Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

I picked up a super clean remote only Merc 25hp yesterday.
It's a near mint, mid to late 80's motor with perfect compression.
The motor runs great, starts with just a tap of the starter and I was able to test run it in the water on the boat it came from.
The problem is that it's a long shaft remote only motor and I need a short shaft tiller motor. The price was too right to pass on so I grabbed it, my thinking is that I can make up a jack plate for it and either add a tiller or add a side console to the boat.

There are no numbers on the motor, there's a place where a tag could have been, but it's not there. It looks to have had a new motor bracket installed recently. It's new enough to have a one piece fiberglass cover.

How many years could be potential donor motors to find a good used tiller set up? Converting this to a tiller would be the simplest solution since I'd like to still be able to swap between this and my 9.9 hp tiller for lake use here.

Or, should I just keep looking for a short shaft tiller motor?
(I've been looking for a affordable 25 hp electric start short shaft tiller for over a year with no luck).

Re: Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

In my opinion, I would keep looking for a short shaft tiller. It seems like a lot of work and by the time you buy the right parts you could have bought what you wanted.

Few days ago, I scored a super clean 1992 25hp longshaft tiller with E start(Just what I was looking for!). Guy wanted my 9.9 for local lake fishing which I don't do and traded even up. I think we are both very happy and i'm not out any $$.

I know what you mean by hard to find these 25hp motors!! I was looking for over a year also but this guy contacted me just 4 days before vacation and i'm bringing the boat. LOL

Re: Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

I've actually considered just buying a new one but that's a big chunk of change for a boat I don't use every weekend. I got this boat about 6 months ago after selling my Duracraft. I had several long shaft motors to choose from for that boat, which I kept. I do have a new side console which I could install, but I'm concerned about balance since I often run this one by myself.
I also thought about stick steer, but the boat is too wide to easily make that work.
My thinking was to install a side console over the right half bench, and add a pedestal seat there. The motor I have has very low hours on it, it could pass for new, even though it's probably 20 years old or more.

I to have a Merc 20hp but that's even older. It runs good but it's also a remote control motor but has a tiller too.

I'd swap either one for a 25 short shaft tiller if I found one clean enough.
I have quite a few long shaft motors of all types, most aren't electric start though.

Re: Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

I've been trying to find a short shaft 20-25hp remote. Or a conversion kit for my very low hour '87 25 electric. Does anyone know of a place that sells used merc parts in NJ?

Re: Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

There really isn't any that I know of other than a few dealers that happen to have some good used items here and there. All the places that had piles of old outboards were forced to clean up their properties and now have to follow strict EPA guide lines, which I guess means no outboard junkyards.
There are a few guys parting motors out on eBay and a few websites that do used parts but other than that your best bet is to have a parts motor or two around.

Re: Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

Dear,Realfishn,I have a 1983 25xd short shaft tiller motor and am looking for the hardware for remote throttle and shift.My tiller is in great shape tradeu for the remote hardware.Please email me if this sounds like what you want and we can set up meeting.John in Pa.18914jtscudder on iboats forum.

Re: Mercury 25 HP tiller conversion?

I'm not sure if anything actually comes off of the motor to install the tiller assembly?

From what I can tell it becomes an either/or option when you add a tiller?

Right now I have only the motor, no controls, but I'm sure rigging it to just about any Mercury controls should be pretty simple.
From talking to a dealer, they made it sound like adding a tiller was just a matter of bolting one on, going the other way however is a different ball game. The motor I have has both manual and electric start but no tiller, it's also capable of charging a battery, where as most manual tiller motors are not according to the dealer.

As far as me converting that motor, I actually came across another motor. A 25hp Evinrude tiller shortshaft that's ready to run, I just put the Mercury aside and have been using the Evinrude now. I do have another boat that can use the Mercury so I'll probably just leave it be for now. It's a good motor so I figured on just keeping it for future use the way it is.