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Is the Merc 50 ELPTO a decent motor?...

CRFan1

By CRFan1
in Boats & Motors.

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FM_Mike Veteran

FM_Mike

Posted
Posted

Had a 2000 50 hp carbed 4 stroke. Nothing but trouble with mine. Carbs gummed up and needed cleaning constantly. 300 dollars a shot at the shop. Owned the motor new and since it was considered a FUEL issue it was not covered under warranty. In the 2 years I had the motor it was in to have the carbs cleaned 3 times. Got so fed up with it I sent a letter to Merc. and they replaced my motor with a 50 hp EFI 4 stroke.

The new motor is GREAT. Never had it to the shop for ANY issues. NO so called FUEL ISSUES and it has been great. I have little if any good to say about the carbed motors. Check with some Merc. shops, the carb troubles from the ones I had talked to were well known. I was told they love to see them because it is a quick 300.00 on the carb job. Just MY experiences...

Mike

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CRFan1 Enthusiast

CRFan1

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Pretty much bulletproof... they're highly reliable and run well when properly maintained.

marine_man

Thanks Marine man...what sort of maintenance do you recommend aside from Lower unit oil and plugs, once a season?

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MuskieJunkie Mentor

MuskieJunkie

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Here's my 2 cents.

Is it a decent motor - yes. Is it a good motor - no. There are a lot better options out there.

I've had 3 of them over the years, ranging from 25-90 HP, and a couple of my friends run them currently. I won't buy another one. It is a solid reliable motor (the actual engine) as stated but they do have their issues with starters, power trim etc.

My main complaints are:

They are hard to start, you'll have to come up with a system of pumping the fuel ball, hitting the choke, and feathering the throttle, if it floods then it ever harder to start.... And on a cold day you'll have to bump the choke just to keep it idleing for a few minutes until you're able to run. I run seafoam in every tank and had asked 2 different mechanics about it and they both said "we can't fix it, that's just the way these motors are".

They are very loud.

And they use a lot of fuel, probably twice as much as some comparable motors.

Most of those issues are carb related, I would shop for a rig with a fuel injected motor if it was me.

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CRFan1 Enthusiast

CRFan1

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Here's my 2 cents.

Is it a decent motor - yes. Is it a good motor - no. There are a lot better options out there.

I've had 3 of them over the years, ranging from 25-90 HP, and a couple of my friends run them currently. I won't buy another one. It is a solid reliable motor (the actual engine) as stated but they do have their issues with starters, power trim etc.

My main complaints are:

They are hard to start, you'll have to come up with a system of pumping the fuel ball, hitting the choke, and feathering the throttle, if it floods then it ever harder to start.... And on a cold day you'll have to bump the choke just to keep it idleing for a few minutes until you're able to run. I run seafoam in every tank and had asked 2 different mechanics about it and they both said "we can't fix it, that's just the way these motors are".

They are very loud.

And they use a lot of fuel, probably twice as much as some comparable motors.

Most of those issues are carb related, I would shop for a rig with a fuel injected motor if it was me.

Thanks!

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Esox_Magnum Grand Master

Esox_Magnum

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Posted

We run an 05 60 merc on our muskie boat, once it starts its a good runner, trick is getting it started. It does seem to like to drink, alot more than my old 1993 70 Evenrude. Of course it is a little underpowered for the boat its on that could be part of the gas guzzeling problem.

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Musky_Madness Proficient

Musky_Madness

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Agreed, had a 50 Merc and it did the same thing as listed above: drank gas, burned oil, and was a b*%$h to get running especially if it flooded. If you hear a VRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOM somewhere on the lake when a boat is starting up, odds are its a Merc firing up. The 50 Merc has been upgraded a wee bit to a 150 Optimax and a night and day difference beyond the ponies. And yes I know they are totally different monsters but I wouldn't ever go back to a non DFI engine again.

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Surface Tension Grand Master

Surface Tension

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I've got a 1993 40 Mercury Classic(4 cylinder).

I've had it for over 10 years, in that time all that was needed was a new impeller.

One of the best outboards I've owned for reliability.

Quiet and being a 4 cylinder very smooth.

Yes they do need to be choked on cold starts then a bump(s) of the choke till it warms up.

If your fouling plugs or flooding I'd pull gas line and let it run a minute before you shut it down and trailer it back home. That is especial important with any outboard with a remote tank.

When I get home I trim the outboard back down. One reason is the floats will drop into the normal position. Also having the oil tank in the engine cover I like that being in normal operating position.

The hard starts could be as simple as changing the spark plugs. I'll fog the outboard every Fall. Come Spring I'll put the muffs on and burn the fogging oil off. Then I replace the spark plugs. If I don't replace those plugs after fogging I find it harder to start. Eventually sometime that summer new plugs will be needed. So you might as well start out the season right.

Gas consumption. No matter what outboard you run, if your running at WOT it is going to burn a lot more gas then if you backed off to 3/4 throttle. We call that cruising speed. Something that got lost along the way with most guys worried about squeezing that last mph out of their boat.

When you see and hear matching an outboard to a boats max rating that is what they intended. To get the best performance at that 3/4 throttle. That gives you plenty of power to jump on plane, then back off the throttle to cruise.

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CRFan1 Enthusiast

CRFan1

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Thanks all for the info! I have decided to bite the bullet and go with one of the DFI 2 strokes on the Classic 165 CS (probably 75hp)

Going into the dealer tomorrow to see what options and costs are for an upgrade smile

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