Fact or Fiction ??

F

^Fire_N_Ice^

Cadet
Joined
Mar 28, 2003
Messages
6
Can anyone confirm this little bit of info I was told today ?<br /><br />Red Band Merc's are for fresh water only<br />Blue Band Merc's are for saltwater <br /><br />Thanks
 
G

G DANE

Commander
Joined
Nov 24, 2001
Messages
2,476
Re: Fact or Fiction ??

^Fire_N_Ice^ <br /><br />You were given the wrong information.<br /><br />Red band / Blue band is a question of vintage. They changed design some time around 80
 
J

Jack Shellac

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Messages
1,661
Re: Fact or Fiction ??

There may be a little truth to this. The story goes that Carl Keikhaffer[sp?] was at his place in Florida and asked his engineers why he never saw any black motors going by in the water in front of his house? He only saw white motors[OMC's]. His engineers answered that Mercurys had a reputation for not standing up in salt water. He then started the push to convert saltwater boaters over to Mercury by building for saltwater use. Whether the band color changed at this exact time I don't know, but it was just about in this time frame. I've read this story in several places, so I think it's true. It was certainly true in my area that OMC was the preferred motor for saltwater and Mercury for fresh.
 
T

Trent

Captain
Joined
Nov 17, 2001
Messages
3,333
Re: Fact or Fiction ??

Mercury has changed colors several times. They went from red to blue band in 1972. Then in the eightys went to brown and a couple others later. Whether they used more stainless steel and more zinc chromate I cannot say?
 
K

KIWI MERCMAN

Seaman
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
58
Re: Fact or Fiction ??

^Fire_N_Ice^<br />Gee wizz you guys, this poor man will be confused.<br />Blue band Merc's of today are the Blue water series, a nice little marketing ploy by Mercury, they are all the XL models extra long shaft that are mostly used on Sea going type boats. The red band engines or the fresh water series as there are known are mainly used on your bass boats etc..<br />There are some minor differences between them, apart from the colour, tilt tube and pivot tubes are SS where they are not on the fresh water series.On some early models they had different size alternators. Does this mean you cant use a fresh water engine in the salt, of corse not, they did this just to trick you guys in the USA.<br /><br />Kiwi
 
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