I've watched hundreds of youtube videos on outboards and boats looking for answers. Not only do you have the absolute BEST videos on all the questions i have but also introduced the BEST answers to questions i didn't even know i would have 😅. Incredible information and camera work. Thank you
Thanks very much for all the help. I just purchased a new 2024. The priming was my issue. I never would have figured it out myself. I'm liking all your vids...much appreciated
I recently purchased a 1963 Thunderbird Sloop Sailboat. The outboard motor (Used to navigate away from the dock and back to the dock) is a Tahatsu 6 horsepower 4 stroke engine. I searched for info regarding the reliability and known common issues. Your video is superb!! Thank you for the detailed information. I subscribed to your channel and look forward to future videos
I have a new white 6hp tohutsu after selling my older one I really love the features of this motor . I did have carb issues with my last one but I bought it used so wasn't sure if it was a previous use issue. So far soo good with the new one. Great job with the videos
Great video, spot on. I also had issues cold starting and using the internal tank. Switching to an external tank solved the issue immediately. Great tip to prime the system with the external tank before leaving if only using the internal tank! For anyone wanting to bomb around for more than 45-60 minutes on the water would highly recommend the external tank.
I have a 5 hp sail power for my sailboat (basically the same motor with a long foot, lower pitch prop and smaller carb) and I didn't winterize it last season. This year it gave me lots of trouble by randomly stopping at full power or at idle. I took the carb appart and in a few hours I had it run like new again. I love the motor and I would recommend it too.
I've got one of these (2015). I would agree with all you have said. A couple of tricks I've learned.1) I ALWAYS run some Seafoam in the fuel. it cleans the carb and stabilizes the gas. I use a 3 gal tank and never keep more than 2 gal in it. It's best to keep topping off with fresh fuel every other use vs run on old stuff. 3) The motor is harder to start 9especially cold) if you just yank the cord in a traditional way. Per the owners manual , it is best to pull the cord slow for 10-20" or so to run it through a decompression /priming cycle, then pull hard and short when you feel it comes to a hard stop near the end. . Sounds weird but it will start faster and more reliably this way. BTW, my 15 hp Tohatsu is exactly the same way.
The reason it is hard to start is the position of the carburetor because it is so high up on the fuel tank it requires those extra poles in order for the fuel pump to pump the fuel to the carburetor Which is higher than the fuel tank itself this is a very poor design feature from Mercury if you don't want to have those issues and look like a fool with a brand new motor on the dock pulling it to feed gas to the carburetor then buy a Yamaha everything is positioned where it is supposed to be
Fuel stabilisers are are a must realy worked a treat for me. Also here in U.K standard petrol at pumps now has a higher ethanol. Its ways best to use lower ethanol option if available.
Yeah I bought a new Stihl chainsaw and they even have a program where they extend the warranty to 4 years if you buy a couple liters of their non-ethanol fuel and commit to using nonethanol. I haven’t had any carb issues since I’ve been watching the fuel I use
@@Skinnyriver they add extra ethanol to reduce greenhouse gasses . But ethanol wrecks your engine so they have to make more replacement parts and engines the production of which creates more greenhouse gasses ........go figure 🤔
Fantastic video! I just picked up a 4hp Mercury outboard and noticed the bore size (123 cc) is the same as the 5 hp and 6 hp outboards and realized the only difference is the carburetor size. Was going to pick up a 6hp carb and swap it out along with a different pitch prop to see if I can really convert it to a 6hp merc.
Yep, I learned by chance to just connect my external tank before leaving home to prime system and then I use the internal tank nearly 100% of time. Cold Starts quickly now, but before it was #!#!#!#! That tip should be added to trouble shooting portion of owner manual.
