TOPIC: 1956 Mercury Mark 55 E - how to "jump" start it.

Hi All,
I've been away a while.
Hopefully, for the summer, I'm going to switch out a Merc 300 E with a Mark 55 E while I do some work on the 300. I've had the 55 a while now and have never run it. It has been stored inside with the pistons oiled. I don't have an electrical control harness for it. Before I search one out, I wanted to give it a go at starting it. Is there anyway I can hot wire it in order to try and start it up?
Thanks
Tim

first off if you have a charging system on it disconnect the yellow wires on the rectifier or you will burn it out. then jump the e starter and it should start to shut it down ground the stud on the mag. I would hook up an on off switch to the mag easier. if no e starter just pull by hand.1 914 310 7086

Tim, those motors are very easy to pull over and start by hand. Use the recoil starter and I bet she'll fire right off.

One thing I would do, to protect the charging circuit, is to connect a battery, via jumper cables or lugged wires, Neg to a good ground on the engine block and Pos to the big terminal on the solenoid that is NOT connected to the starter. The correct side would have a battery cable going back to the internal harness. This provides a load for the rectifier.

Of course at that point, you're only a step away from using the electric starter. You'll find a yellow wire connected to one of the small terminals on the starter solenoid. Supply +12V power to the yellow terminal and this will activate the solenoid.

I'd suggest using a remote start switch or equivalent for this, as you don't want any sparking around the open carbs.

To kill the motor, ground the side-terminal on the distributor. You could even set up a temporary kill switch, using a toggle switch with suitable leads.

HTH.............ed

Thanks guys. I will try to get some time on it on Monday. I'm ok with pulling it so I'll try that first (after hooking up the battery). I'll let you know how things go.

OK, just to be sure..

#1 goes to #4
#2 goes to the harness
#3 goes to the harness

So start it:
>>>> attach NEG to the engine block
>>>> attach POS to # 2

Just to be safe, I'll make the attachments on the engine with lugs/nuts and, away from the engine, tap the battery terminals in order to engage the starter.

If you attach Battery (+) to #2, you will also have to connect a small jumper wire between #2 & #5.
That will be using the solenoid.
To bypass the solenoid, attach Battery (+) to #4.
doc

Thanks for the additional info Doc.
If I decide to bypass the solenoid, should I also disconnect #2?

On a side note, and maybe I should start a different thread for this, I took the spark plugs out to take a peek at the cylinder heads. I could only see 2 and 3. They both looked sort of the same but I had troubles seeing 3 clearly. #2 did't look normal to me. below is a picture, the best I could do given the light and camera. Does this look normal? (I did a compression test and each one was right about 120 except #2 which was about 118.

You're just seeing the machined top of the piston with a bit of carbon buildup. Nothing unusual there!

No need to disconnect #2 when by-passing the solenoid.
It is critical - as ed-mc pointed out, to disconnect to yellow wires from the stator to the rectifier to keep from frying the rectifier when no external harness is in use.
doc

So I finally got a chance to work on the Mark 55 again. (Thanks Joe Poole for the step down studs for the lower unit that I pulled from my Merc 300).

I was very optimistic about this engine running but it turned out to be a joyless occasion when I tried to start it as it didn't give any sign of catching on. I took #4 spark plug out to check for spark and didn't see any. So before I attempt to work on the distributor, I thought I was ask one more time if I'm jump starting it correctly. Here is how I connected the wires and how I checked the spark

yes. don't forget to disconnect the yellow wire on the rectifyer

Hey Dave, yup, I disconnected the yellow wire.
It turns over well but there is no spark. I just wanted to make sure that, since I don't have the controls at this point, there is nothing else that needs to be done "turn it on" in order to allow it to start when jumping it.

may need points cleaned and conensor replaced. also check the timing belt not broken.

The attached pictures show how I polish the points.
Doc

Thanks Dave. Thanks Doc. I hope I can get to it this week-end. Work and Family in the way!

Ok, so the family went to the mall for a quick trip. So I took the opportunity to do a quick check.....we have a winner, no timing belt. I guess the guy that sold it to me who told me "the engine runs fine, just needs a rebuilt LU" has a different understanding of "running fine" than I do!

Or it just broke after sitting a while. They tend to do that. Every Merc I've ever had either had a broken one or it broke before I even got it running. They get pretty brittle.

check all 3 bearings I the mag and drive. most likely cause of breakage. bearing does not have to be seized just going bad will do it