Andrew_Fanner
Well-Known Member
But, if you need an engine, and its what you have, it will give you plenty of go for pottering should you trail to the Thames or Medway. While it has a tiller does it also have the attachments for remotes?
NEWBIE! first post and just wanted to say hi!
- Thread starter 16ft phil
- Start date
Kipper
Well-Known Member
16ft Phil
Well its better than 12inch Ken (Barby ref)
Welcome to the madhouse and that is one horror story of a purchase mind you dealt with less honest brokers, id be tempted to ga back and ask for some money back with some help but fair play to you for getting stuck in to it.
Keep us informed as to progress we love a good resto project and it does look a classy little boat.
Any forumitesd any idea what it is?
Enjoy.
Well its better than 12inch Ken (Barby ref)
Welcome to the madhouse and that is one horror story of a purchase mind you dealt with less honest brokers, id be tempted to ga back and ask for some money back with some help but fair play to you for getting stuck in to it.
Keep us informed as to progress we love a good resto project and it does look a classy little boat.
Any forumitesd any idea what it is?
Enjoy.
jfm
Well-Known Member
Phil as Firefly said that 20hp merc is a lovely engine. I had one from new (well, my father did; I was 9 when he bought it but I was the main driver!) and it cost £339.00 in 1974. The one in your photo is a 1976 model. It's a beautiful engine, roller bearings in the big ends, little ends and mains. It weighs 96 pounds. It has a swept back leg, so the bevel gears in the lower gear box make an angle of about 100 degress, not 90degrees. "Superglide" leg, Mercury called it in the early 1970s. Worth restoring if it's sound, and worth something if you get it mint. 50-1 oil, as Firefly said
But as you say it's not enough power for your 16 footer.
The 85merc that Firefly mentioned is a good engine if you can get one. Again it has full roller bearings (bigs, little, mains, and it's a 5 main bearing crank). Much nicer than the Johnson. Parts are available but some are expensive. Worth looking at US websites because lots of folks there restore these motors
Good luck
But as you say it's not enough power for your 16 footer.
The 85merc that Firefly mentioned is a good engine if you can get one. Again it has full roller bearings (bigs, little, mains, and it's a 5 main bearing crank). Much nicer than the Johnson. Parts are available but some are expensive. Worth looking at US websites because lots of folks there restore these motors
Good luck
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jfm
Well-Known Member
There is a "rule" in boating that says something like "the amount of pleasure derived from a boat is inversely proportional to its size".
Now, I am sure jfm will be along any minute to tell me I'm wrong
FWIW, I do think you're wrong! The fun is the same. My boats pre 21 yrs old were a mirror, a Laser, my father's 12foot inflatable with Merc 20, an eBay-esque speedboat with Johnson 50 similar to Phil#s 16footer, and they were the same amount of fun as the stuff I sail in now, 25yrs later!
16ft phil
Member
blimey jfm u know your stuff then!? lol
so its worth me trying to get iyt running and sell as a running engine then?
yea i pretty much decided it wasnt going to shift my boat too quickly so i thought i would sell it and with the money from selling the parts of the johnson to put towards a newer 70-80hp merc or similar.
as for the resto project update ive just ordered 200 D/A sanding discs and 50 sheets of wet and dry sand paper!! oh dear looks like this weekends going to be a long one.
the trailer also needs restoring, so i have ordered 5 angle grinding wire bushes aswell.
and just to put the cherry on top of my expensive abrasives list my 'FRIEND!' has pulled out so now its just me on my own!
p.
so its worth me trying to get iyt running and sell as a running engine then?
yea i pretty much decided it wasnt going to shift my boat too quickly so i thought i would sell it and with the money from selling the parts of the johnson to put towards a newer 70-80hp merc or similar.
as for the resto project update ive just ordered 200 D/A sanding discs and 50 sheets of wet and dry sand paper!! oh dear looks like this weekends going to be a long one.
the trailer also needs restoring, so i have ordered 5 angle grinding wire bushes aswell.
and just to put the cherry on top of my expensive abrasives list my 'FRIEND!' has pulled out so now its just me on my own!
p.
