Was examining engine under cowl and found a 1 inch long rust colored spot on head gasket. Gonna order complete gasket kit and reseal everything. Need head gasket recomendation. Also gonna add 1" intake spacer,Carson reeds,and tuner need recomendation. Carbs will be done also. It's a 1997 Merc XR6 150.

I find areas of that on many outboards cylinder head mating surfaces. If you do not spray the new head gaskets with aluminum paint when you change them, they will eventually look like that again. If you feel the need change the head gaskets and the exhaust plate gasket.

Thanx Gary was hoping you would chime in. After 20 yrs a reseal would be a good thing I think. I was wondering which headgaskets to use standard or thin racing gaskets. Gonna replace the tuner to unleash some pent up HP was wondering which one to get also. Might even get heads milled also. Your thoughts and experience would be most welcome.

If it's running fine and no issues, I personally wouldn't do anything just for peace of mind or a little more hp.....that's when some folks have problems later. Good luck if you change out!

She has never had an issue never failed to start. I have been real picky about maint. Full synthetic 2 stroke and synthetic lower unit lube never throttled up unless it was completely warmed up first. As anyone can tell I looked it over before I started it this year posted the pic. I may just leave this one alone and build the 175 powerhead I have.

some good advice... nowdays its a lot easier and less expensive in tha long run ta BUY tha added horse power (ProMax or 200 drop on comes ta mind) along with dependability that comes with it... "bolt on's" do very little 'cept on lite weight race stuff...jan, there is very few (if any) things i haven't tried/done on tha hot rod side of these things (V6) since tha first one hit tha dfw area in '76....port work and timin' ona 150 just won't support very much in bolt on stuff (ya gotta be able ta turn up tha r's))....

but if ya dead set on doin' "something" this is what i recommend and still keep tha dependability side.....even though its hardly noticeable on most "fishin' boats".

what your planin' isn't gonna do much that you will notice unless ya have a very lite weight boat.. tha reeds will be tha only thing noticed with a smoother idle and a tad better response with nice clean, tuned carbs... best ta get rid of all tha extra modules, oil injection... timin' @ 23*, premium fuel.. have tha heads cut (need leak down test first) to get 'em to 'bout 34cc's... should get ya ta 140/145 comp. if leak down proves good... no top end gain but will pull a little harder gettin' there.... and call it a day... tuner won't come in ta play 'less ya gonna turn tha wick up on rpm.. ie: 16 amp stuff, prop, gears, height.... but if ya gonna do it, a plain 'ole 200 tuner is hard ta beat ona "daily driver"....

my experience with tha spacer ona carb motor didn't do much unless ya cut 50 thousands off tha front half so............

jmo....gl

and Chris makes an excellent reed along with his cage work... machine work also.

I am going to agree with your statement of leaving the XR6 alone. Find a good 2.5 Pro Max

XR 6 is never going to allow you to do much to it. The reeds are a good idea just because of their age, the rest is pretty much a waste of time.

Why? Pull the head on that motor, see those little finger ports? Those will never let you get a lot of compression, or let it spin up many rpms. Built in governors.

gotta disagree with ya on this.. been discussed before.. gotta couple here that make 140+.. one XR6 and one 150 efi (same block).. they just won't make it at "crankin' speed like tha non-relief slotted motor.. ta get true comp ona slotted motor it has ta be runnin'.... those slots do nothing above 2 grand.. they are "idle relief slots (notches)" not finger ports.... finger ports are added flow ports usually on either side of tha boost port that "supposedly" added some low end power and a tad on acceleration but was never convinced on it after some expensive machine work!

but i know you are as hard headed as i am so we'll jus hafta disagree..

I've fooled with enough XR6's to at least have an opinion. As have you. I've gotten acceration and some low end grunt but never found much on the high end. The guys I worked with blamed the ports so now I blame them also.

