ShoestringMariner
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2015
- Messages
- 1,605
So I'm debating on trying to keep my 1976 Merc 650 going for a few more years. I replaced the lower unit and water pump last year and it ran great by the end of the season. It's got 130psi on all three cyls. My mechanic told me it is on borrowed time due to the wiring issues that plague these motors and that the trigger (distributor?) cannot be rewired leaving me with the option of scrapping it or looking for one on Ebay when it goes.
I'm considering a repower but funds are tight this year. I'd like to save enough so I can get a motor in the 2000's complete with PTT as opposed to a gap-stop motor.
Because I'm concerned with being stranded and worse, having a fire, I'm wondering what it would take to freshen up the wiring. My mechanic claims that the wiring on these is very fussy in regards to gauge and has to be as close to the original as possible. I dont really understand this to be honest. So as a stop-gap freshen up, could I not simply clad all the existing wiring in heat shrink tubing? or is the problem with brittle wires or corrosion within the factory wire insulation?
I'm considering a repower but funds are tight this year. I'd like to save enough so I can get a motor in the 2000's complete with PTT as opposed to a gap-stop motor.
Because I'm concerned with being stranded and worse, having a fire, I'm wondering what it would take to freshen up the wiring. My mechanic claims that the wiring on these is very fussy in regards to gauge and has to be as close to the original as possible. I dont really understand this to be honest. So as a stop-gap freshen up, could I not simply clad all the existing wiring in heat shrink tubing? or is the problem with brittle wires or corrosion within the factory wire insulation?