jfm
Well-Known Member
To be honest you gotta be careful Phil. Folks will be interested if it's perfectly restored, perhaps at £600 tops. But it has to be authentically done, eg phantom black paint not just any black
Parts can cost a fortune. So before you start you gotta work out how much the parts are gonna cost. Don't just suck it and see. Work out at the beginiing if it's worth restoring. Does it run (in a bucket of water; don't run it in air) and does the water pump work? (it will pee out a telltale water jet stbd side if pump is good)
That motor looks good, just from the pic. Nil dings in the prop and no dings in the metal skeg (fin at bottom) just missing skeg paint, which is normal. Shame it is so scratched but maybe you can fix that. Replacement decals from www.oldmercs.com etc The engine came with a 2 blade prop as standard, (11 or 13inch pitch, can't remember) and it looks like that what you have on it
Your engine has had remote steering and throttles in its life becuase it has the remote steering bracket, marked yellow below. These brackets were supplied by merc in mild steel, so they all rusted like yours; that's normal
Anyone buying it will want to know if it is short or long shaft. See dimension red arrow in pic below. 15inch = short; 20 inch = long. Buyers of this size motor are prob 50/50 wanting long/short
It's a lovely engine as I say. Needle roller bearings, built up to a quality not down to a price, CD ignition and a 40thou plug "gap" to make a big fat spark (it's a ring on the end of the plug, not a hooked end). Better built than many modern engines, etc. But as i say look before you leap on restoring it, in case the parts cost you more than it's worth
Good luck anyway
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16ft phil
Member
thank you very much jfm! true legend!
is the 15inch - short 20inch - long the same for all engines or just this one?
well i know it needs a new tiller handle control as it just spins and spins. the non recoiling start cord im hoping i can fix myself and then i need to look at the whole no spark thing.
i dont know if its worth spending the time and money on as its not actualy the engine i want and i need to spend a lot more time on the boat a trailer themselves.
any ideas what the engine would be worth as it is?
many thanks phil.
is the 15inch - short 20inch - long the same for all engines or just this one?
well i know it needs a new tiller handle control as it just spins and spins. the non recoiling start cord im hoping i can fix myself and then i need to look at the whole no spark thing.
i dont know if its worth spending the time and money on as its not actualy the engine i want and i need to spend a lot more time on the boat a trailer themselves.
any ideas what the engine would be worth as it is?
many thanks phil.
jfm
Well-Known Member
The 15 and 20 inch are not applicable just to that engine. They are standard industry dimensions and apply to all outboards, except that when you get to say 60hp+ they only make them in long (20 inch) because any boat big enough to take a 60hp+ will have a transom too tall for a 15inch leg. When you get to say 150hp there is extra long (25inch) and at 250/350 hp there is now an XXL leg, 30 inch, I think
So when you buy a new engine for your 16footer make sure it is the right length (most likely long, 20 inch, but you can measure it with tape measure, top edge where outboard hangs on, down to keel) else it will be a big waste of money!
I honestly have no idea what the non running merc 200 is worth. Probably something like £50 to be honest. Firefly625 what do you think? They're nice things but it's not like an old Bugatti where people will pay a fortune. Only a few old outboard geeks would be interested in buying it!
alandee
Well-Known Member
Hi Phil!
I have not been on the forum for a week due to work, but it has just taken me the best part of an hour to read this thread. Brilliant! As others have said, we start small and progress with age and money. I have a 36ft sailing boat down near Antibes, but my first boat was a third share in a Dateline Bounty, about twelve years ago, that I bought with two new found friends who had never been able to afford a boat untill I came along with my £500. Although I enjoy sailing, I always hanker for the "14ft wreck" with the V8 on the back. You will never forget your first boat.
I wish you the very best and look forward to hearing your updates. Who knows, you might end up buying JFM's in 20 years time!! Welcome to the forum, Al.
I have not been on the forum for a week due to work, but it has just taken me the best part of an hour to read this thread. Brilliant! As others have said, we start small and progress with age and money. I have a 36ft sailing boat down near Antibes, but my first boat was a third share in a Dateline Bounty, about twelve years ago, that I bought with two new found friends who had never been able to afford a boat untill I came along with my £500. Although I enjoy sailing, I always hanker for the "14ft wreck" with the V8 on the back. You will never forget your first boat.
I wish you the very best and look forward to hearing your updates. Who knows, you might end up buying JFM's in 20 years time!! Welcome to the forum, Al.
MapisM
Well-Known Member
At risk of appearing pedant, there's a notable exception worth mentioning: the 2 stroke Mercury EFI 2.5.
That's what made me understand what acceleration on the water really means!
jfm
Well-Known Member
At risk of appearing pedant, there's a notable exception worth mentioning: the 2 stroke Mercury EFI 2.5.
That's what made me understand what acceleration on the water really means!
Yup, I meant "in general". Not Mercs with red and yellow decals
BTW the Merc 60 also comes in short shaft, in the Merc racing red+yellow decal version
petem
Well-Known Member
Like this....
Anyway, if you remember, the miscreant, late of this here parish, who cannot be mentioned, also had a ton of safety equipment on board as well!
Pete
16ft phil
Member
Like this....
Anyway, if you remember, the miscreant, late of this here parish, who cannot be mentioned, also had a ton of safety equipment on board as well!
Pete
lol i just love this pic!!! brilliant!!!!!! i hate health and safety but they would love this! on the water too!
