New Plugs

[Superfishman186]

I'm pretty sure it is using less oil than break in, after my smartach said the break in was over wich was 2 hours I looked at the oil tank, filled it for the next trip and it for sure took i'd say about 4-5 hours to get to the same level again. I would think that only the dealer could check the real oil usage with there computer.

I just checked the plug gaps, 5 were .028 and 1 was .026 (I bet merc dropped that one) Depending on which page I look on my manual calls for .031 in the general info section or .030 in the maintenance section, strange. It did idle a little rough, with an occasional miss I figured it was because of the extra oil but it didn't go away after the first 2 hours so maybe this was why. I know all the rest of the iridium plugs I've owed said not to change the gap but I always have and never wrecked any.

I've been reading lots of older posts about how hard these bottom plugs are to change, they must have changed this motor as mine are not difficult to change at all, i can screw em all in by hand and i do not need any swivel's only 1 long reach plug socket. Does anyone have a pic of the hard to get to plugs? I'm curious if mine is different.

[MrStarnes1]

every guy i fish with likes to float test their old plugs and i have never seen one pass the test.
toss them into the water, and if they float, they are still good
small gap COULD have a little bit to do with the build up as your spark was not lit as long as it would have been at .031.
i would just run some cleaner through like previously mentioned and run it WOT for a bit to get everything warmed up and cleaned out.
also check your air inlet filter, could be blocked causing the rich running condition
just some thoughts on the subject, i know as a mechanic i always say i would rather take a beating than a running problem

[Superfishman186]

I am going to start using seafoam, 1oz to 1 gallon, I would use the Quickleen but i have no place to buy it Gander doesn't sell it here and my local merc dealer is a joke. I checked the air filter and of course its brand new, motor was made in March 11.

[staylor]

To JDP-I was referring to the original 10 hour break in- when the Opti computer runs a rich oil mix. For the first 2-3 hours my engine used quite a bit of oil- which tapered off out to the end of what the manual said was a 10 hour break-in. After the break in oil usage was very low and has remained very low for all the years I've owned the motor. After a full season with a lot of trolling around 900-1000 rpm the plugs in my Opti have very little build-up of carbon/crud on the electrodes. I do get some black deposits on the end of the threads where they are exposed to combustion, but this scrapes off easy. I usually change plugs every 2 seasons lately, simply because the plugs still run good and the gaps never seem to wear with the iridium plugs.

To Superfisherman 186- I'll have to take a look at a late model Opti for plug access. As I noted, on my 2002 it's hard enough just to see the lowest plug on the port bank. You have to fish around with some swivel adaptors on the plug socket before you actually find the plug. It's also very easy to cross thread this plug position when installing the new plug. Changing this plug on my Opti was almost as bad as a V-6 Buick I owned in the '80s where you needed a dental mirror on a 3 ft long dowel wedged against the firewall to see the plug and had to look at the image in the mirror to guide the plug socket down over the plug.

I wouldn't worry much about the Opti air filter. It hardly shows any dirt after a full season- although it will pick up sand flies sometimes if you run thru a swarm of the little critters at high speed. I change the filter yearly although it doesn't look dirty at all. A few years back my Opti acted like it was being starved for air at idle. I found a wasp had crawled into the top cowl vents, built a small nest on the filter element, and had smeared mud all over the filter. A bit of wasp spray and a new filter fixed the problem.
Doug

[Superfishman186]

Here is a pic of the port side bottom two plugs, very easy access now, nothing to move or unhook just the plug wire. I found a pic of a pre 2011 opti and you can't even see the plug with all the wires and hoses in the way, also it looks like for 2011 that the coil packs are a different shape and size and arranged a little better for plug access. you can easily screw all the plugs in by hand now without removing any wires or hoses. The second pics is an older opti.

[2catch1]

why are you working on this when it is under warranty? you may actually void some warranty.

[Superfishman186]

Working on it??? Removing and cleaning plugs so i can use the boat this weekend is hardly considered voiding a warranty, I doubt plugs are a warranted item anyway, its a wear item. Even if I end up buying a set of new plugs for $60-80, its still cheaper than hauling the boat to the dealer to warranty them even if they would. Alot of people would rather do normal maintnence themselves rather than rely on a crooked dealer to charge you ungodly amounts of money to change a set of plugs, You are aloud to do ALL of the maintenance items described in your user manual without voiding any warranty.

[BigJim&TheTwins]

Plugs are not covered by the Mercury warranty, my 150 I bought new 3 years ago fowled plugs after about 5 hours, it ran rough so i took it in and $120 later plus 85 labor (i think) I was on my way. This is from the warranty pdf i still have from it. Turns out a few months later i need plugs again, then the dealer found out there was an oil injection problem and the new plugs were covered, but not the first set that I bought the first time i was in.

GENERAL EXCLUSIONS FROM WARRANTY
1. Minor adjustments and tune‑ups, including checking,
cleaning, or adjusting spark plugs, ignition components,
carburetor settings, filters, belts, controls, and checking
lubrication made in connection with normal services.