True North wrote:
" change that separator with a Raco with the clear bowl. You can drain
the visible water into a soda can and not play the guessing game with
the sealed filters. "


For the price of that conversion I can buy a lifetimes worth of the genuine Mercury filters and just change out each season after I burn off the old treated gas.

You certainly can, expert, until you get some really bad gas or a
temperature change that adds condensate to your fuel. Since your boat
is corroding, why worry about the motor anyway, eh?

BTW - Mercury doesn't make "genuine" filters. They buy them and put
their name on them. Racor, on the other hand, is the industry standard
for boat engines of all types and sizes.