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I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH OUR MOTOR. IT WOULD RUN GREAT ALL DAY LONG THEN COMING IN TO THE RIVER FROM OUT TROLLING IT WOULD SURGE AND SPEED UP AND SURGE AND RUN LIKE IT WAS LOOSING COMPRESSION. RUN AT 4000 RPM IN STEAD OF 5500 RPM FINALLY FIGURED OUT THERE WAS SOME CRUD IN THE TANK(OLD BOAT AND WHEN THE GAS WOULD GET AT LOWER LEVEL IT WOULD SUCK UP SOME CRUD. SHIELDS FINALY EMPTIED THE TANK AND SUCKED OUT THE TANK AND CLEANED AS GOOD AS THEY COULD AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED. tHE SAVED THE FUEL FILTER AND YOU COULD SEE THE ROCKS IN THE TANK.

EVENTUALLY THOUGHT WE HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER HEAD SOONER THAN WE THOUGHT BUT WAS STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRENTY! WENT OUT IN OCT AND MOTER PRESSURE FAILED IN SEPT. LAST YEAR. WHEW THAT WAS CLOSE! mAYBE IT IS SOMETHING AS EASY AS THAT .... CARLA BEAR. WE HAVE A 2001 JOHNSON 150 FITCH RAM MOTER AND WE LOVE IT. REALLY GOOD ON GAS. CAN TROLL ALL DAY LONG AND RUN OUT 20 + MILES ON LESS THAN 22 GAL.

Well folks the jury is still out. I went on Sun. afternoon to drain the fuel/water separator but Sheilds had beat me to the punch and already installed a Racor with the clear bulb on the bottom. I have yet to speak with them so I dont know what they did this second time around. They did replace the spark plugs and from what i saw, one was burning clean and two were oiled enough so you couldnt see the ceramic around the electrode.

I ran it out with no problem but didnt have time to run as long as it takes for the problem to manifest itself. I'm gonna take Thurs. off to run it out again.....we'll see then. And yep! my towboat is paid up.

Again, thanks for all the advise.

doesnt one clean cylinder mean a bad headgasket because the water from the cooling system is leaking into the cylinder?

I know its been a little while for your post but check your air vent going to your gas tank. a friend had the same problem and it turned out to be a bad vent in the back of hull letting water in the gas tank at different times and really screwed with him. A new vent which was about 15 dollars and some waterout and good as new.i suggest the one with the built in p trap.a plugged or defective vent can also cause problems.Dirtdobbers love to build nests there. try running with the gas cap loose to see if the vent is not letting air in causing an airlock.Good luck and dont let anyone tell you that this is better than that,brandwise.All products have issues from time to time.See ya out there just look for the oldest boat out there,as us clampetts shore do like them fishes, Bob

MudDucker wrote:

Natureboy wrote:It's a Mercury cuz, that's your problem! Slap a Yamaha on the back and go fishin"

The problem I described was with a Yammy. Overall though, I would rather go grey than black.

Well i would rather go white (e-tec ) than BLACK or Gray