Mercury Kicker motor

[bluekim7]

I have a Mercury 9.9 hp 4 stroke Bigfoot kicker motor. It trolls on my boat at 1.8 mph. Is there any way to idle it down to get a slower speed? Or is my only option running drift socks?

Thanks,
Kim

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Mine trolls down below 1 mph.

[Trophy Specialist]

I've got the exact same motor on my 22' Lund and had the same problem. The motor came with a great big four blade prop. I had to get a new prop to solve the problem. I had a hard time finding a small prop for it too. The aftermarket ones that are resonably priced didn't fit it. I ordered one from Michigan Wheel that they said would fit and it didn't and I had to send it back and then they told me that they didn't make one for that motor and year (2006). I ended up ordering one from Mercury and it cost over $100. It's the only prop I've ever seen that does not have the size stamped on it, so I can't tell you what size it is. I'd have to look at my receipt,which is at home and I'm up north.

When the wind really blows (over 15 mph) and I'm trolling with the wind for walleyes, I still have to deploy drift socks.

I have to switch the original prop and my small prop back and forth as I go from walleye to salmon fishing. The small prop runs at too high of RPMs for salmon trolling and the big prop won't go slow enough for walleyes.

With all the problems I've had with my last three Mercury motors, I'm never going to buy them again. I had one blow up last year and have had the new ones in the shop over a dozen times in the last year. No more Mercury junk for me.

[shametamer]

I've got the exact same motor on my 22' Lund and had the same problem. The motor came with a great big four blade prop. I had to get a new prop to solve the problem. I had a hard time finding a small prop for it too. The aftermarket ones that are resonably priced didn't fit it. I ordered one from Michigan Wheel that they said would fit and it didn't and I had to send it back and then they told me that they didn't make one for that motor and year (2006). I ended up ordering one from Mercury and it cost over $100. It's the only prop I've ever seen that does not have the size stamped on it, so I can't tell you what size it is. I'd have to look at my receipt,which is at home and I'm up north.

When the wind really blows (over 15 mph) and I'm trolling with the wind for walleyes, I still have to deploy drift socks.

I have to switch the original prop and my small prop back and forth as I go from walleye to salmon fishing. The small prop runs at too high of RPMs for salmon trolling and the big prop won't go slow enough for walleyes.

With all the problems I've had with my last three Mercury motors, I'm never going to buy them again. I had one blow up last year and have had the new ones in the shop over a dozen times in the last year. No more Mercury junk for me.

i have 2, one on a 20 ft crestliner the other on a 17 foot starcraft....both of mine will troll under 1 mph(when they start)..lol..there is an idle adjustment screw on starboard side..the johnson(try to find one now:confused:) gives me no such problems it pushes a 17 ft starcraft as well at about .8................amen trophy specialist...i've had 9 mercs this century and 5 have given me problems..love my e-tec..eager tu try yammie!

[bluekim7]

Thanks guys, I am going to look at the throttle cable and the idle adjustment screw on this. Hopefully that will fix it for me. The motor I have has a three blade prop on it. I'll take a look at it before the next time I go out. Thanks for all your input and help.

Kim

[Trophy Specialist]

I've messed with the throttle adjustment many times (so have dealers). If I adjust it down too low, it stalls all the time. It's got a crappy adjustment on it. It eithor goes too slow or too fast. If you set mine in one possition, it will vassilate between too slow and too fast without even touching the throttle. It runs in surges. With the tinny little prop on there though I can set the throttle so that it will run well, and still go slow enough. IMHO, the older model Merc 4-stroke kickers, of which I had two, were much better motors. The idle adjustment on those were much better and you could troll much slower. The standard prop on those older motors was better for all around trolling too. I never had any problems with those two motors. But, Mercury decided to cheapen them up. I've heard that the new small 4-stroke motors are imports. About all the problems I've had with my motors in the last year have been forign parts failing. Mercury is also horrible now about covering thier crappy stuff under warantee. I've had a lot of out of pocket expenses becuase of faulty parts and workmanship on motors that are only one year old.:mad: If Mercury keeps up there current policies and poor quality products, then they will loose market share very fast. They lost me as a devoted customer.

[Willie Tippit]

Props Make Alot Of Differenence..set The Idle To Fact Specs And Change The Prop...good Luck Mark..

[sfw1960]

I duunnoooabowch00 Bill , ya g00F!
:lol:
Yamaha builds the smaller MerCs , don't they??
:evilsmile
My 25 has a rotatable choke pull-knob for low end idle adjust...
doesn't yours??
I think I use it EVERY time I start mine................
:p


RAS