Re: how to tell if I have a bridgeport without disassembling the motor
The guy I purchased the boat from was my uncle. He bought the boat from a tournament fisherman who loved to go fast. He pick up an icebag and burned up his motor before he could get stopped. I guess his alarm for heating up was faulty, i dont know. Anyway, he said that he had a friend who worked on mercury engines and he was able to get him a new powerhead and put it on for him. He said the powerhead only had about 75 hours on it. When I took it to the lake the first time it idled great and ran great and sounded like a hot rod. There are five holes drilled in the gap under the cavitation plate on both sides. When I took it up the lake the first time, it planed fast and ran like a beast. I took it home and put it in the garage for 3 weeks. Took it back to the lake and idled out and it barely planed off and wouldn't hardly take throttle. I put it on trailer and opened cowlings and in the back bottom where cowlings join was a field mouse nest made of the foam from the inside of cowling and turkey feathers from a turkey tail I had mounted in the shop from a turkey we killed that spring. The boat has NEVER ran right since. However, I can put a new set of plugs in it and it does greta for about 30 minutes. I can put more plugs in it and again it will do well lfor about thirty minets. I have had carbs taken apart and cleaned three times but have never put needle valves and floats in them. I can pump up the bulb and it gets tight and there is no gas coming out of carbs anywhere. Fuel pump was rebuilt, new fuel filter, etc. It does have an aftermarket bulb on it from seasense but i was told that would make it do what it is doing. Once boat planes off it runs smooth as silk but not fast as it was that first day. Compression is all the same and good. Dont know how to check for firing order and things like that. don't want to keep throwing money at it. I wish someone knew what to try that I can do.......thanks