I use a jet sweeper on the garden hose. Just take off the screen stick it in and it blows everything out no problem and you dont even need to run the motor while doing it
I love watching your videos I also have a 5hp Merc a 2022 model that I bought new just a few months ago from camping world for 1200 hundred bucks I followed your advice I shut the fuel value off every time I shut it down and so far I've never had a problem with it I have it on a 8ft landau Jon boat and with all my fishing gear including me at 160 pounds it will top out at 22 miles per hour love this very fuel efficient motor.oh and I bought a 9 pitch prop from alliexpress for 22 dollars and that is what increased the speed the stock 8 pitch prop maxed out at about 17 to 18 mph
Was just at a fishing camp that ran Tohatsu 9.8s. The camp had no dock, just a beach landing so we had to be careful to always tilt the motor up and drift to shore at days end. Hunters were also running them in super shallow water and sand/silt was getting sucked up the intake and actually blocking the outlet where the water jets out of the motor. Was a pain to get at and clean out that exit nozzle. Was odd that it was a small enough exit to allow sand and even tiny rocks to build up there and block the exit. Once that exit was cleaned the water exited just fine, so the impeller was still functioning. A lager exit hole would make more sense. Guess the bigger issue is that that same sand/grit will eventually bugger the impeller.
Good point, I’ve never ran into that but I try not to suck up junk. But you would think a bigger nozzle would be easy for them to design in. Maybe an oversight or maybe they keep it small so bugs, wasps won’t get in. Who knows but great point
A good tip to cold starting that engine would be to pull the choke out. Even in your video, the choke isn't pulled out. Advice from an old timer with hundreds of ours on his Mercury 6 h.p.
@@Skinnyriver my Mercury got bogged down during the trip. I’ve to paddle back to the boat ramp during a hot day. It’s not a pleasant experience at all. Anyhow, it was using non-ethanol gas. Therefore, I don’t suspect the carb got clogged up. Any advice that I should be looking at to resolve the issue? Thanks in advance.
@@Skinnyriver I was using an external fuel tank. I then switched to internal fuel tank, which had much gas inside, but still not able to get the motor restarted.
Some possibilities: If it was hot, external tanks can build up pressure and cause too much gas being sent to your outboard, causing it to flood. Newer external tanks don’t vent out pressure like old tanks. Once a motor floods it’s hard to restart Have you tried to restart it since then? I would try to take it out again just using the internal tank. If it doesn’t happen again it’s something with your external tank. If it happens again with the internal tank, then you may have a fuel filter issue (dirty), thermostat issue, or a fuel pump issue. If it’s not the carb, then it’s probably a fuel flow or temp (running too hot issue) Try to isolate the issue to something and that will help understand root cause Is your motor a newer one or an older one?
Carb issues is caused by fuel evaporating and leaving residues that clog it up. I've always run the carb dry on my 2 strokes, never had carb issue in 35yrs of boating.
Great video. I have brand new Tohatsu 6 hp, never seen water yet. Transported home laying face down with prop in the air as per manual. Oil everywhere. What did I do wrong. Will take it to a mechanic. Thankyou from Australia
My 6 hp tohatsu 4 stroke wont allow me to pull the rope in any position, whether reverse, neutral or forward. That little nylon stop is always down, locking everything up. Any video on how to fix this? Thanks
Will the shifter move freely or is it binding up / locking up? If you see in this video there is a meta rod that moves back and forth that pushes the nylon stop up. Is that metal rod moving when you shift?
Hej Skinny river, lover your videos but I’ve got a question, I have the same engine 6hp mercury from 2023 on my inflatable boat 320cm with me and all luggage I weigh about 130-140kg, including boat and motor, but I only manage about 14 knots or 16-17 mph while your getting 17+ with a setup weighing a lot more, is there anything I could do to go faster?
Thanks for the view!! Inflatables are generally a bit slower and harder to plane than a Jon boat. If you are planing out really well you may be tapped out. I’m actually now only getting 16-17mph (have no idea why 😂) maybe my prop is getting a bit chewed up. You could try a larger pitch prop BUT it would hurt your power and planing performance. Other thing is to experiment with your trim position. If you are dragging your bow increase your trim, if your bow runs high then decrease trim position. If you struggle to plane you could try LOWER pitch prop or maybe a hydrofoil. Good luck
I would never run the motor in drive or reverse in a barrel. Only neutral. Do not remove the prop because it could cause RPMs to be too high for the motor and cause damage
Sure not alot of you will approve of this method but.... Before i pull from a cold start i unscrew the gas lid, put a rag over the mouth of the tank and i blow as hard as i can...im not moving much gas but i am increasing the pressure in the system momentarily and has worked when nothing else would
I have a 6hp with external tank. It won't reach max RPM. It occasionally will, but only surges to that and then back down to its current max, which I estimate to be 4000 rpm. Have you heard of any issues like that? I'm almost positive it's not fuel starvation, as it doesn't stumble or bog down ever.
