Re: Old Mercury problems..
Hi Hunter,<br /> Scored cylinders are generally considered to be "bad", but not necessarily fatal. However, unless you are willing to do the work yourself it will probably be better off becoming a parts motor for someone else. Scoring is when the normallyt smooth sides of the cylinder bore become gouged, either through wear, overheating, improper timing, or improper fueling. <br /> It might be as simple as some light scuffing of the cylinder walls, in which case a good honing and a couple of pistons and rings might bring it back to life again.. Not hard to find either the pistons or rings (same as those used in the 50hp up into the early 1990s) but the cost involved may be much more than you feel the motor is worth.<br /> It could be as bad as a catastrophic failure of a piston due to an overheating. In this case you might need to bore out the cylinders to oversize and install oversize pistons. This would be very pricey, indeed.<br /> If the motor has sentimental value, then you might be more apt to put more into it. If you're just looking for a mid-size kicker, park it and save it for a rainy day project. It certainly won't hurt to tear it down and take a closer look. It's already "broken", so you're unlikely to break it more. Could be a fun learning experience!<br /> Incidently, there are lots of similar motors out there missing lower units. Mercury used a lot of carbon steel in their lower ends which were prone to rusting. This works for you in that there are lots of otherwise good upper parts out there to serve as "donor" motors should you decide to tinker with your motor. A simple powerhead transplant might be all you need to get it back among the living.<br /> Parts and manuals can be had at several sources, including here on iboats, and
www.oldmercs.com. <br /> Good luck, and for the record, it's "Kiekhaefer", as in Earl Carl Kiekhaefer, the founder of Mercury.<br />- Scott
