Mornin'
Here's the latest on my starboard engine. Yesterday we connected my mechanics computer to both engines to compare them. It appears all of the sensors are working. The RPM and timing were fluctuating a good deal more on the starboard engine than on the port engine. Also the IAC readings were about twice as high on the starboard as compared to the port (23/40). Not sure what all that meant and neither was he. Right now the plan is to remove all of the injectors and have them inspected/cleaned/rebuilt, maybe one or several are leaking. We also considered replacing the fuel pressure regulator as my mechanic says he has had symptoms like this before caused by a faulty FPR.
There are no fumes or back pressure coming out of the oil filler.
Considering everything else that I have found on this boat that has not been cared for, I would bet that the injectors have never been serviced.
The engine has about 750 hours on it.
Here's one more thing. I read somewhere that if the injectors are leaking, that if you turn the key off and on and off several time without starting the engine, that if an injector is leaking that the engine might be hard to start due to flooding, tried that, the engine started right up, no problem. probably BS....

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So really, I don't know anything definitive. I hate to just start changing parts on a "guess". The engine runs great, the throttles are even at all RPM's, acceleration is even with no spitting or sputtering, its just running rich (trans is rattling at idle), and showing fuel residue coming out of the exhaust plus blackened plugs that smell like fuel. The idle "hunts" as per the computer read out, and that's causing the transmission to rattle (I think).
We have not checked the compression but with the way this engine runs with everything pretty much equal, hard to believe it has a bad cylinder. Maybe low compression across the board could cause the computer to dump more fuel in....? That doesn't make sense to me, seems there would be more symptoms.
As per a post above, maybe I'll get a second opinion for the Mercuiser tech guys at a nearby marina. Our guy is very good and I hate to offend him as I may need "local" work in the future. He also works for our marina and I don't want get on the wrong side of them....but I want this motor to run right.
Is cleaning the injectors a good place to start, plus it can be done by our local guy?
Typing all of this kind of helps me prioritize what's going on since I really don't have a clue. Thanks for everybody's help and opinions....I enjoy trying to take something that isn't working right, figure it out, and then fix it.