3.9 hp Mercury

Hey,

New Here and ive found so really awesome stuff!!

Anyways im about too start my build thread but i figured ide get the motor running before i start with the boat because in the end ide rather replace this motor and fish than fix up the boat and not fish haha :roll:

Ok so im at school and i dont have a picture of it being that it is three hours away at home. It is a 3.9 HP Mercury that my grandpa had bought for our 12 ft jon. I have the motor, full tank, and lines. The tank is rusted on the inside and the line and pump are stiff. I plan on getting a plastic tank and new lines and pump. I have an instruction manual and i have seriously consulted this thing hard and have search all over the internet about how this thing works. Anyways Iguess i want to know where too start. This motor has sat for 30+ years. It still looks basically new except for the dust.

1.) when i pull the rip cord, or should i say pull on, it wont budge. My grandad was the last too run it and it ran fine. Why would it be locked up?
2.) whhere do i start too get this thing going again??

Thanks! hope too enjoy this site for a LONG time!

Well the not budging doesn't sound good, obviously i would figure out what is going on with that first. Pull your spark plugs and try to get a little peak inside for anything obvious, spray the insides really well with wd40, gotta be careful breaking that thing loose, if it ran fine when it was last used and hasn't been used in 30 years it would likely be some kind of corrosion that has seized it up. Oh also make sure the motor isn't in gear, if the lower unit has some sort of stoppage and it's in gear it could hault movement.

Ok awesome ill try that first. thanks alot for the info. I have rebuilt a couple car engines but never a boat motor. Its time to expand my knowledge haha (oh wait that never stops)

I am by means no expert, if you get her freed up, and you have good compression, then just a matter of making sure you have spark, making sure your carbs are free (most likely will have to go through and clean them up) get some fuel (oil mixed of course) put her in a test tank of water and see if she will fire up.

Sounds like a good idea. I will do this next time im home and see how it ends up thanks!

no prob, hope some info was helpful.

ok so i tried the WD40. it didnt work :?
Im thinking about following the book and just blowing the whole thing apart for experience. Ill fix it that way anyways.