Merc 500EL...M

joblo33

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
501
Is it possible to combine the merc electric start and manual start to make a electric start with the top recoil? It looks like it and I'm actually most of the way done experimenting with it, I swapped over the starter, rectifier, coils(to give it thunderbolt ignition), choke solonoid, and starter solonoid. I also had to swap carbs cause the fuel lines going into the ones on the 500M motor were in the way for the starter, the last thing I need to do is sawp flywheels and move over the stator, and switch the emergency rope wrap starter on the EL flywheel for the recoil adapter on the M. My biggest worry is getting the flywheel balanced again when I switch them as I have to remove all of those little bolts from the flywheel to swap the top adaptors. What elso do those bolts hold together (and whats gonna fall apart when I take em off)? Is this mod actually known to work or am I venturing into uncharted waters here?<br />Thanks,<br />Eric
 

Nos4r2

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
1,533
Re: Merc 500EL...M

It works fine- I've just done it myself putting a coil-ignition merc '84 50 blueband powerhead onto a 73 merc 500 leg and then adding the electric start, choke solenoid and rectifier.It's not possible to use the electric start top cowl-there isn't room to tuck the pullstart end away inside (thereby making the emergency start a hidden recoil under the top cowl).-I was going to do this so no-one could just climb aboard and start it.When you take those bolts from the top adapters they hold the flywheel on so make sure it goes on in the same position relative to where the old one came off.The only real problem I had was having to re-route the alternator wires-the insulation on them had gone brittle where they were exposed between 2 pieces of the outer heatshrink.
 

joblo33

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
501
Re: Merc 500EL...M

Thanks, good to know it work, I'll be done tonight and I'll give it a try<br />Eric
 
Top