Mercury 4 Stroke Break-In - Common Questions Answered

In this video I discuss the Mercury Marine 4 Stroke Outboard Break-in Procedure, and answer a few common questions I see in boating groups about it.
Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
00:48 What is a Break-in Period?
02:13 How often should I vary the throttle?
03:00 Where should I do my Break-in?
03:24 What if my boat doesn't have a Tach?
04:11 How should my motor be trimmed?
04:29 It's been 10 hours, what now?
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[@neverhomeguideservice]

Straight forward and to the point. Thanks Dan. Well done.

[@dansmidwestangling]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@Nardage]

This

[@michaelupton7970]

This was so helpful. Thank you.

[@baddboat]

Excellent video! Thank you very much! Huge help!

[@ericcoard]

Very good my friend. Watched several videos on this topic. Your’s was the best and easiest to understand. Thank you!

[@dansmidwestangling]

Thank you Eric, I really appreciate that!

[@mikegrevatt8980]

You have just nailed it with a simple and very informative video on Mercury outboard break-in . Just ordered a new 30 hp ELTP EFI and my mind is now at peace on how to do this.

[@dansmidwestangling]

Thank you very much Mike, glad I could help. Enjoy!

[@ashtonramus7820]

Thank you for this

[@Cbill1987]

Great video

[@dansmidwestangling]

Thank you!

[@rodeosound]

Thank you

[@Internutt2023]

Thanks for the reassuring and informative video. I purchased a 115 - 4 Stroke this spring 2023 ( just got in to the 5 Year warranty deal), haven't run the break in yet because I have been having to rebuild and reinforce an old PVC helm panel with carbon fiber & re-paint with epoxy, install the PROPER length throttle & shift cables ( install tech was in a hurry and did me dirty, I sucked it up and fixed it myself) adding a fuel filter / water separator, re-rigging all the electrical, installing new gauges NMEA2000 network, new sonar, and last step will be hydraulic steering before I hope to break it in mid-October and then get the 10 hour service done.

[@dansmidwestangling]

You're welcome! Yeah, I tend to lean towards DIYing stuff myself for that reason. Sounds like you've taken your time to get things how you really want them. Good luck and enjoy your new motor!

[@JasonStinson-tx1cr]

Thanks Dan

[@dansmidwestangling]

You're welcome!

[@brandon34344]

This is a great video. You are a great speaker. One question I was hoping you answered was, do these hours need to be done at once ? Or is shutting the motor on and off during the break okay. Obviously getting it back up to temp to perform the break in

[@dansmidwestangling]

Thank you very much! I actually had to do that myself because I ran out of daylight 1.5 hrs in. To my understanding there's nothing that says you can't do that, just remember to keep the idle varied while you warm up again.

[@brandon34344]

@@dansmidwestangling thank you. Just put a deposit on a bass tracker classic. My first boat. Can’t wait to pick it up. This is the best break in video I seen

[@dansmidwestangling]

Congratulations! And thanks again, I really appreciate that.

[@mojeaux13]

Should I let the engine cool between hour 1 & 2? What about the other 8 hours? Do you need to take a break and let the engine cool between each hour?

[@dansmidwestangling]

No, you do not need to let it cool between hours. The only thing that you need to do for the following 8 hours is make sure you don't run at full throttle for more than 5 minutes at a time.

[@tewksburydriver8624]

I was told by the marina I use that part of the break in is performed after manufacture and he just told me to basically throttle if easy for the first ten hours. Basically just don’t ride it like a teenager with his first car. That said do what makes you comfortable, it’s a big investment.

[@dansmidwestangling]

I don't know about any of that, the process I laid out in this video is simply how the official Mercury manual tells you to do it. I recommend following the advice of your manual you recieve with your outboard first and foremost.

[@tewksburydriver8624]

@@dansmidwestangling .. I agree, but the break in is a bit overkill for responsible people who know how to naturally break in an engine. My marina that’s been around for 60 years wouldn’t lead me wrong. Bottom line, take it easy with fast throttle changes for the first ten hours, then service the motor.

