# Mariner Outboard Question



## Nascar31Fan (Jan 4, 2005)

Let's see if I can do this without confusing anybody, particularly myself!

I have a 30 hp Mariner ouboard that according to the code #'s I believe to be a 1987. Here's the situation:

My model# is a 30 ELO Code# 689 Serial # 419290

The closest I could find was 30A ELO Everything else the same.

Now, according to that, and the cover on the motor, it is an oil injected engine. Doesn't that mean that the oil is NOT mixed with the gas, but goes in seperately through a pump in the engine? Mine requires it be pre-mixed.

Am I miss understanding the oil injection thing or do I have a different year motor, which really seems unlikely?

thanks for helping a silly question!


----------



## glockman55 (Mar 9, 2006)

Is there a separate oil tank on the motor? If not then you must premix. Maybe someone changed it to pre mix only. Possibly oil injection problems. Did you buy this motor used?


----------



## Priority1 (Feb 5, 2006)

I had a 80 something Mariner 40 HP, that a marine mechanic recomended to remove the remote oil injection system. He told me that several had failed and toasted the engines. I removed mine the next day, and started mixing my fuel. My son has that boat and motor now, and it's still going strong.


----------



## Nascar31Fan (Jan 4, 2005)

Bought used from my best friend who had it handed down from his step-dad, who was the original owner. He was pretty good at maintaining his stuff so if there were any chance at a failure he would have replaced it. 
I've been fishing out of it for 5 or 6 years and never really thought anything about it until I looked up the year. It runs great, just wasn't sure if I was missing something in regards to the model and serial #'s and age of it.


----------



## sdanville (Jan 16, 2006)

I hate to answer a question with a question.
does the hood read "oil injection" 
My Mercury and Mairner oil injections are REAL obvious because they have a clear tube in the front of the hood so one can see how much two stroke oil is in there. if the hood reads EFI thats just electronic fuel injection.
I read here several times about guys mixing their own gas. I prefer to trust the Mercury Enginiers and just add a couple qts of oil per season to the oil injection tank. 
Remember when we were all afraid of pointless electronic ignition in the 70's ?


----------



## TONGA (Jul 22, 2002)

They have the oil injection down to a fine science today. But there was a time to be afraid of oil injection and that time was the 80s ,,, there were more than a few smoked power heads lying around repair shops from the failure of variable ratio oil units. And it was common practice to just remove the units and mix the fuel. There were even a few service bulletins from the outboard manufacturers recommending the proper procedure for removal of units. Heck we are only a few years removed from the FICHT injected motors and there was no easy cure for those pigs, so dont always trust an Imagineer.
I did not look up your motors numbers but it looks to me that you have done your research correctly ,, so more than likely someone has properly and probably very early in that motors life has removed the oil unit.


----------



## Nascar31Fan (Jan 4, 2005)

sdanville - Yes, the hood says oil injection right on it. The question I had was that my model # is not an exact match to the book, mines 30 ELO not 30A ELO. Maybe the A has just faded too much over the years.

Tonga - I believe it probably was removed/replaced early on. My buddies step dad was pretty good at making sure things were taken care of properly. if there was a chance of failure, he would have fixed it. but that is great info. to know.

i been fishing out of this boat for probably 10 years and I've known that my buddy has always mixed the gas/oil. i just thought the hood was just a replacement. After looking up the serial numbers is when I started to wonder. I did look under the cover for a oil unit and didn't find one, duh ! I just was really making sure I had the year and model I thought.

Thanks again for everybodies help!


----------

