Merc Mark 28A restoration

[Ron Maire]

Thanks to all for previous help. Now the motor seems to be locked in 10:30 position. I have sprayed gum out and pen-oil on slide plate still no rotation. The strearing shift handle is not attached as it needs repair, would this lock up the movement of the motor? I am afraid to put to much force on it. My local dealer never worked on a motor this old (1959) <br /><br />Thanks, Ron

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Merc Mark 28A restoration

Hi Ron,<br /> Being that the steering handle also encompasses the shifting and throttle linkage, it's possible that it's causing the lock-up, particularly if the lower unit is bad (not uncommon). I would localize where it is locking up by pulling the fireman's helmet of a hood off and trying to move the flywheel by hand. If you've got some back and forth rotational movement, then it's likely the powerhead is fine and the problem is in the lower end. If you have zero movement of the flywheel then you may have powerhead issues.<br /> I STRONGLY recommend getting the 1965 and prior service manual from your Merc dealer, or if they won't get it for you, try ordering one through Grubb's. They also turn up on eBay from time to time. The Automatic Transmission motors aren't generally my first choice of motor to work on, and I've been doing this stuff for 20 years. As a newbie, you've picked a good one. Oh yeah, it helps to have a colorful vocabulary when working on old Mercs. Keep an eye out for minors when wrenching so as to avoid tweaking young ears...<br />- Scott