Older mercury 115 rebuild

[Scaaty]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

Hey Kuyote...sorry about the super hi-jacking of your thread! Heres a pic of my old 1974 Switxercraft 17SS (made in Illinois by Bobby Switzer), with a 76 1500XS SS. Ran a 14x28 2 blade. Really beats the hell out of a gearcase, but the "tail" was a real chick magnet! Other is what I'm working on now.

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

Hey SCAATY, That looks like a short shaft. I had my 1250 short shaft on the small, (I think it was 14' but I know it was rated for an 85 hp, as I took that tag off myself) 1968 Carlson flat bottom tunnel hull with a single skaag for four years. Never measured the speed with GPS but it was very light and fast. Wish I still had the hull. JR

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

This motor I'm putting together is a shortshaft middle. I'm leaving the prop in the water on this one (don't have the low water pickup XS gearcase anyway), and just jack it a inch or so up on the transom. I have 25 footer, a 20 footer, 14 fishing boat, but there all getting boring! I need something light, fast, and easy on-off, so I can hit the inland lakes and have a little fun like the old days. Have a slip here at my HOA, but also sick of dealing with saltwater. But I guess as long as I'm on water, I'm OK! Plus big Mercs on sleek boats are just fun to tow around and look at! Making a nice pad in the middle for my Golden Retriever too...have to buy her some goggles!

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

Agreed: My Carlson, (stock bronze metal flake which matched the van I towed it with) looked very nasty on the trailer or in the water, and I generally could wup most boats with anywhere near the same level of power due to the very light hull. It luved a little chop 4-6 inches to really fly, and out of the hole it was really a killer! Great sport! I miss it! JR

 

[emckelvy]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

SCAATY, the G3 is lookin' Plum Purty and I can't wait to see it in the water with Master T's 950 on it!

BTW I'm VERY familiar with the workbench your 1350 powerhead is resting on and have spent quite a few hours of wrenching there myself!

I used to have a 16' Sidewinder powered by a 1350 Merc which I rebuilt using a crank from a 1250. I had picked up the powerhead from a local marine 'scrapyard' and it had busted the crank below #1 cyl.

She sure was a screamer! I did set the timing back to around 21 deg and of course the gas was a lot better quality back in the 80's. It always ran like a champ and I eventually moved it to a 17' Seaswirl Spyder ski boat. Not quite as snappy as it was on the Sidewinder but it pushed it along respectably and had plenty of power for slalom skiing. Man, I wish I still had that one, by far the best boat/motor combination I've ever owned.

You might see how she runs with .080" jets, I recall that mine would hardly run at all on larger jets but they may have been .082's. Depends on the altitude you'll be running it at, and air temps. At sea level in 30 deg temps the 1350 ran Gangbusters but in the summer wouldn't even plane out with the larger jets. Switched back to .0785's and it ran Nice and Crisp.

At any rate, it couldn't hurt to have the slightly larger jets in for break-in then see how she runs on the top end. But if you're careful with the .0785's you should be able to figure out what she wants and jet accordingly without hurting anything.

BTW as far as comparing jet sizes between 1250, 1350, and 1400, the 1250 with totally different piston (and combustion chamber) design really isn't meaningful to this discussion.

The 1400 was a lot closer to the 1350 in design, with slightly larger jet size because of (I'd expect) the better airflow the new exhaust plate/block redesign offered.

I've got a 1400 block on my bench for rebuild and the port size is amazingly Monstrous, just like I remember on the Good Ole' 1350!

All I need to do now is find a smaller ski boat worthy of a 1400 Tower of Power!

Enjoy yours when it's done, and keep up the Good Work on the G3.........ed

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

SCAATY, the G3 is lookin' Plum Purty and I can't wait to see it in the water with Master T's 950 on it!

BTW I'm VERY familiar with the workbench your 1350 powerhead is resting on and have spent quite a few hours of wrenching there myself!

I used to have a 16' Sidewinder powered by a 1350 Merc which I rebuilt using a crank from a 1250. I had picked up the powerhead from a local marine 'scrapyard' and it had busted the crank below #1 cyl.