[@dansmidwestangling]

Do what you feel is comfortable for you, but just understand I can only recommend following the procedure laid out in the manual to the T so that your bases are covered. Enjoy your new outboard!

[@tewksburydriver8624]

@@dansmidwestangling … I understand, just sharing what the experts told me. I’ve had several outboards and always followed the maintenance schedule. A lot of people get worried about “break in” when in reality you just need to respect that it’s new and take it easy.

[@Evian1990]

Can the smaller engines, 15efi to be exact, can they be broken in, in a barrel? In neutral? Or do they absolutely need to be in gear and under load? I've got 14 new mercs tgat will need a proper break in becore putting into service.

[@dansmidwestangling]

I personally would make sure they were done under load. If you got creative with building a big/strong enough test tank, you could probably get away with it. I would contact mercury directly and see what they recommend. I understand with the sheer volume of units you have to do that doing it while riding around could get quite tedious. Hope this helps!

[@Evian1990]

@@dansmidwestangling thanks Dan. I actually kept researching after I asked yiu, and you are 100% correct. Thank ya thank ya!

[@fergsrcenjoyinglife352]

How much oil do you use during the break in process?

[@dansmidwestangling]

I didn't notice any difference on the stick

[@williamhannon5067]

First I've heard of a 10 hour service. Dealership I purchased from told me first service was at 100 hr

[@dansmidwestangling]

When I recorded the video, I had heard it called the 10 hr which isn't correct. As per Mercury's official service intervals, it is the 20 hr service. You may find this information here: www.mercurymarine.staging.yartdigital.com/home/service-warranty/service-maintenance/engine-maintenance.aspx

[@williamhannon5067]

Thanks for the info. Guy at dealership told me only had to change after 100 hours when I asked about changing oil after break in. Thanks for this info.

[@dansmidwestangling]

@William Hannon you're welcome, that's why I made this video in the first place! Guys are getting so many different answers from dealers on everything, and After getting screwed on a "platinum" warranty on a car from a major auto manufacturer I've learned that you gotta jump through all the hoops if you want the best chance of covering your behind if something goes wrong. I'm not giving them any chance to say, "well, you didn't do ______ like it says in the manual so you're on the hook".

[@midwestrailroader5793]

Does it have to be 2 consistent hours in a row? About to buy a boat. So could I take it out and vary the rpms and fish? Or should I just pick a day and knock out those first 2 hours cruising?

[@dansmidwestangling]

It doesn't have to be. In fact, I ran out of daylight and had to finish the last half hour another day. I would just plan on having a couple of hours before or after prime fishing time to follow the procedure and also hit the bite on the same trip.

[@midwestrailroader5793]

@@dansmidwestangling appreciate the video and the response. Wasn’t sure if I’d be able to resist that itch to fish!

[@zhakim1]

New owner, I start the motor cold with the choke out / open. After the motor is on in Neutral, after letting the motor warm up, I close the choke and the motor cuts off. I read that I should not run the motor out in the motor with the choke out. I can’t find the manual downloadable online. What am I doing wrong? Am I using the choke incorrectly or do I need to look at the fuel pump? Motor dies after I close the choke. Any thoughts or help is much appreciated

[@dansmidwestangling]

What specific year and model outboard are you using?

[@zhakim1]

@@dansmidwestangling hey thanks Dan. It’s a 2015 Mercury 9.9. I ran it yesterday for 15 minutes on Neutral. When I slowly try to close the choke motor cuts off

[@dansmidwestangling]

Being that it is a 4 stroke, I would suspect possibly the fuel pump. It could also be something really stupid like the primer ball not allowing proper flow. Can you manually increase the throttle without shifting it into gear? I would try seeing if you can manually raise engine speed to keep it going. Also, any engine I've ever had with a choke I've turned it off as soon as the motor is going. Leaving the choke on too long can lead to fouling and carbon problems. If you can't get it to idle and can't pinpoint the issue, it may be time to get it serviced. Hope this helps!

