Nuts! To BMR

[badmoonrising]

Still waiting for anyone else to post pics of their brass hardware. No one ?

[GregF]

You would be wrong. I do essential maintenance, like anodes, oil and other lubrication. I am not a fanatic about replacing things that are not bad though. I am not sure how your old technology motor is but these new EFI 4 strokes will probably go 3000 hours on a set of plugs ... just like a new car. I replaced them at a couple thousand hours and they looked new.
I also threw a timing belt at the motor, but I couldn't see anything wrong with it and that is the Mercury criteria (frayed, cracked etc).
I am not 100% sure a "new" one that was dry rotting on a shelf in a warehouse is that much better than one that was running but I replaced it.

What other maintenance would you have me do? I am not polishing anything.

[GregF]

Have someone with a Mercury take a look at their prop nut or the nuts holding the bearing carrier in. I did not change them from when I bought the motor drop shipped from Wisconsin.

[badmoonrising]

You would be wrong. I do essential maintenance, like anodes, oil and other lubrication. I am not a fanatic about replacing things that are not bad though. I am not sure how your old technology motor is but these new EFI 4 strokes will probably go 3000 hours on a set of plugs ... just like a new car. I replaced them at a couple thousand hours and they looked new.
I also threw a timing belt at the motor, but I couldn't see anything wrong with it and that is the Mercury criteria (frayed, cracked etc).
I am not 100% sure a "new" one that was dry rotting on a shelf in a warehouse is that much better than one that was running but I replaced it.

What other maintenance would you have me do? I am not polishing anything.

I'm an ASE certified auto tech. If you believe stories of changing plugs at "100k miles" like it states in most owner's manuals, I have a bridge to sell you. Spark lugs can look great to the naked eye but with boats engines always running at high RPM, anyone with a brain would change them once or at least every other season.

Belts, every 2 seasons tops. They can and do break down where the damage can't be seen.

I've never had a breakdown, ever. Had a throttle cable snap once and that's it. I think my guests would feel safer leaving dock on a well maintained vessel versus one that has the bare minimum done to it and anything marginal was overlooked or duct taped together.

[badmoonrising]

Have someone with a Mercury take a look at their prop nut or the nuts holding the bearing carrier in. I did not change them from when I bought the motor drop shipped from Wisconsin.

Both my drives are 100 percent stainless hardware, already posted pics of this. If there's brass hardware, and the motor's been left down in the water, I'd love to see pics of the corrosion caused by the aluminum sacrificing itself to the brass.

Maybe that was the cause of the Bravo III drive corrosion warranty claims years ago ? Will have to check on that.

[goldnrod24]

Still waiting for anyone else to post pics of their brass hardware. No one ?

[GregF]

The fact that you are an auto mechanic explains your disdain for outboards.
You like what you know.

They have come a long way in the last half century but if someone is still nursing along their 1970s 2 stroke, they are not seeing it.

If you work on a modern EFI car motor, you would be right at home on a new outboard. They have the same array of sensors and it runs from a similar computer. By a like token, they also don't break much.
I do have a flaky fuel pressure regulator on the secondary fuel pump that is on the way. I suppose I could blame it on ethanol but I have no good reason to believe it. When I get the new one, I will cut the old one open to see if I can figure out why it is sticking. I will post some BIG pictures

[badmoonrising]

Never said anywhere that I didn't like outboards. Just said I really like the I/Os in my current 2 boats. I had problems with every outboard I've ever owned. Evinrudes, Johnson, Honda, didn't matter.

I'd actually go outboard when I get too old to deal with the cramped maintenance that comes with MOST I/Os. (not true on my Starcraft, everything's above deck).

Wouldn't mind not having to winterize because I like to fish in early March up here when it's still a dnager that an I/O would freeze.

I know...alot. Have training in small and marine engines too, also took a 3 month diesel course rebuilding Cummins marine diesels. If it were an option when I bought my boats, both would be diesel.

And yeah ethanol has caused problems up here. About 100 boats spring of 2008 in our marina and sister marina, most contributed to the Valero Delaware City Refinery which supplies fuel to 70 percent of DelMarVa...even non Valero stations.

Also have a friend who works for Zodiac NA down in Annapolis that had the same issues the same spring.

[GregF]

Maybe that answers it. I am old and not much for crawling around to work on things. I like my outboard where everything is right there and easy to reach

I do use plenty of anti seize so things always come apart easily.
That and air tools and I can tear it down to the ground in very short order.

I also like the idea that when I want to repower, it is an afternoon's work and I have a whole range of options.

I will probably buy a new Merc for the boat I am building but I am looking at the Yamaha too. I do like the big foot/high thrust model. I will still stay in a 60 I think. You can't go fast around here most of the year anyway. (Manatees)

[badmoonrising]

Dunno about you but I can drop an I/O into most boats and have it setup and in the water on an afternoon. Even easier on a pontoon with an engine pod. Comes from my experience working for Cadillac during the days of the exploding HT 4100 engines. We got paid 6 hours flat rate to remove and install crate motors. Got tired of replacing engines so I went to Ford.

[Kelvinek]

An interesting debate, but I am not convinced that the nuts pictured in the first post are brass at all. I believe what you are seeing is a fastener that has a chromate coating. Chromate coating is often used to passivate (spontaneous formation of a hard non-reactive surface film that inhibits further corrosion) aluminum and other materials. Here is a picture of a chromate coating on a bolt. Often mistaken for brass.

[badmoonrising]

Yep. I was actually waiting for him to mail me a sample before telling him it's not brass though

[GregF]

That is why I hit both of them with a file. Look at the pictures again.

That chromate plating is usually used over steel and we know they aren't steel.

[GregF]

Kevin, go look at the nuts holding your bearing carrier in and tell me what you think. That is about the same vintage as mine and the exact same foot. Look at the prop nut too. Scratch them a little.

[STEVEBRENDA]

The prop nut on our 2003 Mercury is brass, I have taken it on an off numerous times. The nut shows no damage other than nicks from the socket I used.

If you go to iboatsd.com, their Thrust Washers and Prop Nuts look to be brass.

I cannot take a picture, boat is on the lift 250 miles away