1978 mercury M800 Thunderbolt ignition RPM gauge

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minnguy32

Cadet
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
20
Good Morning
I just received a 1978 Mercury M800 Thunderbolt outboard with the controls for free from Craigslist...the gentleman who gave it to me spoke broken English so i really could not understand what he was telling me but it sounds to me like it just broke down on him when he was on the lake one day...so its been sitting for about 3 years....in short, i know nothing about this engine and here in Minnesota, its too cold to do anything outside when it comes to outboard motors....so i guess i have to wait till spring before i can even touch this thing....but my question is this....since i have absolutely nothing to lose, i was going to use this engine as a learning curve and try and rebuild the thing...and if i can get it going, im wondering if there is anyway to install a rpm gauge so i can see the actual rpms when it comes to timing and tuning...any input, advise, or constructive criticism is more than welcome...ive always wanted to have a good running outboard and hopefully, this is it...ok, thanks a lot for reading such a long question...peace to all, Brian from Minnesota
 
C

carholme

Rear Admiral
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Messages
4,845
Re: 1978 mercury M800 Thunderbolt ignition RPM gauge

Brian;

You haven't included the s/n of the engine so we can verify the year, but if you are sure it is a 1978, here is the parts list for that engine:

MERC 80 - Mercury, Mercruiser, Force, etc. Parts Lookup

If it is a '78, the service manual you require is P/N: 90-75512

Factory service manuals, shop manuals - various - Calgary Other Parts, Accessories For Sale - Kijiji Calgary Canada.

Until you get the Merc manual, here is a link to the condensed version of the Clymer manual which will help you get started. Download it soonest to your computer as the link is short lived.

MERCURY - MERCURY FOUR-CYLINDER MODELS (1969-1989).: Small Engine Repair Reference Center Home

Gerry
 
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