TOPIC: 1961 Merc 500...New To Me...Questions

Hi,

I had another post about wiring a harness I was trying to wire a keyed switch to to start....which is resolved. Now a couple new things.....cause I know you guys like pictures and stories

I picked this up last weekend and it had been sleeping for a long time apparently. I was smart enough this time to bring a battery and compression tester and laying in the back of this guys SUV I managed to determine that the starter was working and all 4 cyls had 120 or better compression cold and sleeping so I took it.



I spent some time this week when I could at night..tearing it apart before I even tried to start it.
What I did was:
* cleaned really gummed up carbs and replaced gaskets and needle/seats etc that came in the $25 carb kits(2)
* opened the Magnito and cleaned and set the points and tested for spark.
* removed and cleaned fuel pump and using another kit replaced gaskets and diaphram etc.
* while I was at it I replaced the old cracked fuel lines

* Since there were no controls....I had an old wiring harness that had been cut off of the controls from the same vintage and wired up a new switch to aid in starting.(my trials and tribulations are on another post).
* It was stuck in fwd gear so I pulled the lower and checked impeller...looked good but will replace soon....and it turned out the shift shaft was not lined up properly from last removal of lower...have gears now.

With starter and Mag and carbs off I cleaned up the head etc.

When I finally got the keyed switch hooked up correctly and my battery charged I fired her up and she is now back running pretty darn well(gotta still do some idle tinkering and link/sink...though I may not get to test her on a boat and in the water( seems like all I find are long shafts or I would throw it on the Mahogany "Orphan" instead of the Mark 55E to test her).

NOW...for the ISSUES:

1) No controls which will reduce the selling price
2) Overall esthetic condition decent but for the following
* broken piece out of the wrap around "guard" or whatever it is called.


* Broken piece out of the back of the exhaust housing where it connects to the lower unit via the big allen bolt from underneath. I suspect someone tried to remove the lower unit by force and didn't know it was there. I have the broken piece but the metal is even bent so they don't fit together properly. Check out the pics and tell me if I can get someone to heat and straighten the upper and weld the piece back it. I also assume that being submersed under water while running will not be an issue right?




* It has a nice brass prop on it but it does not appear that the nose cone is snugged up properly on it... fix?


* Last issue is that someone used some standard house paint or something to paint the lower from just above the "Dayna Float emblem below. I plan to clean and sand and prime and paint the exterior near original "cloud white" using my tried and true Dulpli-color automotive Ford Wimbledon White....IF I can still find it.

Thoughts comments ideas are greatly appreciated as always.

Thanks,
Tim

PS Man this ia a lot of work stopping and starting to continue to add new pics isn't it?

all isues repairable any merc controll style will worr fron 2 lever to the newest single so contrills are nit an issue.

Thanks for the encouragement on the issues Dave but as for the controls.... I will not be including the wiring harness when I sell the motor. The buyer will have to find controls with wiring harness which is getting harder and harder for the 50+ year old engines I am finding. BTW if anyone has one I could point the buyer to it would be great.

I need to keep a stable of harnesses for these various motors..especially the older cobra types, as I am getting WAY too old to be pulling on a recoil over anything beyond a single cylander outboard as I work on them. Heck the many 7.5 and 9.8's have worn me out lately .

For the first 40 years of my life I was an OMC guy...now that Merc "howl" and styling of the inlines has me hooked. Just wish I could use more of them instead of turning them over to subside.

THanks all.

Tim

I forgot to mention another issue.... It is not peeing out the tell-tale but it is pumping fine and staying cool on powerhead and I hear the water running out after I shut it off.

Gonna try the trick I did when restoring the same year Merc 300...fire up the power washer and jet it up the hole under the cowl. If that doesn't work then I'll just run a new line down from the plug on the top of the powerhead but that will be a pain.

Tim

You could try running a small, stiff wire up through the hole when it is running. You might just have some crud build-up in the hose that comes down from the top of the power head. so far that has worked well for me, and you will probably stay alot drier.
Bill

Bill,

I did try the thin wire but on these old motors there is no hose running from the top outside of the block to the lower pan. The path is basically directly out of the water jacket with a turn and out the small hole under the pan. You can only get the wire up few inches to where it enters the block.

In any case, the wire thing was not working but I knew it was pumping water so I wasn't too concerned. Yesterday I finally pulled out the pressure washer and while the outboard was running I shot the fine concentrated spray right up the hole and whala....she started peeing.

It's running so good but idle is just not doing it for me....sure wish I had a boat to throw it on and open her up.