TOPIC: Picked up a 74 Silver Line with a 85 HP Mercury...

Found a 74 Sliver Line closed bow with an 85 HP Merc for $950.00 about a mile from my house. The boat was stored in side for the last few years and it's in Great Shape!! Rebuilt and cleaned the carbs last night but it still won't idle or run on it's own so we pulled the distributor cap to find it and the rotor were both in sad shape as well. So today I'm going to grab a new cap/rotor set and new plugs and will see if that helps. We did have it running but you had to keep tapping the choke to keep it going. It sounds good so far so hopefully the new cap and rotor will help. I figured for what I paid for it that I can afford to stick money in to it. Carpets like new seats are all original and not cracked or torn. Can't wait till the with gets home from her trip tonight to see it. Pic's will be forth coming after I shine the old girl up.

SS

You will find that these are not " automatic replacement parts "

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the rotor may be part of the shaft and the cap may be discontinued.

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Hold on to your hat when you see the cost as well.

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Best to trouble shoot and find the real problems.

professor wrote:

You will find that these are not " automatic replacement parts "

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the rotor may be part of the shaft and the cap may be discontinued.

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Hold on to your hat when you see the cost as well.

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Best to trouble shoot and find the real problems.

I am nearly certain the rotor is part of the shaft and Mercury was always extremely proud of "giving you the shaft". I would expect better than $200 for the pair.

Got a new cap and yeah the rotor is part of the whole assembly so it got a good cleaning. I also picked up a fuel pump rebuild kit seeing the diaphragm was pretty much mush. I'll get everything in a see how it runs from there. I also need to see if I can adjust the throttle run up cable a bit to remove some slop seeing as it doesn't do anything until just about strait up. Like I said for what I paid for the whole thing I can afford to put money into it.

SS

Here it is all polished up

Looks good, SS!

MarkS thanks, I need to pull and dump the stock built in tank to see if it needs to be sealed or not and I'm still waiting for the fuel pump rebuild kit to show which should be later this week. Depth finder is ready to be installed as well as is the new stereo system for some tunes.

SS

Did you try running it on a portable tank?

or leaving cap off while running...perhaps vent tube is plugged?

If you'll look behind my boat you'll see my friends Crestliner. That has a Mariner on it and we used his new Plastic tank and his fuel line which are both brand new to test run my motor. There was no way i was going to try the original tank until it could be cleaned out. I did pul the fuel pump cover and the diaphragm was like rippled and really soft and I know it's supposed to be smooth and pretty tight like an old oil can. I should have the kit hopefully by the weekend and then I'll know more.

I also located a 9.9 Yamaha kicker motor for the boat as well for $500.00 so I may grab that and get it on the mount already on the boat.

SS

Fuel pump kit is in hand and I'll put it in tonight and see what the old merc does.

SS

be sure to report back...nice find by the way sharp ride.

Well Friday was a good day. We pulled the carbs to find I missed a passage behind the mixture screws that ran from the top of the carb to the bottom at an angle. I had to heat a plug in each carb to break the glue seal and then I was able to unscrew the jet which had a long brass tube attached to it. The tubes in both carbs were plugged solid. They got cleaned up and out and then we put it all back together. Pumped up the fuel line, hit the choke and BANG she fired right up. It was idling high so we had to back the idle screw out. My guess is over the years the carbs slowly fowled up and they kept raising the idle to keep the engine running. I couldn't be any happier with my purchase. Just need to replace the worn out horn button and main light switch as well as the rusted out front light socket and I also scrapped the stock rusted steel built in tank as well do to it being shot. Two new plastic tanks will fit the bill. But for now she's a runner and well worth the $950.00 I paid for it.

SS

Glad to hear you got her sorted out, SS. Bonus points for going back over your work (carb rebuild) and finding the clogged emulsion tubes, or whatever they're called! Good job.

Well we got the distributor greased up and it's rotating much easier as is the steering. Flushed out the lower unit and refilled it as well. We also adjusted the slop out of the throttle warm up lever so it now returns all the way back down. I picked up a new bow light socket and bulb along with a new horn button and light switch for the lights. She's coming together nicely. A friend had a full new set of Sony Explode speakers still in the boxes that he gave me so I'll need to grab a stereo and get that mounted as well. She's gonna be a good fish/play boat.

SS

New bow light socket installed, new bulb installed, horn button installed, horn was stuck and is now working and it's been tuned, new light switch installed and working. Pulled the Atwood bilge pump to find it's stuck. Need to pick up a new bilge and get the fuel tank and we should be ready to float!!


SS

Does any one know of an inexpensive electric "Kicker" style motor that I can get that will mount to the "Kicker" mount and still hook to my out board? I thought back in the day that Minnkota made something?

SS

New auto bilge is in as well as a new 12 gallon tank I found here in town for 80 bucks. Brought home a new battery friday just need to grab a battery box and change out the spare tire on the trailer and she's ready to run on the water.

SS

Well the old girl is all registered and tagged. I plan on throwing my buddies trolling motor onto the kicker mount just for back up and were going to hit the water on Sunday with her and see how it goes. Wish me luck guys.

SS

Maiden voyage was done Sunday and all is well!! She tops out a about 34 to 35 MPH and the ride is nice and smooth. It was a great day on the lake and what was funny was all the comments I got from other boaters as to how nice the old girl looks and runs. I'm very happy with my purchase.

SS

Put a new stereo in the old girl last night. 4 speakers, 300 watt amp and 1 sub up under the front. She sounds great and ready for another hot weekend on the water here in the Inland Pacific Northwest.

Have a great weekend guys,

SS

Here she is on the water last weekend...

Off the bow heading up river...........

My navigator watching for logs.......

Say does anyone have any ideas where I can locate a set of patterns for a cockpit cover for my Comoro?? Or will I need to have it all custom made? She had one at one point but no longer.

SS

Well guys just an update. After labor day weekend and last weekend we have racked up about 125 miles on the water with the 18ft'r and she's loving every minute of it. I can fill the 12 gallon tank and run the 25 miles down and back that it takes to get to one of our favorite lake spots here on Lake Spokane and I end up with 4 to 5 gallons of fuel left every time. That's hauling 3 people, misc gear, 2 extra 6 gallon tanks, and the beer cooler. We are loving every minute of this old boat!!

SS