Online parts?...

[justrfb]

Hello All.
I need to get oil, filter and a water impeller for our 2007 Mercury 4 stroke. A few questions... Where is the best place to get these parts online? Well, maybe not the oil and filter but the other parts? Am I supposed to change out the thermostat? Is there such a part? Thanks so much for your help and suggestions.
Also, I know it is gone over and over but what do you think about a new prop? The motor is supposed to have a 6,000 RPM limit... The best I have done is 6,200 RPM (?) at 21.8 MPH (GPS). You think I might be able to do better with a different prop? Thanks again for your help and suggestions.

Sincerely,
Rich

[babock]

For Mercury parts, boats.net

[COTTS4x4]

Type your part numbers in on Ebay and Amazon... thats where 99% of the time I find them the cheapest and free shipping.

[Bamaman]

Have you seen what your local dealer will sell the thermostat and the impeller for? Impellers are less than $30 most of the time--inexpensive. Boats.net is a good place to buy Mercury parts--as is JacosMarine.com.

When looking for oil filters, I go to Fram.com and sign into their cross reference charts. Enter the Merc. OEM oil filter number and it'll tell you the comparable oil filter numbers of many different brands that'll fit your boat. As you remove your oil filter, take it with you to your local parts store--looking for a high quality filter brand (not the orange Fram.)

For example, my F150 Yamaha takes the same oil filter on the Ford 2.0 engine used in the 2014 Focus. They're much cheaper than a filter purchased through Yamaha.

At my second oil change @ 20 hrs., I started running Mobil 1 EP (not regular Mobil 1) in 10W30 weight. You really cannot get better oil. I buy it at Walmart as they're much cheaper on motor oil than just about anyone.

On your propeller, is it beat up and the blades bent? How does it do handling loads of people? Are you often exceeding the 6000 rpm redline? If you're dissatisfied with the performance and it revs too high too often, going up 2" in pitch may be warranted. Aluminum propellers are relatively cheap to purchase.

[justrfb]

Thanks very much for your reply and help... We are slipping at a very good marina this year. I might just ask him about the parts now that I have an idea of the prices. As far as our prop... It appears to be in fine shape (literally speaking...). Some of the paint is chipped away but all else seems well. I mention the RPM's because as the motor is turning 6,200 RPM's or so, the audible "over rev" beep is not sounding. I am wondering if my tach is OK as per another thread... Thanks for your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Rich

[justrfb]

I thank you again for your help and I now have a follow on question. I think I understand what prop to get now, Mercury Blackmax (same as I have just going up in pitch to next size) but I have a choice between "cupped" and not... Everything I read on cupped props says it bites better and increases top speed... It doesn't say any "negative" comments. What is the difference and why wouldn't I/shouldn't I chose "cupped"? Thanks.

Sincerely,
Rich

[kryptonite]

I thank you again for your help and I now have a follow on question. I think I understand what prop to get now, Mercury Blackmax (same as I have just going up in pitch to next size) but I have a choice between "cupped" and not... Everything I read on cupped props says it bites better and increases top speed... It doesn't say any "negative" comments. What is the difference and why wouldn't I/shouldn't I chose "cupped"? Thanks.

Sincerely,
Rich

A cupped prop, is just that. It has a slight cup in each blade to "catch" more water. That is what you want on a pontoon. Pontoon's like big eared props with cup, or extra cup. It will also help with low RPM response.

[justrfb]

Hello kryptonite.
Thank you for your reply... I see you have almost the exact same set up as us (assuming you don't have 3 toons...) except our boat is a 20'. What prop are you running and what speed/rpm are you seeing? We currently have the Mercury Blackmax with the 11" pitch. With 2 or 3 people, we run 6,100 - 6,200RPM with 21.8 MPH (GPS) best performance. I am wondering if I go to the 13" pitch and the cupped blades, it might be too much. What do you think? Thanks very much for your help.

Sincerely,
Rich

[Bryden24shp]

I buy most everything on Ebay. Our local dealers jack the prices up so high its sickening. I have bought filters, oil, plugs, injectors, jack plates and probably 25 to 30 props in the last 15 years for all my boats. Just spent another 1500 on my Prowler, mostly from Ebay in the last 6 months. I price check everything first, then hit the button. In a lot of cases you can "Make an offer" I toss out crazy low offers on things that are getting close to expiring and have no bids. Seems like they get accepted in a last ditch effort to sell. I bought a brand new, in the un-opened box, Enertia prop last spring for $150.00 and the guy shipped it for free. A brand new $1200 jack plate for my old Manitou, $600 with a gauge, shipped for $15 instead of $75. Just by making an offer when its ending time is near.
Watch out for snipers, guys who are placed on line to bid up items to get more $ for the buyer. If I see something has 10 or more bids by some guy using Auto-bid, I'll run from it. I know of someone who snipes regularly for his brother. He pays a lot of money for him to do it. And it sure pisses me off to hear about it. One of those guys that pulls up next to you with his boat and all of sudden you realize you are supposed to be someplace else, right now!

[babock]

Watch out for snipers, guys who are placed on line to bid up items to get more $ for the buyer. If I see something has 10 or more bids by some guy using Auto-bid, I'll run from it. I know of someone who snipes regularly for his brother. He pays a lot of money for him to do it. And it sure pisses me off to hear about it.

What you described is shill bidding and is against ebay rules. When I see shill bidding going on, I report them to eBay, not that it makes any difference.

Snipe bidding is a bidding service that allows you to automatically put in a bid in the last 10 seconds. That is the only way I bid on eBay. I use esnipe.com.

[kryptonite]

Hello kryptonite.
Thank you for your reply... I see you have almost the exact same set up as us (assuming you don't have 3 toons...) except our boat is a 20'. What prop are you running and what speed/rpm are you seeing? We currently have the Mercury Blackmax with the 11" pitch. With 2 or 3 people, we run 6,100 - 6,200RPM with 21.8 MPH (GPS) best performance. I am wondering if I go to the 13" pitch and the cupped blades, it might be too much. What do you think? Thanks very much for your help.

Sincerely,
Rich

I get very similar numbers. I run a 11p extra cup mercury prop.
Light loads, I see around 6000 RPM, and 21 mph.
Heavy loads, 5500-5800 rpm's and around 18 mph.

I have a cheap solas prop for a spare, and I tried a 13p. It's not an extra cupped prop. It didn't perform very well, It dropped WOT down to 5500 on a light load, but with several people it was lugging the engine too much. It did not improve speed.

[justrfb]

Thanks for your answer... I am a little worried now because I ordered the 13" pitch cupped prop. I am wondering if I should not open it and get the 11" pitch cupped prop. Any thoughts on this guys? Once I mount a prop, it is mine. Can't go back and can't be exchanged... Thank you.

Sincerely,
Rich

[kryptonite]

Your boat is shorter and thus should be lighter than mine. If you normally only have light loads, I'd say you would be fine with the 13p, but if you normally have a boat full, I'd opt for the 11p.

[justrfb]

Thank you. I am going to put on the 13" pitch cupped prop . I will let you know...

Sincerely,
Rich