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dunaholic
10-29-2007, 09:51 AM
There is an enourmous amount of soot that appears on the port side of my boat after a weekend of running my boat. Way more than I have ever noticed before and it's is really dark! Starboard side has some, but the port side is really bad. I have a 496 Mag that I run 87 in that appears to be running way to rich. Is there anybody else that has had this problem?

Not So Fast
10-29-2007, 10:14 AM
There is an enourmous amount of soot that appears on the port side of my boat after a weekend of running my boat. Way more than I have ever noticed before and it's is really dark! Starboard side has some, but the port side is really bad. I have a 496 Mag that I run 87 in that appears to be running way to rich. Is there anybody else that has had this problem?
Plenty, do a search. Common malady for Merc motors. NSF

Sweet Addiction
10-29-2007, 10:15 AM
Mine always soots up. The whole transom gets dirty. I can't stand it, but they say the 496 motors run rich. I run 89 in mine. Just keep on truckin'.

HM
10-29-2007, 10:17 AM
Pull the plugs and inspect on that side and see if you can determine whether it is that side or just one piston.
I don't know anything about the 496...I am just thinking trouble shooting in general. I had my 502 get sooty on the starboard side and I had a burnt/bent valve.

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 10:23 AM
Mine always soots up. The whole transom gets dirty. I can't stand it, but they say the 496 motors run rich. I run 89 in mine. Just keep on truckin'.
i will put a picture up soon... I think there might be a problem from the amount of soot there was this weekend.

Keith E. Sayre
10-29-2007, 10:29 AM
Take it to a Merc certified dealer that you trust. 99% of the time, they will
reflash the computer and you'll be back in business. Also, run 87 octane
only. I know, all of us old school carbed out motor junkies always want to
run better octance. For the last 100 years, that' s been pounded into our
brains, and I still think that way, just not with the Merc 496's!!
What "Not So Fast" said is correct, it does happen.
What HM said also could be true.
Good luck.
Keith Sayre

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 11:21 AM
Take it to a Merc certified dealer that you trust. 99% of the time, they will
reflash the computer and you'll be back in business. Also, run 87 octane
only. I know, all of us old school carbed out motor junkies always want to
run better octance. For the last 100 years, that' s been pounded into our
brains, and I still think that way, just not with the Merc 496's!!
What "Not So Fast" said is correct, it does happen.
What HM said also could be true.
Good luck.
Keith Sayre
I only run 87 in it.

AZJD
10-29-2007, 11:49 AM
I have been running 89 octane in mine and it reduced the soot by half. Should I not run 89? Is it a problem for the motor?

Chico&Zeus
10-29-2007, 01:53 PM
Only time mine sooted really bad was running 87 from dangling rope marina at Powell.....that shit left a diesel cloud on my transom and bimini boot :D

McIntyrelocal
10-29-2007, 02:01 PM
yeah its probably bad gas and the side thats worse might have a couple of worn sparkplugs the guys with deep pockets run av gas just so there is no soot but those motors were build to run on 87 so there is no piont in running anything different unless you cant stand the soot but as long as theres no performance issue its probably just the gas. new cap rotor and plugs will probably fix it.;)

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 02:06 PM
How in the heck do I re-size pictures for this board?

McIntyrelocal
10-29-2007, 02:08 PM
i dont get that either i never know what to change to make the pics smaller.

Cheap Thrills
10-29-2007, 02:17 PM
How in the heck do I re-size pictures for this board?
open the pic. in MS Paint. click Image/ stretch skew .. 50%x50% save as ??? .JPG ..... then try it...
T.

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 02:26 PM
open the pic. in MS Paint. click Image/ stretch skew .. 50%x50% save as ??? .JPG ..... then try it...
T.
I don't have MS paint.

Cheap Thrills
10-29-2007, 02:30 PM
shoot me a PM I'll do it...
T.

lalhc
10-29-2007, 02:34 PM
I have the same problem w/my 496 Mag. I always blamed it on my Conquest integrated swimstep. I also have flaps on my exhaust. Does that make a difference?

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 02:34 PM
Let's try this.....

Cheap Thrills
10-29-2007, 02:39 PM
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42147&d=1193697275

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 02:42 PM
Does everybody agree that is excessive?

Cheap Thrills
10-29-2007, 02:50 PM
Looks excessive to me.
Although I can't help you with a cure.
It's the common consensus in several threads that the 496 is like that and is the nature of the beast.
Good Luck with it.

hava life
10-29-2007, 03:15 PM
Looks real excessive on one side, I would have it checked out just to be safe.

