Are 1969 Merc 1250 125hp good motors?

[69GlassparMan]

I have been running a homelite 55 on my big glasspar and only getting about 18-21 mph. SLOW. Takes foreever to get to my fishing holes <br />A very reliable good person from another board wants to trade me a in good condition 1969 1250 outboard. with Pt/t, He said compression great in all but becuase it has sat that I want to replace carb gaskets and fuel pump diaphram. I have wrenched on lots of cars and bikes but farily new to outboards. Is this known as a reliable good motor? are parts readily available? Do they hold up well if maintained?<br />Are they easy to install on my boat? Trim looks kinda scarry to install?<br />I would value your opionions.<br />Thank you so much

 

[Laddies]

Re: Are 1969 Merc 1250 125hp good motors?

Mercury only built them for a couple of years, they were kinda touchy on tuneups but there are still a few around

 

[69GlassparMan]

Re: Are 1969 Merc 1250 125hp good motors?

Thank you. When you say touchy is that a bad think or just a parts thing?

 

[bills_auto_repair]

Re: Are 1969 Merc 1250 125hp good motors?

I have a merc 1250 now and am finding it to be a rough powerplant to get any information on. If you have any info "hidy holes" would ya share? Motor seems to run great though on the other hand.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Are 1969 Merc 1250 125hp good motors?

Better bet is to run into the early/middle 70's...big diff...

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Are 1969 Merc 1250 125hp good motors?

I have a merc 1250 now and am finding it to be a rough powerplant to get any information on. If you have any info "hidy holes" would ya share? Motor seems to run great though on the other hand.

Read the threads here. Google [Old Mercs], as they have great stuff on a site for older Mercurys there.

I ran a 1968 1250 short shaft from 1986 to 2005. It never gave me ANY problems until my son torched #3 running it too hard in cold water.

I'm surprized to hear they were hard to tune, (mine sure wasn't). The fuel lines may leak, (as they do with all "silver blocks") and I posted a thread this summer with the brass fittings to cure that. Many other parts are common with other silver blocks or other inline6s.

I have no idea how many MANY hard hours I put on that old girl but it was A LOT!!! Always started easy and ran real hard n' clean, (so I worked on it very seldom, [like never] other then normal maintinance fuel filters/ pumps/ water pump).

It was in FRESH WATER!! I was always cautious about turning high RPMS due to the lighter rods verses the other 100 cu inch inline6s, (I may have been wrong on this). I ran mine @ 5300 @ WOT, and rarely turned her to 6000 (with the ol' PT) to win a race or two when I had it on a real light boat for a couple of years.

Good luck, (I sure had good luck with mine), JR