Well I got the coils I need and everything for my 55 wh6 super 5 now, but I have ran about four gallons of gas through it and I have been mixing it 50 to 1 and I was running it today by myself and it started to seem like one of the cylinders was hit and miss so I came to a stop and shut it down. The I took and screwed the adjustment screws all the way in and came back out with them about a turn and a quarter, and it seemed to run better than it has since I got it. Then I dropped my son and my fiance off at the boat launch, to see what it would do with just me in it and it planed my twelve footer out real good and then I hit a couple small but kinda choppy waves and it just bogged down and died, I tried to start it back up but it wouldn't even turn then I let it sit for a minute and pulled it again and it turn easily and started right up. I just redid the recoil cable also. Anyone have any idea what I should do or what I am doing wrong.

50 to 1 fuel mix ratio is pretty lean...
Mercury recommended 3/8 pint per gallon of
about 22 to 1 using Quicksilver outboard oil
I would then look at the impeller and
tell tale flow.
Hope it ain't so, but, sounds like motor is
seizing up.
Good Luck

OK well in that case what should I do if anything that will prevent the motor from seizing, also I am not sure where to look for the water to be coming out of the motor, anything anyone can offer as far as help goes is much appreciated.

I believe there are four holes on the exhaust leg, just below the swivel where the water pumps out. You should get a decent spray if the impeller is doing it's job. If not, that is a tough one to replace, but with a little patience, you can do it. It is the same impeller as the Mercury Mark 6 if you need to replace it.

If it is not pump, shut it down right away and replace it. I don't think you can do much to reverse any potential wear due to running it at too thin of oil, short of rebuilding the powerhead. But, if it still turns over, that is a good sign. Just make sure to run at least at 24:1. Even 16:1 won't hurt it. A little extra oil is always better than not enough. I would recommend a synthetic blend TCW3. Penzoil sells it for cheap.

Keep us posted!
JP

Well I do know I was making sure there was some water coming out of the motor and it was not a stream or anything but more like a mist do you think that is substantial or not, and if I remix my gasoline to the required mixture and the motor is still turning freely should I run it? Thanks everyone for all of your help

Jeff,

It is hard to say without seeing it, but the fact that it is pumping some water is good. It is not going to come out of the holes is a strong stream, but you should feel some water pressure as it pulses out. If you are unsure of the age or condition of the impeller, it is best just to replace it. You could drop the lower unit to inspect the impeller. If the little blades aren't torn up and the rubber is still somewhat pliable, it should be okay. But, checking and or replacing the impeller is tough on these. So, if you are going to inspect it, you might as well replace it.

In addition to removing the bolts on the lower unit, you have to disconnect the neutral cable on the power head to drop the lower unit. Just follow the rod attached to the Forward button (black) and at the end of the rod you will see a tube with a wire sticking out. Just loosen the two screws holding the wire in place. When you reinstall the lower unit, put a lot of tension on the cable before tightening the two screws, other wise you won't be able to put it in neutral.

The hardest part about replacing the impeller is reinstalling the lower unit when done. In addition to making sure the neutral cable is done right (which is the easy part), the water pump housing has to be held together while you try to mate the drive shaft up with the crankshaft. When I replaced my impeller, I tied down the water pump housing with fishing string to hold it together. Then once in place, I cut the line before tightening the lower unit bolts. The drive and crank shafts can be hard to line up. I found it easiest to tilt the motor almost upside down. You'll hear a thud when it drops into place. Then tighten everything up.

You can get the impeller for around $15 at Oldmercs.com. Just follow the model link to the 1955 Mercury Mark 6.

I would just replace that impeller before running it much more. It's just not worth risking burning that powerhead out. The top two things to kill an outboard are not using enough oil and not keeping up with impeller replacements. Do those two things right, and your powerhead will last a long time.

Good luck!
JP

To lean on oil, they called for at least 1/2 pt to a gallon. I use 50:1 oil, one qt to 4 gallons in everything I run, including my racing motors & never had a problem, to much is better than to little, once your pistons are scored, it will never run the same again, if it runs at all.