225x questions

**Greg G** · 10-14-2015, 08:24 AM

That stinks and makes no sense whatsoever. Good luck with the poppet.

**LongShot** · 10-14-2015, 08:36 AM

It will show up eventually. I have something off a little.

**Go Time** · 10-14-2015, 11:43 AM

Dave, on the Promax (not the 225X) the tell tale taps off the hose between the adapter and the port thermostat....Is the plumbing on the 225X different?
I looked it up and sounds like the plumbing is correct for the X motor...do you have the hose from the exhaust divider to poppet cover?

Also how deep in the bucket do you have the engine when you run it? Those pump don't lft good unless there is water on the outside sealing the top housing to the base.

**David L** · 10-14-2015, 01:11 PM

In regards to excessive smoking at idle. If you think its caused by being rich, you can tweak idle mixture a tad by opening and closing the butter fly idle stop. This is what the shop manual says.

**Greg G** · 10-14-2015, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by David L

On my 225X, I run the BPR8EIX since the VX is no longer avl. They seem to be more prone to fouling though. Couple of years ago, I switch to a hotter plug which helped the fouling issue, BPR7EIX.

I run the same plug as you David. So far I have not had any fouling problems with the BPR8EIX that I have in the power head but they are awfully pricey.

**Greg G** · 10-14-2015, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by LongShot

Fouling plugs on these motors with the sophisticated ECM is strange. Mine seems to smoke ALOT at idle. Still going through issues with intermittently not watering. Went away from hose to a tank. Went out today after declaring victory yesterday and started it up and it never picked up water. I think it is cursed.

My 225X smokes at start up and ongoing idle as well. I run 120 degree thermostats and a poppet. If the lower unit is in a bucket and fully submerged to just below the anti-ventilation plate the pisser will pee out a steady stream of water. Not forceful but firm and steady. The SCM gauge will show 116-118 degrees at idle during this. Once I let water out of the bucket and the water level reaches just to the top of my prop's barrel (its a through hub) the temp will rise to 122. It the water level goes an inch lower than the temp will raise to 128 and so on. This will happen even with the proper Merc flusher attached to the nose cone and water in the water bucket enough to cover the tip of that orange flusher.

When I run the boat at cruise, say 3000-4000 rpm the SCM gauge readout sticks like glue at 98-100 degrees. This is too cool in my opinion but there is no way to make it run hotter.

**LongShot** · 10-16-2015, 07:31 PM

Exactly the kind of info I need. Tried two different lower units, Sportmaster and CLE. Ran it in a bucket with water halfway up to cav plate. Everything looked good. Still having trouble getting it to idle. It runs up and down from 650 to 1500 rpms. Checked DDT and it was showing TPI 1 ERROR. I had left the bolt through the accelrator cam loose like a dummy and once tightened I got the right TPI voltage and it started and idled better. It wasn't getting enough water up to the stat housings and I keep watch with an infrared thermometer. It got to 135 and started steaming out the pee hose so I shut it down. Drained the water down and hooked up the flush boot. My can is not drilled so I thought maybe too much exhaust pressure and the can might have been filling up with water/ gas pressure. Took the starboard stat housing loose and removed stat. Put a 280 style washer in it. Fired it up on the boot. No water out the starboard side.

This thing is on a stock 200 EFI mid with 2 piece adapter. The cowl is an alien with 200 Mariner stickers. Things going through my mind now is, did someone change the stickers on the cowl and the base plate doesnt have the slots for the poppet? Dumb of me not to check.Or, the guy I bought it from was trying to run 280 style water routing and maybe the poppet is removed? Anyway, will pull the powerhead tomorrow, check both of those possibilities and double check the routing of the hoses from adapter, stat housings and poppet.
I have built several motors over the years. Did not build this one but have never had such a difficult time with simple stuff you take for granted. Put new water pump in, bolt up gear housing, hook up water, start motor......I am missing something somewhere and hopefully pulling it all back apart will show something.

**Greg G** · 10-16-2015, 07:47 PM

I'm just honing in on one thing before you go through the trouble of pulling the powerhead. You said that the poppet valve "might" not be in there? I would pull the covers on that first and inspect that. Very slim chance that the gent who built up the motor gutted it BUT you never know so do a quick check on that. You may have already done this and I missed it earlier.

**Greg G** · 10-16-2015, 07:51 PM

Also, just as a side bar observation I always have NO MORE than 15lbs of water pressure at WOT on my X. This to me is also strange. I would think 19-20 lbs would be proper for a Merc. That said the motor is cooling with that psi so I've not messed with it.

**LongShot** · 10-16-2015, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Greg G

I'm just honing in on one thing before you go through the trouble of pulling the powerhead. You said that the poppet valve "might" not be in there? I would pull the covers on that first and inspect that. Very slim chance that the gent who built up the motor gutted it BUT you never know so do a quick check on that. You may have already done this and I missed it earlier.

Greg I have not checked the poppet but just looking at bolts/ gaskets looks like it has never been molested. I will double check it. I walked out to shop just to double check plumbing. Hose from adapter plate goes to port thermostat. No crossover hose to starboard thermostat. Hose off starboard thermostat goes to hose and out pee fitting in cowling pan. Hose from bottom of exhaust divider runs to poppet valve housing.

**Greg G** · 10-18-2015, 01:06 PM

A clear picture is worth a thousand words. When you get a moment maybe post up a pic of the back of the X power head for all to see. Btw, I agree with you on the poppet but easy enough to check and cross that off as a suspect.

**LongShot** · 10-18-2015, 01:37 PM

I will. Just sold a boat and have to de-rig it. I am giving the X motor a rest, or me a rest, as it has really bumfuzzled me.

**Bullet89** · 10-18-2015, 05:47 PM

Dave my name is Eric. I am just up the road from you in Seymour. I have built a lot of these engines. Maybe I can help. I know where there are a few of them we can look at if you want to bring it by 865-898-7938

**LongShot** · 10-18-2015, 06:10 PM

Hey Eric. We have spoken before Our buddy Matt had been giving me pointers on it before his accident. Man I wish he could pull out and get going again. Matt helped me find the ECM problem. The boat is not ready to trailer yet. I might yell if it whips me.