1976 mercury 65

[hl]

I have just completed a project and now considering another. I came across an older pontoon boat that is in fair condition. It has a 1976 mercury 65 hp. My question is how reliable are these motor?. I have never worked on a motor this old. Are they much different from the mid 80s mercury outboards ?

 

[tallcanadian]

These 3 cylinder Mercs have had issues in the past. Over the years the 3 cylinder stayed the same, just changed horsepower rating. It went from 65 to 70hp in 1977, then to 60 hp, then 50hp. In the early years, there were overheating issues and the top cylinder use to burn out. Mine runs cool, always. It would depend on what your putting the motor on. They have small lower units. I have a 4 cylinder 85hp Merc that I would prefer to run but having problems. I had in the past, 4 cylinder 50hp Mercs that ran like the wind. No issues on the 50's.

 

[hl]

Thanks for the reply. This could be a learning experience if I make the deal