Boating Related Information

Notes

Most of the motor related information is geared towards Mercury Outboards. The reason for that is that's where my experience comes from. I do like Yamaha motors as well as other brands, but I have no real practical experience with them.

Some of the other things that I am including here are rigging/wiring tips, GPS stuff and links to further information where I can.

Mercury Motor Parts

I don't generally advertise for any particular company, but I will pass on information via "word of mouth" or in this case "word of Internet". Mr. Don Weed of European Marine has been a great person to work with and deal with. He is a Master Marine Mechanic, and really knows his stuff when it comes to not only Mercury engines, but many other products as well. Even though we have never met in person, he is my "go to" source for any parts related to Mercury outboards. I do so even though I have an Authorized Mercury Dealer just a few miles away from my home. I would rather spend my hard earned dollars with a person that will go out of his way to satisfy a customer, even if it means that I have to wait a few days for my purchase to reach me.

Another person that I really need to mention here is Jay Smith of Jay Smith Racing Engines. If you have a 2.5 liter motor that you are building or working on, Jay is the guy to go to for advice and/or machine shop skills. Much like Don mentioned above, Jay will take the time to talk with you on the phone, and give you tips and advice, even if you don't use his services. He is top notch, and highly respected within the Performance Boat circles.

General Motor Information

Leakdown Test Instructions
The best way to determine the health of any outboard motor is to perform a leakdown test.
Prop Slip Calculator
Knowing how much your prop is slipping is important for performance and fuel economy.

Mercury 2.5 Liter Information

About Switchbox Bias Voltages
This article was written by Bill Rogers from the Scream and Fly message board. The article is pretty technical and in depth, but explains the importance of the switchbox bias voltages. This is one of the reasons that many 2.5 liter motor owners will remove the ignition timing modules and set the timing statically.
About Ignition Modules
This is a short article that I wrote regarding the various ignition modules on earlier 2.5 liter motors. I describe what they are, and what they do as well as give a brief basic description of how the ignition system works.
Setting Ignition Timing
This is a brief description of how to set the ignition timing.
Removing The Oil Injection
Instructions for removing the oil injection. There is always an argument as to why someone would want to do this. The answer is, the oil pump is driven by a plastic gear that is known to have failed on numerous occasions. Mercury even sells some of the parts to do this... that should say something!
Adjusting The Throttle Position Sensor
Here is the procedure for setting the Throttle Position Sensor.
Carburetor Information
General, and hopefully useful carburetor information.
ECU Information
Work in progress.

Mercury 3 Liter Info

Electronics and Wiring

Installation of a Mercury Smartcraft MercMonitor
Here are pictures and step-by-step instructions regarding how I installed my MercMonitor, and interfaced it with my Lowrance GPS

Links

Motor Bling