Merc vs Sierra Ignition Parts

[62cruiserinc]

I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260 with the MCM 260 drive.

I bought the boat 3 years ago but have used it very little ( it went out a couple dozen times total).

This year I want to replace the ignition parts (points, condenser, rotor, dist cap, plugs, plug wires) in anticipation of using the boat a lot more this year.

Are the Sierra parts OK to use vs the Merc parts which are a lot more money?

I know the quality is probably not as good as Merc, but are there any inherent issues with them that cause problems (other than maybe they don't last as long)?

I have to buy the Sierra plug wires because they are the only ones I could find (thanks to searching this forum) that fit the Mallory distributor setup that I have.

Thanks
Steve

 

[achris]

The cap needs to be 'Marine', the rest you can get from anywhere you like. I prefer an decent car shop. Sierra are generally parts made in the same factory as the Merc parts, but have been rejected by the Merc QA/QC team. I steer clear of Sierra when I can.

Chris......

 

[Bt Doctur]

I tend to disagree, the parts all start out as GM motor parts with some additions like brass terminal in the dist caps and explosion proof electrical parts.Quality is just as good and lasts just as long

 

[62cruiserinc]

Chris:

How do you get the correct parts from the car shop?

Do they know what ignition parts you need if you mention 1981 5.7L engine?

Thanks
Steve

 

[Bt Doctur]

Usually no, they dont have marine engine parts books. you engine is GM based V8 260 is usually a 350 cu in motor .Google Mallory ign p[arts and cross reference the part number on iboats

 

[ziggy]

for ign. parts, i can only comment on 3 that i've experience with.

personally, i've found i have the best results using merc parts.

sometimes there are exceptions.

one is with the points. a couple years ago i got some oem parts from my local mercruiser dealer. they wouldn't close on the low side of the dist. cam. i got some sierra points that worked just perfect. i replace mine yearly. in the end. my merc dealer don't know what is up with the points i got from mercrusier. the part number i got was the same he provided me with. on the oem points, the rubbing block was to tall. the points never closed. i've been using sierra since w/o issue.
second. was the dist. cap. one of my replacements was a napa (not sierra) marine cap. it worked just fine. however i was less impressed with it when compared to the oem merc. cap. i ended up getting the merc cap in the end. it was made much more robustly. larger bosses for the inside contacts to mount on. the whole cap was notable (w/o using a scale) heavier than the napa cap.
lastly, i've got sierra plug wire too. they also seem fine, which is a good thing as my oem wires are nla. so it's either sierra or generic plug wires for my engine. again, the sierra seem fine + they are the proper length w/ respectable ends on them.

in the end for me, i will still use oem when i can. they generally produce the best repairs. but imho there are exceptions. (points).

 

[Bt Doctur]

if you using points , only use Blue-Streak

 

[62cruiserinc]

I found Blue Streak online under SMP Blue Streak. When I go to their web site they have 3 different brands. Standard Motor Products (SMP) has a marine catalog which lists points for my engine (MCM 260 with Mallory dist). Are these the Blue Streak you speak of?

Thanks
Steve

 

[Bt Doctur]

if it comes in a blue box, yes

 

[Bt Doctur]

I`d copy and paste but thats not working either

 

[62cruiserinc]

I found it at CarID, where it's actually called Blue Streak for $14 plus shipping.

Steve

 

[Scott Danforth]

Blue Streak is a brand of Standard Motor Products, just like Standard, BWD and Intermotor. that is the OEM source for many companies.

 

[nola mike]

The cap needs to be 'Marine', the rest you can get from anywhere you like. I prefer an decent car shop. Sierra are generally parts made in the same factory as the Merc parts, but have been rejected by the Merc QA/QC team. I steer clear of Sierra when I can.

Chris......

Where do you get that info from? Any way to verify?

 

[achris]

Where do you get that info from? Any way to verify?

Told to me by WA's state Merc service rep in the 90's.. No way to verify, sorry.

Chris........