1987 mercury 75

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
11,446
$450, turns over but not running because he cut all the wires. I should just be able to hook up wires to start? If not prob still get it for that kind money and take a chance. Will do compression and check for water in lower unit oil. Anything else particular to these I should know?
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
50,224
most likely it would need a new harness because the old one's insulation will be deteriorated.
 

BWR1953

Admiral
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
6,277
$450, turns over but not running because he cut all the wires. I should just be able to hook up wires to start? If not prob still get it for that kind money and take a chance. Will do compression and check for water in lower unit oil. Anything else particular to these I should know?
At that age range, you might run into some factory parts being NLA and no aftermarket parts available either. Happened to me before. I ended up scrapping a motor because of it. :cautious:
 

Mc Tool

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 7, 2024
Messages
312
Any chance you can do a few basic checks before handing over the loot?
Join up wires ( make an untidy job of it ) check comp by pulling on cord , check spark and water in gearcase , but dont start it in front of seller ( if it goes the price might go up or he decides to keep it ). The idea is to make the seller think your a mechanical disaster and have little chance of getting it going, all the time your acting indecisive, then try and get the price down a bit.
Are you sure seller didnt cut the wires to stop you starting it and finding out its knackered, seen that sort of trickery before .šŸ™‚
 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
11,446
At that age range, you might run into some factory parts being NLA and no aftermarket parts available either. Happened to me before. I ended up scrapping a motor because of it. :cautious:
What are likely parts? On my 82 I could still get a sparky box and my guy found a gasket for the fuel filter in his stash but I'm sure there is a match out there to be found.
 
Last edited:

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
11,446
Any chance you can do a few basic checks before handing over the loot?
Join up wires ( make an untidy job of it ) check comp by pulling on cord , check spark and water in gearcase , but dont start it in front of seller ( if it goes the price might go up or he decides to keep it ). The idea is to make the seller think your a mechanical disaster and have little chance of getting it going, all the time your acting indecisive, then try and get the price down a bit.
Are you sure seller didnt cut the wires to stop you starting it and finding out its knackered, seen that sort of trickery before .šŸ™‚
Here is the back story.

Finally about to marry off the last boy and even though he was around me from about age 9 up he never got into boating/fishing much. He lived with his daddy who is a rock crawler so that was way more cool than what step dad did until.....

Then... he met her.



Their first 'omg' s...ts getting real date she picked him up in her truck, drove the back way to the la,e so he was lost and once there she filled up the airmatteress in the back of the tru k, got out the heart shaped pan of sushi rolls, candles and coors...

Her family into boating (pontoon style) and n8ght time catfishing (and beer) so of course now so is he. He had found a 10 foot Jon with an ele tric motor for his jug fishing and I had an old 7.5 mercury I was not using so now he has that.

Saw an old 16 ft bayliner cuddy on marketplace and thought on the rare chance it was serviceable I'd see if that would work for a wedding present. At $2200 bucks and 'transon and most of the floor redone' I expected and saw exactly what it was. I do have to say the transom felt solid, no movement in the motor but did decline the offer of the hammer to tap. Jumped in and floor was soft everywhere stool him boat rotten and he'll be scrapping it soon.

Long story not short, told him might be interested in motor, he made and off, I'm thinking seriously about it as long as my checks pan out. Talked about how much he could get for trailer.

Young kid, sold his Jon boat to move up into this, think he is smart enough to learn his lesson quickly on this and discussing outs best he can.

Won't be hard to pretend I don't know what I doing and honestly atthis price point not worried about saving g a few bucks. I know he can use it more than me.

Mostly worried about nla parts or other know issues when I was thinking about an Opti that I posted about
 

BWR1953

Admiral
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
6,277
What are likely parts? On my 82 I could still get a sparky box and my guy found a gasket for the fuel filter in his stash but I'm sure there is a match out there to be found.
Carb float could be a no-joy situation. 😬

I was used to finding necessary parts in the aftermarket for my 50, but on my twin 70s, a few parts were out there, but not the carb floats. They simply weren't available at all. There were listings for the correct part number, but the actual part didn't match the old ones. Changes had apparently happened over the years and the replacement parts didn't fit at all.

So I sold the running motor and scrapped the other one. :cautious:

And after that fiasco, I decided that I'll never get another old engine or boat. As of now, if I ever get another boat, it'll be all brand new. And that's not very likely either. :(

I'm too old for working on ancient engines and whatnot. šŸ§“
 

airshot

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
5,361
$450, turns over but not running because he cut all the wires. I should just be able to hook up wires to start? If not prob still get it for that kind money and take a chance. Will do compression and check for water in lower unit oil. Anything else particular to these I should know?
Seller would be lucky to get 200 in my area, for the 450 it would need to be in running order, with everything's by in tact.
 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
11,446
Plenty of carb avail on ebay and sparky boxes as well, when I get serial from him I can pin that down. Those would be two things to buy just to have. Maybe the wiring harness if avail as well.
 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
11,446
OK got the serial number and it is a 70, not 75. I did read a 12 year old post here that the 70, 80 and 90 were essentially the same save the carbs. Something about ports on the 90. Would be great to grab a couple more HP if it is actually possible? Ebay has a complete ignition system including stator that showd I covers all those hp models.

 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
38,411
I doubt that your 6218795 model is the same engine group as the later 3 cylinder loopers.----Does your motor have 2 carburetors ?
 
Top