TOPIC: '61 Mercury 400 45 hp and '61 500 50hp

I have a running 1961 400 45hp Mercury and was planning on putting it on the 13 1/2 ft Seabee boat I bought last month. Today I came home with another 1961 Merc 500 50hp complete with quicksilver controls and all electrical. Both motors are painted the Cloud white. This one also has a bronze Q/S prop on it. The compression feels good and turns over evenly. Tomorrow I am going to dig into it and see what I've got. Run a compression test and so on. What differance is there on the engines. Same 44 C I ? Any real differance in the actual performance? If this one is healthy, I will tune and service and put on the '59 Seabee. No hp plate on the boat but by Coast guard calculations it could run up to 60 hp. It is hand layied up glass work and my buddy ( 25 years boat yard Glass and epoxy work ) feels the transom solid and built strong. The boat is no light weight job either. I plan on getting a weight on it once I get the trailer reworked. Just wondering about these motors. Any ideas?

They are essentially the same. Only difference may be the carb jets.

and a tuned pipe in the 500 as i remember about 6in long bolted to the powerhead when you pull it off.

Thanks for the info. Also Dave I don't know if you remember giving me some help on the 400 I got agout 3 years ago. Got it running but never in the water. then I freshend up 2 black 500's gave one to my friend and traded the other for 2 1928 Elto speedsters. I seem to do good on the uppers. NOW I am going to have to do a water pump on this 500 next month so I will be looking for help again.
Hugh Long

no problem still got my ####### ?

Thoought I had it ,but can't find it. Hugh

check your email.

Dave is correct about the tuner, gives it a little deeper sound at idle as well. That is a rare engine and well worth restoring, please post pictures as you go along!

I WILL POST PICTURES ALONG THE WAY. I HOPE TO HAVE MOTOR AND BOAT READY FOR THE LAKE BY EARLY APRIL. I WAS ALREADY PUMPED UP ABOUT GETTING MY 400 ON THIS BOAT AND THEN I CAME UP WITH THE 500.