Thoughts about Mercury 40hp lightning XR 2007
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Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Boat Shed
Forum Description: Discuss all things boating.
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=76728
Printed Date: 08 Jun 2026 at 6:37pm
Topic: Thoughts about Mercury 40hp lightning XR 2007
Posted By: aidanc
Subject: Thoughts about Mercury 40hp lightning XR 2007
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 11:03am
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Hi Guys What are your thoughts on: Mercury 40hp lightning xr 2007 two stroke outboard? With electric start and trim. Looking at one on a seanymph V13    Have you herd anything bad about this outboard?? I have always stuck with yamaha Please let me know what you think Thanks Aidan |
Replies:
Posted By: Outboard Performance
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 11:09am
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Get an inspection done on it mate, Lots of those motors had warranty issues with getting water into the engine. A have had 10 or so. I have also had ones that have been serviced by so called dealers since brand new and they haven't picked up on it. Make sure who ever does the inspection actually looks in the cylinders with a borescope/borelight. |
Posted By: Boz19
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 11:19am
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We have the Mariner version of this motor which I think is almost exactly the same but with a different cowling, for some reason I'm not sure of.
Ours has no doubt done some hours over the years but we've had no troubles at all with it over the last few years we've owned the boat.
Actually there was one instance of problem come to think of it, but this turned out to be fuel being forced through the line as the tote expanded in the hot sun - was one summer while camping and was hot as a b*stard. Disconnecting the fuel line from the tote when not in use solved the issue. No dramas.
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Posted By: pompey
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 11:46am
| I had the 2008 model. Ran well but had problems accelerating after starting when the engine had been run. Very annoying as it had low hours and supposedly serviced and fixed by fish city. Other than that it was ok, but I would not buy another one unless it was an absolute bargain. |
Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 11:58am
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First I heard of that OP? I have owned 3 of them, one did huge hours, and despite two that did allow a small bit of water into a cylinder via a incorrectly torqued exhaust plate gasket, they have been utterly reliable. I know many people with this engine who are having a great run - I'd be interested to know how is the water getting in on the ones you've looked at? I'm pretty good with maintainance so picked it up via a slightly wet sparkplug early - but can understand how most would never know.
There was carb jet issues on mid 2000 models, but all fixed now. Be aware the motor is a Tohatsu M40D2 (a de-tuned 50hp m50D2), there is nothing Mercury on it, so when sourcing parts you are getting Tohatsu parts, not Mercury. This is basically the same engine used by Thundercat racers.
They are light, very powerful for the given weight and IMO reliable, not as quiet as a VETOL Yamaha but not far off. That model is non-T&T. My new 2011 one has a few changes as well such as trim switch mounted on the side and some differeing electrics. It is also much much quieter than previous ones I owned. They are pretty sensitive to carb tuning I have found.
