1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

[OhNoMrBill1960]

I just bought a boat with a 650 Mercury 65HP on it and the motor runs very very well. I installed the bottom end of an 850 and it is not shifting out of forward. The 850 was a 74 I think but it mated up perfectly and it turns well in the water. Is an older motor like this worth spending a bit of money on. I think I am 99% there but what happens if it breaks down. Is it worth fixing ? Also what is the best position to have the shifter in when aligning the shifter forward neutral or reverse. Thanks all

 

[Blaine Marcotte]

Re: 1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

I personally like to have everything in forward gear when stabbing a lower unit. It could be the shift linkage and the lower unit were not in the same position when you installed it. Sometimes when that happens, you could get a shift cam moved beyond it's allowable range of motion causing it to jam itself in a position that will not allow it to move back into place without removing the lower unit from the motor. I would not recommend trying to force anything into place to check whether or not that is in fact the case. I would remove the lower unit, take it apart and check the gearcase for proper placement of the parts, before trying to operate the engine. I would consider taking it to a mechanic to inspect and evaluate the condition of the shift cam and plunger that for wear and or damage.

 

[OhNoMrBill1960]

Re: 1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

Thanks Whaler I appreciate the advice

 

[Fouled Plug]

Re: 1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

I suppose the motor is worth whatever you are willing to put into it. If it runs great and has good compression, you can maintain it well and run it till it drops. Could be lots of life left in the old eggbeater.

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: 1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

On those mercurys you really want to use nuetral or reverse as a reference when assembling.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

I know with the smaller motors Mercury changed the rotation of the shift rod/cam in the early 1970s so it's possible the '74 unit simply shifts differently. Not sure if it's possible to easily fix that...<br />- Scott

 

[OhNoMrBill1960]

Re: 1964 Mercury 650 Kiekieffer

Thanks everyone for your help.. Looks like I have this weekends work cut out for me <br /><br />Cheers.