Changed plugs now runs terrible!

[meddac]

Hi All,
Hope Rusty or someone can help. Trying to do some PM on my 1994 Johnson 200 Venom last week. THe motor has been running good with a little rough idle and had it out 3 or 4X this year to blow out the old gas and filled it up with new. ANyway last time out ran fine. Changed the plugs last weekend and stayed with same ones Champion QL77JC4 and put some silicone on the boots and gapped em at 30 thous like the manual said and even got out the torque wrench and put them in at 18#. I get to the lake today...start er up and it's missing a little...get out of the no wake zone (about 400 yds) and punch it and it goes up to 2000 rpm and that's it and missing more. I back off of it pull the top off and check to make sure all the boots are in place put the cover back on and the rest of the afternoon was spent going at 1500 rpm's and jerking somewhat and never able to go above 2K rpms when normally it's running about 6K WOT. I touched nothing else on the motor except grease fittings and changed out the lower unit oil.
Any ideas...the stratos start up beeps once indicating everything is OK..oil bulb is full..fuel bulb is hard. THe bad thing is the old plugs went to the landfill so can't put em back in. This is what I get for tuning up the old gal!

[RUSTY63]

You put silicone on the boots?

[meddac]

Hi Rusty,
Well I call it that...It's actually permatex dielectric tune up grease. I stick it on my trucks and cars boots and trailer connections so the boots slip off easier and it makes a good waterproof conductor.
Do you think that could be a problem? I bought the boat used last year and have no idea how long the plugs were in it before but they didn't look too bad when I pulled them.

[RUSTY63]

Now that I know what you used....that should not be a problem, you might think about getting another set of plugs or checking the spark on the motor to see if the plug change just happened at the same time a power pack or other ignition component decided to have a problem.

[Bassmeister]

Yea ,,,, That's the story of my life, If I try to do good it usually bites me on the AZZ!!! I can fix or tune one thing 3 things go wrong!!!

[ChampioNman]

Sure you didn't cross plug wires or dislodge a PP coil wire? From the top on both cylinders down PP wires orange/blue top cyls, orange middle clys, orange/green bottom cyls. Check the boots on the coils also make sure they are seated and the wires aren't touching any metal. CM

[meddac]

Well I'm man enough to admit it when I pull a boneheaded stunt. I had the 4 and 6 wire (or maybe 3 and 5) on the left hand side of the motor crossed. Kinda glad that's all it was cause that didn't cost me any money to fix I'm still shaking my head that I did that one!

[ChampioNman]

You ain't the first and sure won't be the last ! That's what we're here for! Glad it was an easy one . CM