[@oaklandjames246]

So I've just ordered a 2022 mercury 25hp 4stroke the newest model that isn't released in Australia yet so brand new. I've heard you don't have to break them in because they do it at the factory because to many people weren't breaking them in properly. IS THIS TRUE ?????

[@dansmidwestangling]

As far as I am aware, this is a myth. If your manual lays out break-in procedures, you'd better follow them. The best thing to do if you aren't sure would be to call Mercury itself, they aren't going to tell you to do things/not do things which void their warranty. Hope this helps, thanks for watching!

[@oaklandjames246]

@@dansmidwestangling thank you 😊

[@philip4193]

Picked up my new boat with a 2022 Mercury 60hp a few weeks ago (I'm also in Australia). Dealer told me that they had done an hour's test and run-in in their tank in addition to the factory hot test-run at the Chinese assembly plant (was even listed on the purchase invoice under dealer pre-delivery charges) so the crucial 2hr initial run-in was complete; just needed to now vary the throttle with occasional short bursts at WOT until the 20hr service (seems to be different to the stated 10hr service in the US; maybe it's because the dealers do the initial low-hours run-in here?). Had 1.9 engine hours on it when I first started it up myself, so looks like they were telling the truth.

[@user-mm1ev1cu1m]

Do you have to do it all in one day

[@dansmidwestangling]

Nope, I didn't. I ran out of daylight actually, so I had to do the last half hour a week later. Just make sure you let it warm up for a couple of minutes before feeding her some hot supper!

[@ahmetok7530]

Hello from Turkey ... I bought 60 hp. but my friends said why didn't you buy japanese (yamaha-honda-suzuki or tohatsu). Mercury 40/50/60 is produced in China and they said it is of poor quality. what are you thinking? Did I buy the wrong engine😢

[@dansmidwestangling]

No, and I've looked into this myself. The factory in China maintains the same level of quality control as the US factory according to an independent article I read. So far I've had zero issues, and another thing to remember is that these motors are among the top selling engines they make because they are typically found on boats in the more affordable end of the market. I think if they were truly a problem, there'd be a lot more well-known issues with them, and from what I've seen being on the various aluminum boat groups this simply just isn't the case.

[@bradleyroberts1041]

What i dont understand is all motors are supposed to go through a break in period. But every motor, be it outboard, car, motor bike, truck what ever. When they are finished being built at the factory, every motor is put through its paces. No such thing as a break in period there. It will get run up to full throttle and every thing in between to look for possible flaws in the manufacture process of the motor. I have had lots of new outboards, cars motor bikes. Nearly all of which I followed the break in process. The last 2 new outboards i have had, both honda. From new, i ran them like i would normally run a motor, half to three quarter throttle, no up and down in the rev range. When getting out of the hole and onto the plane, full throttle all the way, as old mate here says that really helps to seat the rings in. Both motors i sold with over 500 hours on each, both never gave me an ounce of trouble and both never used even a drop of oil between the 100 hour services. The dealer i bought both motors off, I asked him about the break in period, he said to me straight out dont worry about it, just treat the motor as normal, just dont go wide open throttle for more than a few minutes at a time till after a few hours run time. What made me change my mind about break in periods is look at a truck, or semi, depending on where you live. They dont go through a break in period, they bget 50 odd tons slapped on the back on a trailer and away they go, them motors get way over a million ks or miles if you like no problems at all. So what is every one take on this?

[@GARice91]

3:22 lmao

[@dansmidwestangling]

Mistakes were made

[@charliedillon6097]

Why dont they just do this process at the plant

[@dansmidwestangling]

Well, consider the economics; think about how many thousands of motors they build every year, and thus if each of these requires a 2 hour break in you can start to do the math on how expensive that would be.

[@jenwright2577]

Pretty simple, dont run the balls off of it until she has some hours on her

[@bobbellow5502]

And yet you can get in a car, drive it off the lot and drive 500 miles down the road!