Mercury 115

[ddavisr]

What do people think about the inline 6 Mercury? Im looking for a motor for a restored 1977 16' Baja that is rated for a 120 hp. Would the inline 6 be good or would I spend more time working on it then running it?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Mercury 115

They don't call those Welfare Motors for nothing. <br /><br />Merc has always been known as a manitenance hog. But then, most thoroughbreds are.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Mercury 115

ddavis, I have an inline 6, 150HP motor on my 1974 16' Avenger. I like the high performance, but I will admit that the motor is a bit difficult to set up for maximum performance. However, whenever you are looking for that 99%+, it is hard to achieve. Also, it would be difficult to match the light weight of the inline six, with today's motors. My advise is to learn what you can about the motor since most shops will either not work on it, work on it as a last priority, or at least charge far more than the motor is worth to work on it. The hardest thing (IMHO) is to determine when it is running on all cylinders, and adjusting the carbs for proper idle operation.

 

[timmathis]

Re: Mercury 115

Inline 6. Good choice If you find a good one. I have many boats with different motors. One of my favorites is a inline 150 H.P. Man that thing will fly and purs like a kitty cat at a idle. It has gave many years of trouble free service. You can have trouble with any of them. Good Luck. Tim

 

[jheron]

Re: Mercury 115

I would go with an l6 without hesitation...<br />I have a 1977 1150 on our new Lowe fish and ski ... we put 74 trouble free hours on it this season <br />Jon

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Mercury 115

if its a saltwater il6 run. if its a decently maintained one they run well and for a long time.

 

[Raghauler]

Re: Mercury 115

I am second owner of a 1987 115 I6 run in fresh water only. It has it's issues occasionally as it is an 18 year old engine... that said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I ever had to replace this one, which doesn't seem likely. The only issue I have, which is fairly common for this vintage among those I've spoken to, is it idles a litle low, and can stall easily when snapped into gear. Otherwise, this thing get's up and goes.

 

[Raghauler]

Re: Mercury 115

P.S. Get rid of the Autoblend if you have one... not a matter of "if" but definitely "when" that sucker will die and kill the motor. I pre-mix at the advice of many.