That is weird. Is it planing out really good? Mine will only reach 3/4 rpm if it’s struggling to plane out then will “break loose” if it planes fully. Maybe try a couple different trim positions. Also check the prop, if the prop is chipped a lot then it can mess with RPMs and power. I’m not aware of any design issues that cause this but it doesn’t sound like a fuel issue. Some motors have a rev limiter, it’s possible it’s causing the motor to limit out
That’s a new one for me. Does it only click when you pull the pull cord or after the motor starts? Will it start? Is it possible the shift linkage is slightly out of place and it’s slightly in gear? Do you hear the clicking when the motor is running and in neutral? It could also be the safety mechanism that prevents the pull cord from pulling out when in gear. That issue is also cause by shift linkage sightly out of place
Hello, i recently purchased this engine "used" yearmodell 2018, previous owner said they almost never used it only for short trips and it got a service about a month ago, however.. its pretty hard to swap between gears, i need to apply some force and it dosent feel right, ive never owned a boat engine before so iam not sure if its suppose to be like this. any toughts our ideas that could help ? Thanks in advance
Is it hard both when running and when off? It does take a little pressure but I’ve never really noticed it is ‘hard’. The only thing I can think of is either a bent linkage going up to the lever. Or there is a rubber cover on the mid section. If you take that rubber round hole cover off there is a coupling. If someone loosened that and did not get it in the right spot, it will make it hard to shift.
Need some help! I have it running in my tank after just doing impeller all was good . Then decided to do fuel filter and fill up the the tank on board. Reassemble the tank after doing the fuel filter then go to start. Fires for 2 seconds then nothing else. Then l keep on pulling and nothing! Now I'm pulling my hair lol. Just one question when using onboard tank fuel selector should be in what position? I think i had it pointed down to fuel. I'm new with this motor, its a 2002 4 hp 4 stroke Mercury..
If you are using the internal tank the selector should be in the down position. If you are using an external tank it should be in the horizontal position. That is weird, it does sound like a fuel supply issue. Try it again and Let me know how it goes.
I have the 2015 mercury 6hp 4stroke I bought used Let me make it known this is my first boat motor and I’m learning but I noticed the first time taking it out that when I put it in the tilted up position that it was leaking oil but only when I tilted the motor up only saying that cause I was using it all day no issues but when I went to load the boat up I tilted the motor up and that’s when I noticed the oil leaking down the shaft could it be a seal or lower end oil??I checked the engine oil since and I see no difference and I took it out the other day and I was having a issue that when I was at max rpm going down the river it felt like it was slipping out of gear idk I’m really new to boat motors and boats in general any help would be extremely grateful
When you lay a motor down it has to be laying on the tiller handle side or oil will leak. That is probably what happened is it was tilted to where it was basically laying flat. Make sure when it’s tilted all the way horizontal that the tiller handle side is pointing down. Regarding slipping out of gear, mine does this sometimes and it simply the prop losing grip in the water. This happen a lot on the gal because leaves get caught in front of the prop and it causes turbulent water at the prop.
Yeah but I don’t think it really matter because when you turn the valve to the external tank it cuts off the internal. So I don’t think it really matters other than it’s just good practice
@Skinnyriver wasn't able to get it last weekend but i did get it today and so far I'm loving it and I ended up with a 5 but it's totally fine on my 12 foot Jon boat
Hey, question for you. If you check your oil level and you shine a flashlight into the crankcase does the oil in there look like it has sparkles in it? My 2022 6hp does and my salesman says it's normal
I honestly have never noticed that other than after the 10hr break in period (first oil change). How many hrs do you have on the motor? I would sample the oil during the next oil change and if you notice metal flakes take a photo and send to the dealership so you have a paper trail if something were to happen later on.
