1969 Merc 650 4cyl in trouble? Sucker on forehead?

[dougrock]

Hey all, 10yrs ago friend said "hey I got a boat, I know nothing about it" I say "does it run"? "Dont' know spent bunch money on the whole thing...So I went over put the barrel under...put fuel in the tank...choke ..and she fire up and run good except for fuel line leak. I give friend the link who have fuel line for him...he did NOTHING for 10yrs??? 2yrs ago he calls...says you want a boat? I'm like forget it, it's probably seized. Come look at it! Hugh...ok... It's seized...so I pull plugs, put motor up...pour my special mixture in...He calls a week later says...hey I got it to turn with rope, I did it nice and easy...want the boat? I'm like no thank you, put the dane motor down and cover it good before winter. This year he calls me, says I had to move, boat is in somebody's yard, I have to get it out, you can have it for free! Hugh...ok..I pick it up, nobody put the motor down, water in lower end froze...low end no good. I get it home, motor and steering is seized, I get them both moving again. I squirt a mix in each plug hole, plugs back in, turn key telling myself It won't pop.....(gas tank not hooked up) (no low end, prop and guts are gone) she pops and runs for 1 seconds! WHAT!? Wow. !!!! Now what!? before I invest in a whole new low end on ebay for big bucks...can I first try to hook up my small engine tank and see if it will run...but remember I have NO Prop and no guts...just the two gears way deep in the back.(a push mower won't/shouldn't run without a blade or counter balance) I have a feeling I will have to service both carbs...do I see fuel filter towers on each carb where fuel line goes in? Geesh do I have to take apart the whole damn thing to service the carbs? But biggy is can I run it with no lower end? I'm looking.... this motor is VERY HARD to get parts for...I'm stuck...or have "sucker" written on my forhead with this project?
Just want to be sure with little expense that I'm not gonna have a motor running like junk or the such after buying a lower end? Any thoughts or ideas would be great.....thank you

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Parts are not that hard to find just takes $

 

[MTboatguy]

There are lots of parts around for those motors, just depends on how much you want to spend

 

[zool]

Just check compression on all cylinders, if inline, buy the lower, and fix the little stuff..

 

[dougrock]

Ok, Thanks so far for the replies I guess what I'm doing is trying to go through anything I can to be "sure" before I spend a ton on parts or the such.....
Had to write it all out to get it all out of my head so I can wrap myself around this...Compression is good and rather amazed it is. Ok, so moving forward...I just learned.. looking at many sites for parts...that the tower the fuel lines go to on the carbs is a filter...but it's a screen that should get cleaned? I also took note there's a drain screw at the bottom side of these carbs...what's the chance to just let the crap in there out that way and these carbs would run without a major removal deal? Removal looks to me like the front plate holding the Ign Mod would have to come off. My thought was to hook up a small tiny tank to provide fuel to the carbs...also there is a screen at the fuel pump side as well? And try see if it will run without having to do carb overhaul...CAN I RUN this with no lower end guts in it? (just enough to see carbs will hold their own?) Then it's the lower end deal....I'm already learning from this site...on the gear ratio and can use(buy) different lower ends from 65hp and up...just modify the prop..pitch etc...But here's my question when I drop this low end...the long shaft that goes up above into the motor is going to come out...Do I have to have the engine "set" in a certain place BEFORE I drop it...and make sure it does not move till I put it all back? Forgive me but I'm a car....small engine guy...I've never really been into this Marine stuff...just the very basic...and not by choice....Do appreciate any thoughts...ideas...I get a thrill to see anything old run again...Wife says my collection of old mowers is growing too fast...along with the recent 69 Scorpion I just got....ohh well...luv that gear oil smell ;-)