Late 60’s Mercury outboard weight

[TheOutboardKid]

Hello!
I am looking into getting a new engine for my boat, as the current one has had too many shade tree repairs, and it’s never reliable. It’s got low compression on 2 of the 4 cylinders, and would need a new wiring harness too. I’d rather buy a different engine (preferably a late 60’s 65-100hp merc), as this would match my boat much better and hopefully be more reliable. My question is, how much would an outboard of this size weigh? The previous owner of my boat replaced the floor and transom, and did a good job. Here’s the link to the thread: https://forums.iboats.com/threads/1968-larson-15-ft-new-floor.572483/ However, the Johnson-Javelin V4 has always seemed a bit heavy. I really don’t want to construct a new transom right after I buy a new engine. Would someone be able to help me find the weight of a late 60’s Merc? Is there someplace on the internet I could find this information?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[GA_Boater]

NADA has weights for a lot of motors.

 

[TheOutboardKid]

Thanks for the reply! NADA claims 270 pounds for a 100hp Merc, but that’s 35 less than my engine with 15 horsepower and 2 cylinders less. I would assume that’s correct, but that’s less than I’d expect. Does that seem accurate?

 

[matt167]

Merc's were lighter as they were built to be faster... A 4cyl Merc was in the 250lbs range so it's logical.

Johnson/ Evinrude were built to be workhorses

 

[TheOutboardKid]

Good to know. Thanks for the reply!

 

[matt167]

BUT, on the other hand, you don't buy a vintage Merc to be reliable, you buy it for the black beauty hanging on the transom..

 

[racerone]

Fact-----Many older motors are in fact lighter then newer and current models.

 

[TheOutboardKid]

Fact-----Many older motors are in fact lighter then newer and current models.

This makes sense in my head…. especially due to the majority of new outboards having cams and valves and springs and such. I’ll believe it.

 

[TheOutboardKid]

BUT, on the other hand, you don't buy a vintage Merc to be reliable, you buy it for the black beauty hanging on the transom..

Yes, but I’m sure any outboard that’s been properly maintained is going to be much more reliable than what I’ve got now. I’ve literally never had a single successful outing with that engine.

 

[roscoe]

Ok, no offense intended, but I think you should rethink the situation.

You are looking for a well maintained, reliable motor, that just happens to be over 50 years old.
Some may argue, but they are few and far between in the marketplace, unless they are part of a boat/motor combo. Most people that would have a motor like that, are not selling them.

A newer motor, especially late 70's or into the 80's is going to have some version of electronic ignition, no distributor, or points, no belts, better quality wiring, likely power tilt, and much better parts availability.

What part of the county are you located in?

 

[racerone]

If you understand motors , know how to maintain them then an older motor is an option.-----They often have reliable simple components that do not need dealer ( 100/hr ) support with NLA parts now common on 20 year old machines.

 

[TheOutboardKid]

Ok, no offense intended, but I think you should rethink the situation.

You are looking for a well maintained, reliable motor, that just happens to be over 50 years old.
Some may argue, but they are few and far between in the marketplace, unless they are part of a boat/motor combo. Most people that would have a motor like that, are not selling them.

A newer motor, especially late 70's or into the 80's is going to have some version of electronic ignition, no distributor, or points, no belts, better quality wiring, likely power tilt, and much better parts availability.

What part of the county are you located in?

I do understand what you mean, and I agree with you that it might not make sense in every scenario. I don’t expect to find an engine for sale right away, and frankly, I’ve got plenty of time on my hands. I don’t mind spending a few hours adjusting a carb.

But please do keep explaining, I don’t want to choose one option when I don’t know what the rest of the options are.

To answer your question, I live outside Chicago, but I spend most of my boating time on lakes in Wisconsin.

 

[TheOutboardKid]

If you understand motors , know how to maintain them then an older motor is an option.-----They often have reliable simple components that do not need dealer ( 100/hr ) support with NLA parts now common on 20 year old machines.

This is one reason why I’m looking into older motors. I have enough mechanical experience (and time) to adjust ignition points, or tube carburetors. I do understand the advantages of and electronic ignition, but parts for those can be quite expensive and I know that old fashioned points and condensers can be reliable if maintained correctly.

 

[roscoe]

So, being in the upper midwest, with a short boating season compared to most of the country increases you odds of finding a decent older motor. But as time goes on, most of the motors I find are not maintained, or have be messed withs badly that you can't tell if the motor can be a smooth running reliable engine again until you buy it and start working .

I've got a few in great condition, not for sale, a '73 65 hp Merc, a '72 8 hp Merc maker ignition, an "82 Merc 90 I6 with external power tilt And it needs a boat

Its just getting harder to find them

 

[TheOutboardKid]

So, being in the upper midwest, with a short boating season compared to most of the country increases you odds of finding a decent older motor. But as time goes on, most of the motors I find are not maintained, or have be messed withs badly that you can't tell if the motor can be a smooth running reliable engine again until you buy it and start working .

I've got a few in great condition, not for sale, a '73 65 hp Merc, a '72 8 hp Merc maker ignition, an "82 Merc 90 I6 with external power tilt And it needs a boat

Its just getting harder to find them

Yeah, I definitely don’t see them for sale often. There’s a few for sale right now that have been restored, and I’m considering it an option. Do I want to spend the big bucks? No. But do I want a reliable engine? I absolutely do.

I’m thinking of buying an engine with good internals and fixing it up, but almost all of the outboard engines I’ve worked on have been small, less than 50hp. I’m not sure how much time and money I’d like to spend on an engine, especially when I might not know what I’m going.

Oh well. We‘ll see what happens. I’m going to be repairing a few small stress cracks in the transom/splashwell, and that will need to happen before I put a new engine on.

 

[matt167]

Yeah, I definitely don’t see them for sale often. There’s a few for sale right now that have been restored, and I’m considering it an option. Do I want to spend the big bucks? No. But do I want a reliable engine? I absolutely do.

I’m thinking of buying an engine with good internals and fixing it up, but almost all of the outboard engines I’ve worked on have been small, less than 50hp. I’m not sure how much time and money I’d like to spend on an engine, especially when I might not know what I’m going.

Oh well. We‘ll see what happens. I’m going to be repairing a few small stress cracks in the transom/splashwell, and that will need to happen before I put a new engine on.

Stress cracks on a 'glass boat means the transom is flexing and is rotten... You are going to have to tear it down for a rebuild before you even consider putting it back on the lake

 

[TheOutboardKid]

Stress cracks on a 'glass boat means the transom is flexing and is rotten... You are going to have to tear it down for a rebuild before you even consider putting it back on the lake

The stress cracks aren’t in the transom itself, they are small and aren’t a result of a heavy engine or a rotten transom. I think they are a result of the thin splashwell being stepped on when getting in and out of the boat. The cracks are very thin, and probably more cosmetic than structural.