how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

I have a 88 Sea Ray Seville. It has a 4.3 Mercruiser. I'm trying to identify the outdrive because I need to buy parts for it but I dont know where to look. The outdrive serial number is 0B974373. Also the outdrive is white in color, I dont know if thats makes a difference or not. But any help would be greatly appreciated.

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

MERCRUISER R.H. ROTATION ALPHA 1.84:1

Sea Ray painted them white.

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

88_tpa_searay said:

I have a 88 Sea Ray Seville. It has a 4.3 Mercruiser. I'm trying to identify the outdrive because I need to buy parts for it but I dont know where to look. The outdrive serial number is 0B974373. Also the outdrive is white in color, I dont know if thats makes a difference or not. But any help would be greatly appreciated.

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That's all you need to know. Everything on anything Merc is done by serial number. Parts, service manuals, tech bulletins... You have the serial number, you can get anything you need for your 1988 Mercruiser Alpha One drive with a 1.84:1 ratio.....

What parts are you looking for?

Chris........

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

88_tpa_searay said:

But any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Welcome to IBOATS

Here's a link where you can plug in a Merc. serial number and start getting acquainted with parts diagrams.
https://webapps.brunswick.com/literature/literatureSearch.do

Mark

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

achris said:

That's all you need to know. Everything on anything Merc is done by serial number. Parts, service manuals, tech bulletins... You have the serial number, you can get anything you need for your 1988 Mercruiser Alpha One drive with a 1.84:1 ratio.....

What parts are you looking for?

Chris........

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Impeller kit. the outdrive is not sending water to the engine. So, is the outdrive a Alpha or Alpha1 and is there a difference between the two. This is my first boat and im trying to learn as much as I can. Plus I dont wanna buy the wrong part.

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

MarkSee said:

Welcome to IBOATS

Here's a link where you can plug in a Merc. serial number and start getting acquainted with parts diagrams.
https://webapps.brunswick.com/literature/literatureSearch.do

Mark

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Thanks for the info!

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

88_tpa_searay said:

This is my first boat and im trying to learn as much as I can. Plus I dont wanna buy the wrong part.

Click to expand...

Good attitude. Read, read some more, read only the Merc. official service manuals as the others are not clear, watch videos-especially the ones here on IBOATS, try and put the pieces together and if still unclear, ask questions.

If you haven't already done so, at the top of this forum you'll see a couple 'sticky' items; spend time in there.
Lots of great information Don has assembled over the years that really helps.

Regarding parts: as a general rule, either buy OEM Merc/Quicksilver parts or if going aftermarket, Sierra seems to have the better reputation than the others. IBOATS does not sell OEM parts but does Sierra and has great pricing.
Finding the OEM part number of an item then using that to cross reference to Sierra or to comparison shop seems to help.
If you are buying an OEM part and have a local Merc. dealer, check their pricing also especially if you visit a dealer for advice.

Mark

Re: how-to identify a outdrive with serial number?

Down load this and have a read. It will give you the full history of the Mercruiser drives and you'll see where you drive fits in in the overall scheme of things....

Mercruiser Alpha ID and History - Download - 4shared - Don S