SOCALDETAIL1
10-29-2007, 03:22 PM
No wax huh? looks like if there was some wax on that transom it wouldnt of sticked so badly.

McIntyrelocal
10-29-2007, 03:45 PM
Does everybody agree that is excessive?
i dont think its that excessive when was the last time you had it serviced. how many hours?

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 03:47 PM
No wax huh? looks like if there was some wax on that transom it wouldnt of sticked so badly.
It hasn't been waxed since march, but I do use Boat Bling "Hot Sauce" every time I cleanthe boat, that is supposed to have wax in it.

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 03:49 PM
i dont think its that excessive when was the last time you had it serviced. how many hours?
Well, I just bought the boat this season, so I don't know when the plugs and such were last done. I do all my own maintenance so I will change the plugs and such before I take it out again.

ULTRA26 # 1
10-29-2007, 04:02 PM
Does everybody agree that is excessive?
No doubt that's excessive.

McIntyrelocal
10-29-2007, 04:02 PM
yeah if you look at most of the boats that the exhaust isnt completly in the water there is soot some motors run different but they all do it if you want to get rid of it run 50/50 regular/to av gass that ussually gets rid of all of it.

dunaholic
10-29-2007, 04:19 PM
yeah if you look at most of the boats that the exhaust isnt completly in the water there is soot some motors run different but they all do it if you want to get rid of it run 50/50 regular/to av gass that ussually gets rid of all of it.
It's cheaper to clean it than to put AvGas in it for sure. I am hoping that a tune up will take care of it. Anybody know of a Dyno in Havasu that has a good tuner associated with it?

McIntyrelocal
10-29-2007, 04:24 PM
It's cheaper to clean it than to put AvGas in it for sure. I am hoping that a tune up will take care of it. Anybody know of a Dyno in Havasu that has a good tuner associated with it?
call ronnie at bad atittude boats in parker he is awsome with any boat and a good honest guy its worth the drive and when he is done the boat will run to the best of its ability a dyno for something like that is a waste of money unless you want it for something else i think he has a prop dyno.

ULTRA26 # 1
10-29-2007, 04:28 PM
Very little to tune with a 496, unless taken to an Auth Merc service facility or Whipple.

Keith E. Sayre
10-29-2007, 04:41 PM
I'll state for the record again, take it to a Merc dealer, 99% of the time they
will get the computer "reflashed" and your problem will be solved.
No, for whoever asked, don't run 89 or 91 or anything better. It will have
optimum performance on 87. In the case where it looked like a 35 Nordic
Flame ran rich from Dangling rope, it was marked 87 and could have been 87 or who knows but the altitude would make it run rich and blacken the boat.
If it was mis marked and was really 89, that would be like running 91 down
here at our elevation which would blacken up the boat.
If it's only one side of the exhaust, 99% of the time it is a computer related
deal which is very easy to reflash. 1% of the time it could be for the reasons that others have mentioned here.
Just my 2 cents worth. PS--nice airplane!
Keith SAyre

McIntyrelocal
10-29-2007, 04:49 PM
i used to work at quality performance in corona and they were a certified merc waranty shop and i thought most shops that did any service on any type of merc i/o had a scanner im pretty sure ronnie has one and he is good but if he doesnt yeah find some one who has a scanner it could be a map or tpi sensor as well but from my experience if the boat still runs as it should its prob just regular service stuff.Like mr sayre said just an opinion hope any of what i said helps.

cola
10-29-2007, 04:55 PM
The wind has a lot to do with the way the soot collects on your transom. If you run with your bimmini where it is in that photo you will have more soot.
Mike

dunaholic
10-30-2007, 09:27 AM
I'll state for the record again, take it to a Merc dealer, 99% of the time they
will get the computer "reflashed" and your problem will be solved.
No, for whoever asked, don't run 89 or 91 or anything better. It will have
optimum performance on 87. In the case where it looked like a 35 Nordic
Flame ran rich from Dangling rope, it was marked 87 and could have been 87 or who knows but the altitude would make it run rich and blacken the boat.
If it was mis marked and was really 89, that would be like running 91 down
here at our elevation which would blacken up the boat.
If it's only one side of the exhaust, 99% of the time it is a computer related
deal which is very easy to reflash. 1% of the time it could be for the reasons that others have mentioned here.
Just my 2 cents worth. PS--nice airplane!
Keith SAyre
So who would you recommend to look at the computer?
Thanks, I just sold the plane a couple of months ago.

Chico&Zeus
10-30-2007, 09:38 AM
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42147&d=1193697275
Yup, that is exactly what mine looked like at Powell, never thought about the altitude in my case.....that was the only time it ever happened. I've got 502 Mag Mpi's just FYI.