Merc 2000? 2-stroke..

Joined
Dec 22, 2002
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Location
Ottawa, Ont CANADA
Gents..
I am a TOTAL newbie for outboard motors.....
Ive just acquired my F-I-Law's Merc 9.9, 2 stoke... [ + boat ] .... best guess is circa 2000 as per Merc website as I used the serial number.
It looks in great shape... its clean.. but hasent been used in ..mmmm maybe 5-8 years+...
took the top off .. fuel filter looks good../ some old fuel was present.... will do spark plug // lower end oil //
the gas tank will be emptied and used for camp fire starter..

where do I go from here..???
Any suggestions appreciated
Cheers
J.
 
You can pick up a gallon of Pennzoil 2 stroke at wallys. Last time I looked they had the semi and full syn and they started carrying Mercury Silver. I prefer the Pennzoil but any of them will be fine, I just find the Pennzoil smokes less. When was the last time the water pump impeller was replaced. It would be a shame to get it started and have it burn up because the impeller was torn. If there was fuel in it you may want to pull the carb bowl off and clean it out. Fresh gas may flush debris up into the jets and then you will have to tear the whole thing down. There is a little diaphragm fuel pump in the line, probably mounted on the side of the motor. If it has a leak you may get the motor started by pumping the fuel line bulb but it wont run for very long. If ethanol gas has ever been run in it thats the first thing to check. Rebuild kits are cheap and easy to install. If the bulb wont get firm as you pump the needle seat or needle on the float is damaged or not sealing or the float is not floating and you end up flooding the engine. And last is to slowly pull the starter rope all the way out and check that it is not frayed, if it is replace it NOW. If it breaks while you are trying to start it the rewind spring will snap back and break and then you have to replace the rope and the spring and that spring is very dangerous if it gets away from you.
 
Change the impeller in the water pump before using the outboard. The impeller is rubber and even if not used for several years it will get hard and brittle. It's not hard to do, especially on a small outboard like yours. Samven's advice is all good too. Use non-ethanol gas if you can find it.
 
I've been servicing the family's 30 HP Mercury (Labeled as Mariner) outboard for the past decade or so, it's about a 1998 I believe. I've been using SuperTech TC-W3 oil, but any TC-W3 will work just fine. I was using Quicksilver SAE 90 gear oil in the lower unit, but last time I used Mag-1 marine 80w90. The most important thing is to dump the lower unit oil and refill every fall before you put it away for the winter. You want to get any water that may have infiltrated out before freezing weather.

Incidentally, I see you are in Ottawa... Our boat is used exclusively at our cottage on Crosby Lake, between Perth and Westport. I've used the Motomaster oils from CT plenty of times ... Hoping to get back up there later this summer! 2020 was the first summer I missed since I was born in 1971! :(
 
I would use Mercury gear oil. The better one. I think there are two. You only need a QT or two. And a pump. And a gasket for the drain screws. And I like to drain into a clear jar and look at the gear oil closely for water or metal.
 
I have a Mercury 50 hp outboard. I use Mercury 80w-90 gear lube. It's made for outboards below 75 hp. I don't use ethanol free gas, because I'm not sure how long it has been sitting in the gas station tanks, but every drop of gas has Sta-Bil Marine 360 fuel stabilizer in it. No fuel related issues in the 12 years that I've had the boat.
 
Pennzoil TCW-3 "marine premium plus" is available nearly anywhere, including Walmart and Auto Zone. It is a semi-synthetic version of conventional TCW-3 oil and is quite good. I'd mix it at 50 to 1, which is 2.6 ounces per gallon, or even 3 ounces per gallon.
 
Small outboards like this are kinda a hobby of mine. I've got some old 3 to 4HP air cooled outboards (Sears, ESKA, Ted Williams etc.) I just enjoy tinkering with them and getting them running well. Some of the older ones didn't have impellers, there is just a tube behind the propeller and the prop forces cooling water up that tube to cool a base plate the engine sits on. Some have their own tanks, some have no tank and rely on case vacuum to pull fuel from a can, some can be either gas feed. I run all of my air cooled ones at 32:1 and I use non ethanol fuel and VP racing 2 stroke oil. Yours is probably new enough to have an impeller, so change it. Also buy/print a manual if you can find one.

What I usually have to do, since they have typically sat for numerous years without use.
- drain and fill the drive fluid, highly recommend you buy an impact screwdriver for this because most are just flat head plugs and you'll strip them out with a regular screwdriver 9 out of 10 times
- rebuild the carb, new gaskets are almost always necessary due to rot/old fuel left in the carb/tank etc, of course you would clean the carb jets etc as you were rebuilding it
- do a compression check

Once all the above it done, get a 38 gallon trash can and fill it with fresh water, put the motor on a sawhourse with the shaft in the can of water and run it, for a while. I usually do several heat cycles like this to ensure it runs reliably. Once all that is done, change the outdrive oil again. Be sure to drain, at least the carb, if you aren't going to use it in the next few months.
 
I've been servicing the family's 30 HP Mercury (Labeled as Mariner) outboard for the past decade or so, it's about a 1998 I believe.

Check the ID tag near the area where it mounts to the transom. If it says Japan then it's actually a Yamaha.
 
That is stout! Aftermarket depends on the vendor. Sierra has been vending replacement parts for older engines for ages. West Marine also stocks reputable replacements. Note that there is a $$ difference in ordering the entire kit vs just the impeller.
 
Update #1
Boat / motor at the lake... with new home built stand.. new sparks plugs arrive on tues -old ones were on tight .. they looked ok, but seemed it was burning rich.. i think my mixture will be more judicious than my F-I-Law's.

Lower end gear oil has been dropped... it looked really clean.... getting the two screws out was a real breeze, thankfully.
I have some 75w90 GL-4 Penz Syth on hand, is that suitable for this application?
Thanks for all your input gents
Cheers
J.
 

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I've been servicing the family's 30 HP Mercury (Labeled as Mariner) outboard for the past decade or so, it's about a 1998 I believe. I've been using SuperTech TC-W3 oil, but any TC-W3 will work just fine. I was using Quicksilver SAE 90 gear oil in the lower unit, but last time I used Mag-1 marine 80w90. The most important thing is to dump the lower unit oil and refill every fall before you put it away for the winter. You want to get any water that may have infiltrated out before freezing weather.

Incidentally, I see you are in Ottawa... Our boat is used exclusively at our cottage on Crosby Lake, between Perth and Westport. I've used the Motomaster oils from CT plenty of times ... Hoping to get back up there later this summer! 2020 was the first summer I missed since I was born in 1971! :(
yes .. same here at the lake , some neighbours across, this will be 2nd they wont be up... :( other cottagers are doping the upkeep etc..!

Ah yes dump the low-end oil every fall.. good idea...
Thx
 
That is stout! Aftermarket depends on the vendor. Sierra has been vending replacement parts for older engines for ages. West Marine also stocks reputable replacements. Note that there is a $$ difference in ordering the entire kit vs just the impeller.
I will check what brands are available on Amazon... but they seem to be from off-shore...
 
Use a marine gear oil of the proper weight. Not an automotive. Important to check oil oil. If it's contaminated you will need to do more investigation and possibly repair work.

I found metal particles in the gear oil of my outdrive. That lead to finding teeth missing from the forward gear. Outdrive now being rebuilt for thousands.
 
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