Re: 65 hp merc need help
Hey Peter, I searched around a bit and found other similar posts you've made about the same motor. You (and those trying to help
) will find it easier to follow if you keep only one thread active for any given topic.
Without a S/N, I could only guess that the year is somewhere between 1968 and 1972. Pretty much every Merc of that vintage needs to have the internal wiring harness replaced or repaired. For that matter, the wiring inside the throttle/gear control box should be replaced as well. The controller that came with that motor was call a MerControl. It is a single lever throttle/gear selector. There is also an electric push to choke button and a fast idle/warm up lever. Never try to engage the fast idle lever while in gear, forward or reverse.
The motor was not offered with power trim in the early years but many were retofitted later on. I just installed a power trim system on my 1971 Merc 800 last summer. The same power trim system will fit all the in-line motors from the late 60's thru mid 80's. Sounds like the trim system on your motor is incomplete. The system consists of two hydraulic rams (one on each side of the transom bracket), two ram mount brackets, 4 hydraulic hoses (two per ram), a pump/reservoir located in the boat and a 3 button control panel. The two wires running to the ram on the starboard side are connected to the trim limit switch located in the ram mounting bracket.
The purpose of the trim system is to adjust the angle of the motor relative to the boat. All motors have a manual trim adjustment but can't be adjusted while underway. The power trim system allows the driver to be able to adjust the trim depending on load, speed and water conditions. The angle of the motor will alter how the boat rides in the water. The other nice feature of the power trim is that you can tilt the motor UP in shallow water and for loading/unloading on a trailer.
The large cable you describe running through the transom mount pivot is the steering cable. Was it cut off and left in the tilt tube ?
Have you ran the motor yet? One of the first priorities would be to perform a compression test to get an idea of the overall condition of the motor and determine if its worthwhile to put any money into or not. If the numbers come out good, then a new waterpump is top priority. A waterpump impeller failure (common) will destroy your motor.
Good luck and keep posting with updates.
