Johnson vs merc vs Chrysler?

[cesandroid]

It may in fact be cheaper to maintain older motors if you know how.-----And perhaps pick up a parts motor.------I know I am doing a 1974 model 40 HP Johnson short shaft.-------Picked it up for $100 with paint discolored.-----Overheated , but pulled head off to find no scoring.-----The 12 year old grandson is going to help take it apart and learn about this simple motor.-----Have had a piston and ring kit on hand for years.-----Will install them if need be.----Hopefully he will be skiing behind this motor next year.-----Only expense will be the updated water pump kit ( 1984 Commercial 40 ) to get a sweet running simple motor.-----Also have a choice to work on a 1997 model 3 cylinder 35 HP short shaft.--Has a much weaker gearcase than the 40 HP.-----But that motor uses an expensive $500 powerpack that might fail and ruin a trip to the lake.----Other expensive ignition components too.

I like your thinking, not afraid to get my hands dirty. I don’t know, Chryslers to me seem so simple. Heck I’ve seen automotive ignition conversions on those units to eliminate the power pack. Up here no salt water so no issue there. All these motors are relatively cheap to buy as well. The owner of the Chrysler had it to a marine mechanic and had the stator replaced. He said I’m welcome to take it to a mechanic.

 

[racerone]

I know that OMC was using stainless driveshafts and propshafts in 1950.----Mercury followed with that about 25 years later.

 

[Tassie 1]

As we all know advertising was created to sell things. My Sister tells guys she’s a great cook which I tell her is false advertising.
Growing up in FL I saw more than my fair share of rotted from the inside out Mercury’s. Things started turning the corner in the mid 80’s.
If I’m not mistaken this merc was from the 70’s.
This is just my option of course.
We are all untitled to our wrong opinion.
Best

I don't know much about Florida...mostly coz l never been there,
We live in Oz and 90% of our boating in our home State was saltwater.

Now we live in a different State ( Tas ) ALL of our boating etc etc is in saltwater,
Inboards, outboards, diesel, petrol
Older motors and new motors

Redbands/ bluebands through to 1998 mercuries.
As a rough guess 75% of outboard/ inboard motors wouls spend the majority of their life here ( all of Oz ) in saltwater.
We started boating around 1975.
Have had 20-25 boats plus other marine.

Until two weeks ago we had 5 boats, now 3.
One sank.
One moved on.

 

[Tassie 1]

Heck I’ve seen automotive ignition conversions on those units to eliminate the power pack. The owner of the Chrysler had it to a marine mechanic and had the stator replaced. He said I’m welcome to take it to a mechanic.

I 'll just add this.
We picked up a 1979 70 hp Chrysler for a hundy maybe 5-6 years ago as a cheap motor for my runabout.
Had not been run for a number of years before that
It ran well on the stand...we replaced the plugs etc etc...started every time on the stand and on the boat at home.

Drove to the boat ramp a block away and it started easily for the first 6 outings then left us stranded...endured the tow of shame.

No Spark.
Couldn't find any good 2nd parts so decided to replace with aftermarket bits ( Street Something ) that was talked about on outboard forums.

Same story...ran great at home and even on the water for the first 6 outings.
Then it stopped.
Endured the tow of shame again.

You may well have the same experience.
Be prepared to spend more time working on it than actually using it.

But thats just my wrong experience.
LOL.

You can have the %$€@ thing IF you pick it up.

 

[jakedaawg]

I'd say no to all. Spend some dollars and buy something less than 15 years old. No on ever said boating is inexpensive.

 

[440roadrunner]

Older OMC outboards like the 40hp Racer referred to, are very easy to maintain. No Timing Light needed, no sticking calibration tools into the cylinder to find TDC and/or a specific Distance from TDC. The Link and Sync of those engines was extremely easy. In Comparison, Mercs from the 50s and 60s could get quite confusing when it came to the Timing and Link and Sync.

I am biased, but ^^THIS^^

PO3 LOLOL I was ETR2 when I left NAS Miramar in 1974 after 6 years in the Navy

 

[jimmbo]

Perhaps if you could Read and Comprehend what I wrote....

 

[racerone]

Roadrunner is confusing to me.

 

[topgun3690]

Glad I not the only one confused by that last line.....

 

[Crosbyman]

sounds like military forces mumbo jumbo

 

[jimmbo]

"Miramar" Maybe the guy thinks he is Goose

 

[tphoyt]

Correct Crosbyman
ETR2 is an electronics tec in the Navy.
Miramar is a military base in Ca.
Roadrunner Thank You For your Service

 

[jimmbo]

Most people first learned of Miramar from a lame movie in the 80s

 

[440roadrunner]

Correct Crosbyman
ETR2 is an electronics tec in the Navy.
Miramar is a military base in Ca.
Roadrunner Thank You For your Service

I was laughing. You guys had me pegged as "petty officer 3rd" but I was PO2. NAS Miramar, N of San Diego before the Marines got ahold of it, I was in 68-74, at Miramar (extended) 70-74. I maintained GCA (ground controlled approach) RADAR and TACAN. Back then that was a great job. We slept one night a week at the shop which was way down hear the W end of 24R and then got 48 hours off. I also had a part time paying job at the station auto hobby shop.

In those days "ET" meant "electronics technician" and the -R meant RADAR. In school we were separated at some point into separate classes for communications and RADAR. I was already a radio amateur, and really thought I wanted comm, but it turned out that RADAR ended up being a great gig.

Here is the amateur radio club on Treasure Island, where I went to ET "A" school.

https://www.qsl.net/w6cp/k6ncg/

One of these is me going up the 120' tower, which I did about 10 times Notice we are "free" climbing. This is before harnesses. Only work lanyards/ belts.

Me on the tower at 20 years old. This is the first tower I ever climbed, other than trees.

What we called the "RTTY position" (radio teletype) This was after I left, but much of the machines showed here, I helped retrieve out of the "mothball fleet" for our use. The rx, a Collins 75A4 are gold, nowadays. Old Hallicrafters HT37 transmitter. The TTY machines are "model 28" series stuff, great stuff at this time, circa '68

I have never met Tom Cruise, nor do I want to. "Top Gun" was the fighter weapons school which at the time was held/ located at NAS Miramar. The station itself was "Fightertown USA." At the time was pretty much the busiest Navy jet base period. In fact PSA Airlines had a contract with Miramar, as we had better (GCA) approach equipment than Lindbergh field, so if Lindbergh was socked in, they would roust us out to re-re-re check the RADAR, land the thing, and then bus everyone downtown.

I didn't mind, as there was a snack bar in the tower, and there were ALWAYS a lot of (back then) stewardesses and college girls to flirt with.