She sure was a screamer! I did set the timing back to around 21 deg and of course the gas was a lot better quality back in the 80's. It always ran like a champ and I eventually moved it to a 17' Seaswirl Spyder ski boat. Not quite as snappy as it was on the Sidewinder but it pushed it along respectably and had plenty of power for slalom skiing. Man, I wish I still had that one, by far the best boat/motor combination I've ever owned.

You might see how she runs with .080" jets, I recall that mine would hardly run at all on larger jets but they may have been .082's. Depends on the altitude you'll be running it at, and air temps. At sea level in 30 deg temps the 1350 ran Gangbusters but in the summer wouldn't even plane out with the larger jets. Switched back to .0785's and it ran Nice and Crisp.

At any rate, it couldn't hurt to have the slightly larger jets in for break-in then see how she runs on the top end. But if you're careful with the .0785's you should be able to figure out what she wants and jet accordingly without hurting anything.

BTW as far as comparing jet sizes between 1250, 1350, and 1400, the 1250 with totally different piston (and combustion chamber) design really isn't meaningful to this discussion.

The 1400 was a lot closer to the 1350 in design, with slightly larger jet size because of (I'd expect) the better airflow the new exhaust plate/block redesign offered.

I've got a 1400 block on my bench for rebuild and the port size is amazingly Monstrous, just like I remember on the Good Ole' 1350!

All I need to do now is find a smaller ski boat worthy of a 1400 Tower of Power!

Enjoy yours when it's done, and keep up the Good Work on the G3.........ed

The G3 ("T" has 2, his..hull work going on as we type.. and a customers with the 950 going on it in the motor shop...that yours?.) is not the one I'm doing. He sold the blue Olsen, and I got sick of lusting over the white one he got from OR, and thats the new project. We talked last night, and decided to do the .080 jets for break-in. I'm stopping out there Sunday with some stuff for him, and do a little BS. Great guy..and can sit and look at those motors until he throws me out! By the way, I'm out a stones toss from Steamboat Island..more later, pizza's ready!

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

ED, I think I've meet you at Master T's place. In fact, (I was the gray-bearded one) I was there when you and T pulled the crank and piston's out on the 115 block that ended up the one I was to get from T..didn't know it at the time though. Remember when ya yanked it, and 4 of 6 pistons were good, one iffy, one junk? Anyway, T thinks highly of you. And we (I) have (again) decided to leave the .0785 jets in. My XS ran like stink when it finally got up on plane, but with it tucked in and a big prop, took forever to plane out. I want a neck snapper this time, and not that interested in top speed..must (AM) getting old! Robby

 

[emckelvy]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

Mr. "T" is a busy devil indeed. I've been more or less (mostly more) hibernating and wishing for nicer weather. Not gonna get any of that this weekend!!!

It's been a while since the last time I've been down there, too busy at work, etc etc. Would rather be happily wrenching on outboards!

Likely we'll meet up again in the future at Mr. "T"'s, in fact a Play Day (i.e. wrenching on Mercs etc) might be in the cards in a few weeks. Or at least a visit. We'll see!

Have a love-r-ly PNW Gloomy Day.

At least with Daylight Savings Time kicking in tomorrow we'll have an extra hour of Gloom! :}

Cheers..........ed

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Older mercury 115 rebuild

Mr. "T" is a busy devil indeed. I've been more or less (mostly more) hibernating and wishing for nicer weather. Not gonna get any of that this weekend!!!

It's been a while since the last time I've been down there, too busy at work, etc etc. Would rather be happily wrenching on outboards!

Likely we'll meet up again in the future at Mr. "T"'s, in fact a Play Day (i.e. wrenching on Mercs etc) might be in the cards in a few weeks. Or at least a visit. We'll see!

Have a love-r-ly PNW Gloomy Day.

At least with Daylight Savings Time kicking in tomorrow we'll have an extra hour of Gloom! :}

Cheers..........ed

T called me...brother lost job in Hawaii, coming here, needs to get the APT over the shop ready...Merc on hold, and he is all over the map of thinking what jets to start with on the beast...080, or .0785, as its a "Frankenmerc" and I just told him to flip 2 in the air, heads/tails...we can always change'em. Now, back in my cave until I can come out and see my SHADOW! Damn rain..Robby