# problems with 50 hp mercury



## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

my motor was only running with about 1/2 power. i think i have a bad fuel issue and i am going to try to put new fuel in it. but there was also water coming out around the spark plugs. I dont know much about boat motors so any help as to why it would be running so sluggish would be appreciated


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

are you by chance getting fuel blow bak out of the carb? if so, your engine could be getting flooded....check two things...make sure float is not stuck in carb and make sure your reed valves are ok......reed valves are on 2strokes...i dont know about 4stroke.s


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## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

i am not sure what you mean by fuel blow back. if i squeeze the primer hard enough it will spit fuel back out of the carbs.


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

is that a 2 stroke or 4. if you could get the motor started, while running it would blow fuel out of the back of the carb, like a heavy mist. i would start first by making sure float is not stuck. easiest way to do that is to tap on carb bowl with rubber mallot. then try draining carb bowl and starting.


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## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

it is 81 2 stroke i will try that when i get home. i thought i smelled gas pretty strong while it was running so it probably is blowing it out. i am just trying to figure out if it is something simple that i can do by myself before i take it to the shop


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

def check carb and reed valves. prolly just a stuck float in the carb.


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

i would do a compression check if you have water comming out of the plugs. may have a blown head gasket???


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

imalt said:


> my motor was only running with about 1/2 power. i think i have a bad fuel issue and i am going to try to put new fuel in it. but there was also water coming out around the spark plugs. I dont know much about boat motors so any help as to why it would be running so sluggish would be appreciated


Water around spark plugs are not a good sign. My guess is you have a bad head gasket or cracked head. Was the motor winterized this past winter?
As has been posted do a compression check.


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## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

it was winterized and i keep it in my garage has never been kept outside. Hopefully something simple and not a blown head gasket but you guys have me thinking the worst now. looks like it might be a season of kayak fishing because i dont have the money for a new motor if that is what it needs.


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

well then you might have a lot of water in your tank. i don't know how water would otherwise get into your cylinders?


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## Ken G (Apr 9, 2004)

I can definitely say it is not a head gasket issue because you don't have one. The inline 3, 4, and 6 cylinder Mercury's of that era do not have a removable head so they do not have a head gasket. 

Check the compression and also check each cylinder for spark.

If you have water blowing out of the cylinder block cover near the spark plugs you may have a compression leak which is pressurizing the water jacket surrounding the cylinders.


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