Lower unit interchange

[beemer.david]

Hi, I was wondering if anybody knows if a lower unit off a 1985 mariner 60 hp will work on a 1985 Mercury 60 hp. I think the mariner of that year is s Mercury/mariner, if I'm not mistaken. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

[jimmbo]

Welcome to iboats

I think the grey paint will conflict/contrast with the black paint. Go ahead, the engines are the same

 

[beemer.david]

Cool thanks, I was hoping they would, I bought the 60 mariner for 30 bucks almost complete, but the power head is supposedly bad, and I found a Mercury same year and size that's runs good, bad lower unit for 300 with gas tank and controls, so that's what I was hoping to hear. Thanks again, I'm going to go for it

 

[beemer.david]

Ok, so the motor I got is not a 1985 merc 60, it is a 1975 merc 65, lower unit is bad, was wondering if I had the year right cause the shift shaft is sqaure not splined. Could anybody tell me if that's right, or what year motor I might have? Thanks.

 

[jimmbo]

So you initially had no engine, you bought a supposed 1985 60hp Mariner with a pooched powerhead. So you then found what you thought was an 1985 60hp merc with a bad lower unit. Now you're saying the supposed 1985 60hp Merc is really a 1975 65hp, and the shift shafts are different?

What are the serial numbers of the engines involved?

 

[beemer.david]

Don't know the mariner numbers, I got rid of it, didn't think it would work, the supposedly 85 60 hp merc has a serial number that is 4266593. Now I'm down to trying to figure the year of the merc so I can get the right parts for it, I think it's a 1975 65 hp merc, but the sqaure shift shaft seems to be troublesome to find. I found a lower unit on eBay claiming to be for a 1975 65 hp merc, but the shift shaft on it was splined, leaving me guessing at what I have. Sorry I know this is kinda confusing.

 

[jimmbo]

The serial number does check out as a 1975 60hp. Some pictures(in focus and properly lit) might help

 

[beemer.david]

Ok, I'll try to get some pics tonight thanks

 

[merc850]

The 1975 will be a splined shaft maybe you can just switch the upper shift shaft. This diagram is from a '75 850

 

[beemer.david]

I can't get pics to load, keeps saying file size too large, I use my phone for everything and don't know how to shrink them, but I'm going to look at a 70 hp merc tomorrow, the guy says it's a mid to late 70's so I'm hoping I can use the upper shift shaft out of it, and do like merc850 said. Or maybe I'll luck out and it will be sqaure. Lol yea right. I think a 70 hp of the same era would work on my 60-65 hp 1975 merc? Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[beemer.david]

Ok got the 70 hp guy said he thinks it's either a 76 or 78, all pretty much looks the same except the ignition system, I'll post back in a few days let you guys know if changing out the upper shift shaft worked.