TOPIC: Water Pick-up change?

When did Mercury go from a water pick-up at the trim tab to the holes where you can use an ear muff flush device? I have a '62 700 long shaft with the later style but have another '62 and a '61 with the earlier style. Wondering about interchange of parts among them.

63 yours could be a replaced lower.

Hi,
To add to Dave's comments, the 1962 Merc 700 has three versions of the water intake. The first and second do enter from the trim tab, but with the first, it enters into the water pump upper housing, with the second, the water pump base. You have the third, which did continue in 1963 to all of Mercury's larger models. Obviously, the interchange of parts between them, depends on the parts, as there are other changes to consider.
A 1961 would be a Direct Reversing model, and would have very few lower unit parts shared, if any.

Regards,
Joe
www.fergusonpoolemarine.com
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Impellors will interchange. Gaskets are slightly different, upper lower housings are different. "Old Mercs marine" has both sets of gaskets. You will find 61 is trim tab, 62 shows with trim tab in catalog but there was some overlap in 62/63I believe anyways as Merc switched to the side pick-up style. Certainly by 64 all were side pick-up. This is based on catalog pictures and seeing original motors, but don't take it as gospel.
If you want to run the trim tab style, on the hose remove the trim tab and there is a flat plate "ear muff" that can be used to clear the prop nad alos provide water to the opening. It has small fingers that clamp to the avitation plate.
I use one but forget where I got it, I think it was from Bob Grubb years ago when he owned his marine store (now Old Mercs) It was a standared piece designed for the smaller outboards but worked fine on this set up.
Randy