1997 Mercury mariner 2.5 200hp V6 problem

**Kez kez** · 07-02-2016, 06:45 AM

Hi, I took off my flywheel to replace my stator and trigger. Then I put back on the flywheel and attempted to start and now the engine won't even start and is backfiring. Can anyone help, does anyone know what that problem might be?

**rock** · 07-02-2016, 09:14 AM

recheck your wiring. backfire means it is firing at the wrong time. Very easy to mix a couple wires up, Good luck.

Rock

**Kez kez** · 07-02-2016, 12:08 PM

I doubl check all wiring and everything all the wires are where their suppose to be. Does the flywheel suppose to go on a certain way for timing or can it just go on anyway? Because I'm not seeing no sort of marking except for on the flywheel that have numbers in degrees buh other than that there is no other marking.

**rock** · 07-02-2016, 12:58 PM

The flywheel will have a splined fit. Will only fit one way. Yello banded trigger and yello banded stator wires same switch box. Also often difficult to see wire color (brown and purple look about the same on some of them) but your being new I doubt that.

**Mako22** · 07-02-2016, 06:36 PM

You likely have a wiring problem.

Last week I replaced both switch boxes, both regulators, flywheel and stator on my 1997 200 Offshore. All magnets in the flywheel were loose.

Cranked and ran fine on the first key turn.

But I paid a lot of attention to the wiring diagrams and color codes. Also improved the regulator wiring by getting rid of those silly plug in connectors.

Found a broken ground wire on one of the ignition coils, replaced it. I will replace all of the ground wires next week, those things are suspect and they look like about 18 gauge wire.

If your flywheel is original and you play in salt water, the magnets are likely loose. When I pulled the old flywheel three of the magnets were stuck to the stator!!

Crispy critter regulators. Can't see the backs of the regulators unless you take them off of the engine. Worth a look!!! See those plug in connectors? Nasty things, one of Mercury's many engineering failures with this engine.

If you do not have the Mercury service manual, time to buy one.

**Mako22** · 07-02-2016, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by rock

The flywheel will have a splined fit. Will only fit one way. Yello banded trigger and yello banded stator wires same switch box. Also often difficult to see wire color (brown and purple look about the same on some of them) but your being new I doubt that.

A mating wide spline on the flywheel hub and the crankshaft. They fit together.

Yellow banded wires go on the outside (starboard) switchbox.

Some of the wires on mine looked the same, had to use a bright light and my reading glasses to be sure I was connecting properly.

**Kez kez** · 07-14-2016, 06:49 PM

I found the problem engine needed to be timed but I couldn't find the timing marks but I did with the help of a friend, engine started right up. But now I have a next problem, the engine starts up good and idles but wen I go to put it in toward or reverse the engine shuts off.

**Kez kez** · 07-14-2016, 06:51 PM

Forward*** and the engines revs good when I rev it up from the carburetors buh wen I push down the throttle to move forward or to reverse the engine shuts right off.

**Kez kez** · 07-15-2016, 10:27 AM

Since the engine was shutting off in gear I thought it was starving for fuel but I took apart the carbs and fuel pump and they were all clean and all passages were clear so I don't see why the engine would shut off. When I timed the engine I looked all over for a mark to line up the flywheel with because my flywheel don't hold a key. I didn't see a mark but I found a number 4 on the block right under the flywheel. I figured that number meant to put the 4th piston at Tdc so I did. Then I rest the flywheel on at 0 degrees on the flywheel to line up with the number 4 that I saw on the block. Can anyone tell me if I timed this engine correctly? And another question. Do you have to change switch boxes in pairs? For example; switch box 1 and switch box 2 or can I use two switch box 2's once they both are marked A13?

**transomstand** · 07-15-2016, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Kez kez

When I timed the engine I looked all over for a mark to line up the flywheel with because my flywheel don't hold a key. I didn't see a mark but I found a number 4 on the block right under the flywheel. I figured that number meant to put the 4th piston at Tdc so I did. Then I rest the flywheel on at 0 degrees on the flywheel to line up with the number 4 that I saw on the block. Can anyone tell me if I timed this engine correctly?

Absolutely...positively NO

**Kez kez** · 07-15-2016, 11:45 AM

Ok so how do I go about timing it plz? Need to get back up and running

**transomstand** · 07-15-2016, 11:55 AM

Perform the full link and sync procedure.

Based on your earlier posts, I'm sure you have no idea what that is. So what I'm saying is you need to get some qualified help on site with this. This response probably sounds harsh, but so are the results of attempting to time that motor by the seat of your pants, you could end up with a pile of melted aluminum.

**David - WI** · 07-15-2016, 12:41 PM

Two people already tried to explain the flywheel indexing to you, maybe this picture?

Click image for larger version.

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**Kez kez** · 07-15-2016, 01:16 PM

Ok thanks.. Do you have a linking showing how to perform full link and sync procedure? And I know the spline that's in the pic but what I'm saying is, my flywheel does not have anything in the hub to fit into that spline. So my flywheel can't only go on one way because there's nothing to fit into that splined fit