Have you changed the oil since the break in procedure? If no, then it’s probably just from the break in process. If you have changed the oil since break in, then I would change oil again and take a sample to make sure there aren’t any noticeable shavings. More than likely it’s just because it’s new but I would document it and send any pics/concerns to the dealer so it’s documented if you ever have an issue.
I have the 6hp mercury 2020 I believe with external fuel tank and my motor will start and run but only with the choke open almost all the way. Any idea what I need to fix on it? Thank you
Usually that means you need to clean the carb. Maybe some build up in there limiting the gas getting to the motor. That’s probably why you need to the choke so the engine pulls in more gas. You could try running some Berryman b-12 through it. That stuff really helped my other motors run better with out tearing down the carb.
i have a big problem can u please help me!! can u make a video on fixing a submerged 5 hp mercury outboard , i literally just bought it brand new and i already submerged it i kno a lil basics of how to pickle the motor and iv done everything but for some resaon my oil light is not going off can u please please help by video or writing me back thanks so much iv watched some of ur videos and there all great .
I hate to hear that. I honestly never had to deal with that issue but here is a good video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B5_Gb4hLcbk.html
I have a 2.5 mercury, it is leaking gas out of what i assume is the breather (black box on the carb with mesh screen) any suggestions to fix. Really hate to buy a new carb. Motor is 3 years old with very few hours on it. Any help would be greatly appreciated
@@Skinnyriver I actually figured out what was wrong. Something had clogged the two little tubes the come out the bottom of the housing, I assume they are some kind of vent tubes. Took them off and ran a wire thru them. Runs like a champ now. Thank you for your response. I do appreciate it!
Before you do take the carb apart, just pull out the gas intake hose and spray inside carburetor cleaner. Wait few hours, make sure you have new gas (drain the old one using the black screw at the bottom of carburetor). Put back the hose and start, if is cold, yes you need the choke, if is warm you do not need it much. Please read the manual. At the storage section it is stipulate clearly the gas with alcohol in it will create gum and a sticky admission valve for gas. Do not store the engine with gas with alcohol in carburetor, it will gum out (Thanks to the Eco-Freaks for adding alcohol in gas). That will prevent starting and running in idle or load. After each use the best is to consume all the gas from the carburetor, leave it dry. Sea Foam marine it is also a good gum cleaner, add it to the gas.
I'm having an even bigger problem. Maybe you can help me. Mine is a 6 in it runs, but it will not rev up what is causing that it. It was running fine 1 day and then it started acting up and it shut off. And ever since then I have not been able to get it to crank. I run right it runs but it only idols it will not rev up???
That sucks, I did a video on motors bogging down and losing power. Maybe it can help. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PcjOJ5aDTMI.htmlsi=VEOFW0xUKaaHV5lZ
Never mix oil with gas for a 4-stroke. 4strokes have engine oil. Does not need oil in gas. I use regular 87 octane just like a car (preferably non-ethanol)
Dang!!! I don’t have experience with Suzuki but I have heard they are great. What, Yamaha not on your list? I really don’t think you can go wrong with those 3
Just got the same outboard for my 350 inflatable. So confused.... It cannot glide. Spark plug new, filter new everything after maintenance... Tried everything, trim, move forward nothing changed. Thinking about carb cleaning and adjustment meybe it will help
When you say cannot glide, you are saying it won’t plane out? A friend is mine has an inflatable and had to get a lower pitch prop. If the motor is running well and hitting high full throttle RPMs, it’s more than likely not a motor issue. Really 2 things, put it on a lower trim position, put more weight in the front, look at getting a lower pitch prop.
@@Skinnyriver yeah plane, well getting smaller prop is a good idea! Engine runs fine, just sometimes stalls at idle, so meybe this could be the reason too, also feels like rpms could be higher at full speed. Anyways this is my first outboard motor so I think there is a lot to learn. Thanks for advice!
