Mercury 1988 200hp blackmax Carb issue

**gflick** · 05-31-2022, 11:40 PM

Just bought the oil block off part thank you for that Sauger. Will install before my next test run on Saturday.

I'm thinking the route I'm going to take is purchasing these sierra switchboxes and doing a test run with my "CDI" switchboxes. The only thing stopping me from buying them now and waiting to install them and then test running is the price. After further investigation, I'm pretty sure that the company I bought them from isn't from china. The company is called "CDI" and after some investigation into the company, it is an American company located in Alabama, which makes me a little more confident in them. On top of that, they seem to be decently made when comparing to the OEM parts currently installed.

Have any of you guys heard of them before? Seems to have good reviews over amazon for the same product ( I know that means jack**** nowadays though). I'll link to the product description. I'm really hesitant to buy a $350 "Sierra" part from Germany when I can get what is described as the same thing for $60 made in America. At the same time though, I don't know anything about outboard motors and ill take advice from the experts.

Switchbox link : "https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Outboard-332-7778-332-7778A12-Switchbox/dp/B08FHQQJ3C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2K048B053003M&keywords=cdi+switch+box&qid=1654057658&sprefix=cdi+sw%2Caps%2C182 &sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFQRTEwS0dEVTU1VTgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2MDYyMTFKV0tCNEhLRlF XWTQmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDQyNjkwOE5MOVRYN0hVQzRQVyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmV jdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU="

**gflick** · 06-01-2022, 10:52 PM

Replaced the switchboxes tonight. Before I did I checked every cylinder for spark and saw weak spark on every cylinder and saw the number 3 cylinder had no spark at all. After switch box replacement number 3 cylinder had a very strong spark. No telling if my bog down issue is fixed yet though. Saturday’s lake test will tell.

As for the stator I plan on replacing it tomorrow when the fly wheel puller comes in the mail. Thanks for everyone’s help I feel like I’m finally making progress!

**rgsauger** · 06-02-2022, 09:58 PM

Hey bud, I opened that link that you posted for the switch boxes. “CDI” stands for capacitive discharge ignition. There is also a company by the name of “CDI“ as you have found. These boxes are made in China. They are using the term “CDI” to describe the technology, not the brand. If you look, the brand is called FLEXON.

I do not doubt that they will sometimes work and fix somebody’s problem. I highly doubt their longevity and I know for a fact that if a switch box starts to double fire, it will break your damn motor.

It’s $300 more for the good stuff made in Germany. I do understand that. It is your money and your motor so you need to do what’s right for you. This is just a critical item to be going with the chinky crap. I would rather see you go with used mercury boxes that spec out than with the chinky stuff. Just my $.02.

**rgsauger** · 06-02-2022, 10:00 PM

If they were made in America by the company, CDI, then I would have a totally different attitude and opinion.

**DB150** · 06-03-2022, 08:33 AM

gfllck,
I just went through a similar process with my 1984 150. Rgsauger helped throughout. I documented my process after scouring S&F and everything else I could find. You might find it useful. Here is the link:
https://www.screamandfly.com/showthr...42#post3339442

**gflick** · 06-08-2022, 11:17 PM

Your post is amazing thank you! Ill be doing the oil injection block off this weekend and ill be using your post as a guide.

**gflick** · 06-08-2022, 11:27 PM

Alright so.... this weekends lake test was semi-succesful. No more immediate bog down. I imagine the stator or switch boxes had something to do with thtat original problem. However I have a new problem. Instead of an immediate bog down the motor would really hesitate to accelerate. I would have the throttle in the max position and it took the boat a good 20 seconds to react. It would eventually get up to speed after some time and then would die down after sitting around 5k rpms for 10s. I immediately thought this must be a a fuel issue so i had my passenger prime the fuel line for a good two mins while it was running around 4.5k rpms to see if this would make the motor last longer before it eventually stalled. This turned out to work and its how we got around the lake all day to fish.... lol

When I got home I bought a fuel pump rebuild kit and installed it the next day. While I was installing it I noticed a massive kink in the new fuel line I installed a few weeks prior and then noticed a gigantic kink in the fuel line that only occurred when the throttle was in the maximum position. I tried re installing it and didn't have enough fuel line so I bought some of the quicksilver fuel line for my boat and ended up installing it in today. I ran it for the first time today since the lake and when I went to prime it I saw the #3 carb was leaking. Primer ball would not get hard whatsoever. I ended up turning it on and it idled like ****! I think the carb leaking might have something to do with the angle of the motor? It's maxed out though. I think the boat might be sitting too far up on the trailer? I'm not sure.

I took the #3 carb off to clean it out because my initial thought was there was some junk stuck between the seat and the needle that probably tore off one of the fuel lines while I was replacing them. Didn't find anything though.

I'm going to post a video of the carb leaking. Does anyone know if this is normal considering the angle of the motor?

**gflick** · 06-08-2022, 11:38 PM

Here’s the video. My gut is going with the motor angle being too steep and causing the floats to not put enough pressure on the needles to not properly seat. If this is the case my only way to fix this is to take it back out on the lake and move the boat backwards a couple inches on the trailer. In its current state the motor won’t trim down any more as it’s blocked by the trailer motor support on the bottom

**gflick** · 06-08-2022, 11:45 PM

Sorry here is the link. https://youtube.com/shorts/_9PqiWVnC5A?feature=share

**Baker343** · 06-09-2022, 12:33 AM

Your motors not to high to cause puking. 1 and 2 are fine right?
3 is the issue and is it puking out the emulation tubes. The easy check is float hight and then replace needle and seats, they do last along time but not forever. I found a level motor helps to start a cold carb motor

**gflick** · 06-09-2022, 11:06 AM

The thing is I just changed out the needles and seats on this carb a few weeks back. Float levels are set correctly as well. I’ll try putting it back on today and see if cleaning it out helped at all. I couldn’t visually see any gunk btwn seat and needle but maybe there was? Thanks for confirming the tilt isn’t too high. If it’s still puking I’ll replace needle and seats for a third time.

**Baker343** · 06-09-2022, 08:21 PM

Try swapping the needle and seats from #1 or 2 carbs

**gflick** · 06-09-2022, 09:31 PM

I replaced needles just now and saw it leaking from the reed block??? i had no idea fuel was supposed to feed into there and im not sure how it does. Ill post video below