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Posted By: Outboard Performance
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 12:02pm
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They either had leaking side plate gaskets from the factory, or a pourous block letting water into cylinders. Got one at my shop if anyone wants photos of damage it does to internals. |
Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 12:06pm
| How do you test for a pourous block as assuming it would not be obvious? |
Posted By: aidanc
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 12:16pm
Hi outboard performance Would be great if you could share some pictures |
Outboard Performance wrote:Posted By: Outboard Performance
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 1:06pm
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Like I said in the post, look inside the motor for signs of water entering the cylinders. Apart from that, the only way would be to get torque plates and stuff made up and pressure test the block. That would require pulling motor off and apart. The sympton is poor idling. Aidanc, will get some photos up later today when I have a minute. |
Posted By: Peter30520
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 7:26pm
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I had one on my 389 cc stabi which i just sold. Grunty little motor. Only prob which I had from new was the engine would bog when giving it berries from idle. Dealer told me it was a carb problem......wasnt really a biggy. Overall good engine |
Posted By: Mikeyb
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 8:21pm
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I had one on my Mclay 460 that i sold 6 months ago. From new it bogged when the hammer got slammed down from idle and ran like a sack of hairy ring pieces when trimmed up while in shallow water. Solved that problem by getting it tuned to 50hp (these 40hp motors are apparently just detuned 50hp outboards) havnt got the paper work any longer to see what was done. Ran like a dream after its tweaking and ran slightly more economically My 2c on the discussion ------------- ~~~Living the dream...Diving for a living and fishing for fun~~~~ |
Posted By: Outboard Performance
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2012 at 10:08pm
  This motor was apparantely sweet and nothing wrong with it. Ran ok, to the untrained ear or boatie I guess it did. Idled a bit rough and hesistated onto the plane. Not all motors have this issue, but something to be aware guys! |
Posted By: Chubi
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2012 at 9:34pm
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Hi Guys, sorry to write in this old thread but it is exactly what I was looking for.. I have this motor, a while ago I found some water in the lower cylinder, so I ordered both new exhaust cover gaskets and head gasket. Took the old gaskets off, but when I am starting to install the new exhaust cover gaskets, I notice that the inner exhaust cover (the inner plate) is not symmetric, it has a kind of U shaped protrusion that goes towards the exhaust exit in the cylinders. This "U" is shorter in one of the ends and I don't remember how was this originally placed (with the shorter part up or down). Do the people that have replaced these gaskets remember how should this be placed? Exploded views of the motor that I got are not helpful at all.. Cheers
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Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2012 at 9:59pm
| PM sent Chubi, I think I can help you on this one, will send pics. |
Posted By: Outboard Performance
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2012 at 10:11pm
| Longer one at the top, it deflects the exhaust gasses down. |
Posted By: Chubi
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2012 at 11:48pm
| Thank you so much guys! |
Posted By: Chubi
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2012 at 6:36pm
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HI guys, I tested the motor one week ago, ran fine. Guess what? today I removed the lower spark plug and it was wet again! the same with the middle one. Wet and with a white deposition (I guess it is an emulsion of water and oil). Don't know what to do.. any suggestion? Could be the head gasket that was incorrectly fitted? I torqued the bolts with the values indicated in the motor.. Cheers
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Posted By: Outboard Performance
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2012 at 10:49am
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If you have done the side plate gaskets, and done the head gasket and still getting water in, chances are you lucked out and got one of the motors with the pourous block. Unfortunately, the only fix is to replace the powerhead, or motor. Powerhead will set you back about 5 grand. Why didnt Mercury do a recall? beyond me... |
Posted By: Kings Marine
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2012 at 12:28pm
Hahaha........ You know Mercury, unless heaps of people complain, it wont happen hmmmm sounds like exactly what happened with this same engine and the carburettor issue, all the Tohatsu guys fixed the problem and yet Mercury where still in denial that the problem even existed !!!  ------------- The Mighty Waikato http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kings-Marine/100476476662857?%3Fref=ts |
Posted By: Chubi
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2012 at 4:50pm
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Well, that doesn't sounds good.. what about the crankshaft seals? My local dealer and people here in the forum suggested that. Certainly I am not going to buy a new powerhead that has high chances of present the same problems. If I can't fix it, will use this motor until it explodes and then will buy a new one (other brand of course). Cheers.
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Posted By: Kings Marine
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2012 at 8:29am
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Chubi When you did the head, you checked it was straight before refitting ?? It could have damaged the lower crank seals (there are two seals that would have to be damaged, extremly rare nowdays but not impossible) but I would have thought by now the bottom crank bearing would be rusty and starting to make a noise as the water reachs the bearing well before the piston have to remove powerhead to check ------------- The Mighty Waikato http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kings-Marine/100476476662857?%3Fref=ts |
Posted By: Chubi
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2012 at 1:22pm
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Hi Kings Marine, that is a good point, I did not. Will take off everything and check the surfaces. Regarding the crank seals, I didn't hear any estrange noise, but if nothing of this gasket work does the job, I will check those seals. Cheers
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