Hey, i hcae 2006 4hp 4stroke mercury and i have cleaned carb 2 times and have checked killswitch that works and only use now internal tank but gas is coming great out of line so i have checkd that also. Spark is is looking good but motor wont even promise to start.. now i have bought new sparkplug to try it out on thursday evening.. do you guys have any tips or tricks for that?
Definitely check a new spark plug, did you check spark with a spark tester too? Spark plug could be good but still get no spark. I hate starting fluid but you could try using a little starting fluid, if it starts on starting fluid then you know it’s not a spark and probably not a compression issue. Main things it could be Bad gas No spark or bad plug Fuel air mixture screw on carb is not set right Even though you cleaned carb, could still have issue with idle jet Choke problem Carb float problem (are you sure it’s not flooding?) Fuel pump (but it sounds you have ruled that out) Honestly it might be worth taking it to a shop for diagnosis at least.
@@Skinnyriver dont have plug tester but i try new plug and once more check carb and see if its tuned even near to right. Gasoline is new rite from pump.
I purchased a new 2024 2.5 hp Mercury motor of which I am very dissatisfied with this motor. Will not start in the factory start position. Have gotten it to crank only about 3 times in 6 months. Now I can't get the plane pin to go through but one hole. Want my money back.
I can never understand why an engine maker don't make an electric start 6 hp outboard, Space wise, i would do away with the internal fuel tank to make room for a starter motor. I'm sure if there was one on the market it would be a big seller
I’ve never noticed it not pissing when reving. If it’s peeing at full throttle in forward it’s probably ok. It could be something weird happening with the high rpms and the motor stationary. I would keep an eye on it when you start it each time and when in forward
Always when starting the outboard for the first time on any day... fill the internal tank to overflowing with the outboard in the down position as if it was in the water and running. Gravity is a beautiful thing and the carb HAS to fill as the top of the fuel tank is above the carb level. (This technique also starts Briggs and Stratton flo-jet carbed (on top of fuel tank) lawn mower engines... With the tank full to overflowing every fuel passage is filled before you start......and it then starts so easily...... Add a squeeze bulb into the line from the internal tank to the carb??? Fit a separate one way flow valve between the internal tank and the fuel pump? (if the one way valves in the fuel pump don't work...back them up).
@@NagulanNathanturn the fuel supply on before turning the air cap open on top. Maybe pull once before opening the top vent. The pressure by the fuel can force the fuel through the line.
Hey man what do you recommend I do to increase the speed on my 6hp motor, I bought a bote rover and it came with a Hidea motor, it doesn’t seem like a piece of junk so far but I’ve only reached 11mph. Thoughts?
There’s really not much you can do other than Lower the weight in the boat Make sure your trim position is dialed in and you are planing well Maybe try a higher pitch prop for higher speed (or) a lower pitch prop for more power if you struggle to plane
@@Skinnyriverso I been messing around with my motor lately and somehow my pull start got messed up and it does not retract now, any tips? I took it apart but not sure how to fix
My engine is leaking oil from the top somewhere.. it drips down from the hole at the shift lever.. I can't find out where it's coming from I hope it's not the head gasket.. it comes somewhere around the fuel pump but I can't find out from where. It's such a pain..
It could be leaking through the fuel pump. It’s attached to the crank shaft. But it could be a head gasket. Let me know if you find it. I’ve been lucky and haven’t had an oil leak issue … yet :)
@Skinnyriver Thanks for the quick response. Do you ever store or transport it on its side? I feel like the design for the oil pan is not great. Do you know what the black thing is that sticks out the engine (under the cover) to the rear? It has 4 bolts and you can take the (house roof shaped) cover off.
I have the exact motor. At half to WOT there is a bit of smoke that comes out of the front of the case. Doesn't do it idling or lower throttle. Engine doesn't have a lot of hours... not sure what's going on, but it's really annoying smell that smoke the whole time when using the engine over half to WOT. Any suggestions?
That’s weird, I’ve never noticed that with mine. There shouldn’t be exhaust or smoke coming from under the cowl. Is it possible it’s oil on engine block and it’s smoking off when the motor gets to operating temp? I would wash/wipe the block down and see if it helps. If that doesn’t help, I really don’t know what would cause it
@@Skinnyriver Only does it over 1/2 to WOT throttle, and then disappears with RPMs below that. None at idle. Any thoughts as to an exhaust leak? The engine is maybe 4 years old with under 50 hours.
