Changing lower units

[Babydriver12]

Good evening I am after advice on my mercury engine outboard
My right hand rotation lower unit has just failed. I have been offered a left-hand lower unit with the propeller from the USA. Can it just bolt straight on?

 

[jamie N]

Welcome to the forum. Firstly, which engine, which year, model and serial number? If you've got these which are displayed on the engine, then you're going to get a better result to help, as there's info aplenty to help you.
If someone's saying that they've a "left-hand" unit of the same engine, then I'd be quite suspicious as to their accuracy.
If it's a fairly recent Mercury, then you're in luck as it's going to have Tohatsu equivalents:
Mercury Marine:
Tohatsu has a long history of providing engines to Mercury Marine, particularly for smaller outboards (up to 60 HP).
Evinrude:
Tohatsu also partnered with Evinrude to manufacture smaller outboards (15 HP and down), which were then sold under the Evinrude brand.
Nissan Marine:
All outboard engines sold in North America by the now-defunct Nissan Marine were also rebadged Tohatsu engines.
Honda:
Tohatsu has a collaboration with Honda Motor Co. for certain larger four-stroke outboard engines (60-250 HP).
Tohatsu:
Tohatsu also markets its own brand of outboard engines, with models ranging from 2.5 to 115 HP.
These might make it easier & cheaper to find, but generally I'd say that they'd be interchangeable.

 

[Babydriver12]

It’s a Verado gen 1 275

 

[jamie N]

Ah, that's a very different scale of engine to anything in my experience. Perhaps you'd be better off posting in the Motor Boat forum?
Good luck.

 

[snowbird30ds]

There's probably no difference in the lower unit at all just the gear cable works opposite for the lh prop.