

 

[Harker]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

I hope you aren't sucking that crud back up through the waterpump! I have a 67 9.8 that had never been decarbed till I got it several years ago and it wasn't THAT bad.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

I hope you aren't sucking that crud back up through the waterpump! I have a 67 9.8 that had never been decarbed till I got it several years ago and it wasn't THAT bad.

Not too concerned about that, I had the hose running and it was deep enough that the oily crud was mostly floating on top (second photo was after partially draining it). The only thing I can figure is that there must have been lots of trolling with that motor before I owned it. This was the second season I ran it.

 

[skimmer]

Re: 2004 Merc 9.9 decarb question - is this normal? with photo

I must be the only person here that doesn't use that stuff, it doesn't take that much longer to pull the head and scrub it off yourself, and at least then I can get a roll of toilet paper and clean it out myself, that stuff just loosens it up, and then what, your motors got to process it, gets under the rings scores the pistons, might be allright if you've got a small amount of buildup in there, but then why would you bother, hmmm don't understand...