Man it does sound like an exhaust leak. I’m not that familiar with all the potential failure pts and gaskets to check. I’d run it with the cowl off to see if you can pinpoint a location.
I got my motor yesterday and let it idle for 10 minutes in a bucket of water. In the manual it says to check the oil when its cooled. Shouldn't you check the oil the oil when its warmed ? This thing is super quite ! Where do you order your parts from like the lower end washers? Does it have a crush washer for the motor oil ? Super excited to take this thing out and break it in. Im going to use my watch to keep track of the hours since i did not install an hour meter.
Awesome! Congrats! For the oil, I think you need to let the oil settle in the oil pan before checking level. So I think it’s more about that than oil temp. You can find most parts on Amazon or boats.net. It does have a crush washer, manual says to inspect each oil change and replace as needed. They are cheap so might as well change them each year. I honestly don’t worry about hrs that much. I do everything once a year, or estimate 100 hrs
@@Skinnyriver Im at 7hrs break in. I went out in the tampa bay and had it on shallow water trim mode for about 2 miles less than 3/4 throttle. I forgot to check ! Did i just mess the motor up ? It was deep water.
@@Skinnyriver when im driving the boat the steering handle keeps turning by itself so i have to make it straight the whole time. I did tighten the steering bolt but it keeps doing it. Is this a safety feature in case i go overboard itll just spin in circles? kind of annoying, Basically what im saying is when i let go of the handle it will start steering to the right by itself
Great point, I’m running into it now. Started first time this season and it does on idle. Definitely bad gas in the lines or got some gum in my idle jet. I used stabilizer but still not perfect with a carb.
Men that’s frustrating. Does it happen every time you accelerate or only at certain times? Have you done a compression test? Could also be a timing issue, im not an expert but I’ve read if the timing does not advance then the motor will bog down at high RPMs.
@CarlosGarcia-sf4gx maybe but usually a loose prop nut only result in a lot of vibration. The prop nut holds the prop in place on a spline gear. If that spline gear wore down (because of the loose nut) the motor RPMs would rev through the roof and the boat wouldn’t go anywhere
@CarlosGarcia-sf4gx there is a rev limiter on some Tohatsus, so if your prop is slipping then you could be reving RPMs too high and the rev limiter is kicking in, basically bogging down the motor. Does it bog down if you rev the motor in neutral? That would be a good test
Thank you. Sensible video. These outboards are mechanical machines with carburettors, and as such they will not work first time every time on the push of a button. People seem to expect that these days because that is what they get from home electronics, or cars with starter motors and EFI, and so on. Most outboards get minimal use: one or two days a year, sometimes less. People buy boats expecting to spend every sunny summer's day out on the water, then life gets in the way and the outboard sits in the back of the garage for months on end. Follow some basic processes and learn to operate the motor, and it will normally work just fine.
Tell ya a trick which contridicts you saying about keeping the gas tank full and about the carborator.... Gas that sits in a catborator always goes bad so if you dont use it all the time dont leave gas in it run it on idle till all the gas is gone out of the motor no gas in it your carborator isnt going to gum up ..... That simple...
Yeah I agree, but the cold starting issue isn’t only when it sits for a long time. It can be the next day, so to keep it primed you need to keep the system full. But totally agree, I run it dry if it will sit for more than a couple weeks. There is only a little gas in the carb so it will evaporate and go bad fast. It’s not a bad gas issue, it’s a prime issue. BUT
Hey love your videos. I have a 4hp 4stroke mercury with a high idle issue. It idles like a jet engine very loud. Seems to much air but I've checked everything any thoughts. Thanks
Yeah usually that means too much air. There is an idle speed adjustment screw on the carb which changes the fuel air mixture ratio. If it’s a newer model there is sometime a brass cap over the screw. Just fyi it can void warranty if you pop the cap off and adjust it. You can also look at changing the idle jet size (get an idle jet with a slightly larger hole/orrifice size)
