1978 Mercury 70hp Worth Messing With?

[Mc Tool]

Yeah, it just seems easier to temporarily move one wire than to move the coils.
I'd put things back of course.
But if when I do that, and #2 then has spark, I know it's not a bad coil.

yep . One of the things that makes a good mechanic ( or any repair man ) is the ability to diagnose the problem and one advantage a multicylinder motor has over a single banger is the immediate proximity and availability of substitute parts for diagnostic purposes ....by all means swap things over to see what it can tell you .

 

[Berdink]

yep . One of the things that makes a good mechanic ( or any repair man ) is the ability to diagnose the problem and one advantage a multicylinder motor has over a single banger is the immediate proximity and availability of substitute parts for diagnostic purposes ....by all means swap things over to see what it can tell you .

I'm learning.

 

[Mc Tool]

I'm learning.

I been at this lark 46 years and Im still learning

 

[Berdink]

Lower unit oil must have been typical gear oil and not marine gear oil, because about a half a teaspoon of clear water came out when I removed the plug.
Oil was black. The plug has a magnetic tip, but I didn't find any metal shavings on it or in the oil.
.
I haven't started working on it yet. I just wanted to make sure the lower unit was good.
.
I'll start a different thread if I run into anything I need help with.
But from all my searching; the compression being good, the lower unit gears likely good, I feel better about giving it a chance to live again.
.