I just bought a used boat with a 50hp mercury on it and I am just wondering if anyone can tell me what year it it by the serial number. The number on the transom mount is 7143908
50 1981 EL 5531630 - 5949385 7143688 7143908 is higher than the beginning s/n for 1981 but lower than the 1982, therefore, yours is a 1981 and beginning with the number 7, it is a Canadian built engine.
Carholme, if you would take the time to read the chart on your own link you would see the engine serial numbers in 1980 start at 7143688 that would make his engine the 220th engine built in 1980. If all you know is what you can link take the time to read the whole link first before posting.
Actually if you go back to the above listed Mastertech Marine web site You will see that all serial numbers for 1980 and 1981 are the same. If this is in fact correct (?).
7143688 is the starting number in 1980 and his engine was 220 engines into the 1980 run because Mercury carried over many engines in 1980 they used the same starting number in 1981. All Mercurys built in 1980 and 1981 are grouped into a single 1980/81 category. If you were a Mercury service man you would have known that. I am done wasting time arguing about it, link away.
Nothing to do with ego, you corrected a post I had made to help Thebambibuster on a build date with a wrong anwser and I simply pointed out that it's always a good idea to read what you are linking before correcting someone else.