But you might have dug deeper than we did and found something else. Which is good

agreed... not tha most desirable ta hot rod... most of slotted motor performance comes with set up, boat types... hard ta get it with MOST bass boats.. trick is in gettin' it ta rpm which ain't gonna happen with stock gears and gear cases, props etc.(all tha bass pro shops carried in these guys boats).. main reason tha 3.0 XS stuff made its way to bass boat crowd... gotta have a Peterbilt ta carry tha load.......

jus realized what this said Pat.. "The guys I worked with blamed the ports"..
that is tha downfall of it but its tha port map and port timin' that limits what can be extracted from it.......

My hull is 900lbs dry weight. It is a 1996 ZX180 18'3" beam 89". Not a real heavy hull completely loaded outboard fuel people gear 1400 lbs. Most days there is light tackle load 20 lbs no live wells full (I don't need them so they stay empty) myself 145lbs boat never knows I'm in it. It does have a blueprinted 23 pitch trophy by SCP and 12" rapid Jack plate on it with those 2 mods it has lost it's mid range grunt. Expected for sure just want to try to get it back I will not change it back to stock bolted to transom nor will I go back to stock Trophy prop.

The reeds age are the reason they will be changed the reseal is because of age also. The tuner is to unstuff the exhaust and let it flow the same princible as headers on a hot rod just more efficient. I know that race motors are time bombs with short fuses I just do not want that for my outboard. Spacer plates as with any carbed motor improve efficiency and are always recomended along with headers (tuner for 2 stroke). In simple terms my 150 is nothing more than a choked down 200 tuner has alot to do with it. When any internal combustion engine stuffing up the exhaust is never good not bad in this case either it's like warm dishwater.

I have huge respect for Gary Pat and TLW which is why I asked believe me I listen to all of you. I don't want more RPM got enough of that now on a cool day 6200 heat of summer 56 to 5700. If ya asked me it's perfect being stuffed up the way it is. That said it is against the efficiency of an internal combustion engine so relief is required hard for me to get past it. The reseal will put me in those areas any way. Again thanx to all who have posted your opinions matter to me.

know what ya sayin' being a car motor guy (i still am)... tha main thing ya gotta get by with tha V6 merc/mariner is tha exhaust.. its not a "normal" 2 stroke design.. it mainly uses firin' order/exhaust pluses ta tune itself at tha block... thats why ya don't see tuner pipes on tha full blown hot rods... they're not cost efficient ...been a whole lotta experimentation with 'em over tha years...don't worry 'bout tha rpm.. they LIKE it!.. tha 40 amp can safely turn up ta 7 grand...

sounds like with what ya got cuttin' tha heads and addin' lwp might do some good as long as ya don't get too heavy...Steve or Josh can be a big help with prop/motor height... if ya get into it ya need ta go with solid mounts especially if ya still usin' cable steerin'..

does yours have tha "little" gear case?.. thinkin' '97 had all ready gone back to tha big one?.. gears?

gl with whatever ya do....

can ya tell i'm bored taday... retired but need ta get back in this stuff i guess!

TLW as we speak it is bone stock I have not looked at the gear spec in a long time. It's either 187 to 1 or 2 to 1. Compared to the older design my lower has bigger bullet.


Steve did my prop I followed his instructs to the letter along with jack plate. There is one thing when I was moving plate up from 3.5" below the pad I could only get the rooster half way to top of cowl. The next position up I lost waterpressure in a turn so I put it back down one click. The prop never blew out and I tried to make it so I know there is some up left in it but only with lower water pick ups.


I would love to use your ear to tune the carbs when I'm finished. I would love for you to supervise me doing this there is nothing like an old pro teaching. My problem is I can't afford to pay you as I just had both elbows operated on(ulner nerves) here's a pic.

dammit boy!.. thats some serious stitchin'!!!.. how long ta heal up?

Where ya at? i don't do dallas if at all possible... have road rage tendencies with flash backs...

noboby does this any cheaper than i do for good folks... good entertainment for me.. almost got my honey do list down ta 0 so maybe we can get together soon and take a look.....

may start with top three holes on gear case tapped n plugged...1/4 20 brass allen set screws..red loctite.