Need HELP from Merc guys.....

[Blewbyu]

I'm a Volvo guy-know nothing about Mercs.Helping my daughter restore a 63 Reinell lapstrake woodie with a 63 Mercruiser (inline Chebby 6).Whaddya call that 63 Merc outdrive? Assume it is predecessor to the Alpha? Can we buy used props for later models? It has a water supply hose on the port side of the o/d whose clamp is buried behind a shroud and is inacessable from outside.May I remove the o/d by just unscrewing the 6 rear facing nuts on the back of the o/d? (along with the bellows and shift cable bellows of course).This o/d doesn't have a lift mechanism either-have to lift it manually and lower it by jumping on the housing.
The real DOOZY is...how in the @%#*&
do you get a new fan belt on this mama??? Has this BOZO motor mount on the front of the engine, of which port leg of mount goes thru the CENTER of the fan belt!!!The fanbelt on this thing is just as prehistoric as the water supply hose (which has a small crack fwd of the clamp spraying water).Any thoughts would be appreciated-trying to help my single-mom daughter get her 2 boys on the water more often without it costing her an arm/leg.Thanks Merc guys!

[Formula Jr]

Looks like you have a Model 1. The inline six in '63 was called the MC140, not to be confused with the four banger that came out one year later called 140. Most people call the inline 6 the MC 165 which came out later than '63 but shares the same name as the much newer 470/165/3.7L four banger. Your '63 140 specs. 194 cid, plugs ac-cr44n, gap .035, initial time 10 degrees btdc. Point gap, .016-.019, dwell 28-34, idle 500-600 rpm, wot 3700-4100. Oil pressure 35lbs. fire order 1-5-3-6-2-4 front to rear.
Unbolt shocks and the six stop nuts after setting drive in forward gear. Pull straight back.
You're going to need the Clymer '64 to 1985 drive shop manual cause setting up the shifter for putting the drive back on is kinda complicated and I've never worked on a Model 1. Nothing but a Model 1 will work with your bell housing. The 1As, 1Bs, etc are different. Merc probably had the strangest model designation pattern ever established. It gives the mechanics fits.


Its a different set of parts for each drive family below.


60 1965-1966 1830753 thru 2063740
80 1966-1969 2063741 thru 2898029
90 1970-1972 2898020 thru 3225967
I 1963 1534570 thru 1684187
1A11B/1C 1964 1684188 thru 1777798
1A/1B/1C (EZ-Shift) 1965-1966 1776349 thru 2065189
120/140 1967-1969 2062141 thru 2791956
120/140 1970-1977 2791957 and up
120/140 1978-1982 4893635 thru 6225576
160 1967-1969 2065190 thru 2763441
165 1970-1977 2763442 and up
165 1978-1981 4890460 and up
II 1962-1963 1474909 thru 1602185
II 1964-1967 1602186 thru 2278488
II (1.78:1) 1968-1969 2398798 thru 2671321
III 1968-1972 2373127 thru 3002613
215H 1970 2782203 thru 2909034
215E 1970-1972 2909035 thru 2915034
888 1971-1977 3106717 and up
898/228 1977 4782330 thru 4898729
898/228 1978-1982 4898730 thru 6225576
225-S 1974 3856268 thru 4200499
233 1975-1977 4200500 and up
250 1977 4791300 thru 4898729
II-TR 1973-1976 3377316 thru 4794899
260 1978-1982 4898730thru 6225576
255-TRS 1973-1974 3377316 thru 4203749
280-TRS 1975-1976 4203750 thru 4895399
470 1976-1977 4208730 thru 4893934
470 1978-1882 4893835 thru 6225576
485 1980-1982 4893835 and up
R/MR/Alpha One 1983-1990 6225577 and up
Alpha One (Gen.II) 1991 -1995 OD469859 thru OF679999 A
Alpha One (Gen.II) 1996-1997 OF680000 and up
TR/TRS 1977-1993 4794900 and up
Bravo I/II/III 1988-1995 OB664190 thru OF729999
Bravo I/II/III 1996-1997 OF730000 and up
Blackhawk 1994-1995 F186717 and up
SSM II/III/IV/V 1982-1997 All
Alpha One SS 1986-1989 All

This list came from Boatered.com


[This message has been edited by Formula Jr (edited 07-01-2001).]

[Blewbyu]

Thanks Owen!!!Thats a mouthful.The engine has dual carbs,and I had thought it was a 165 (230 or 235 ci engine?).Do you happen to know if I have to lift engine off front mount to change the fanbelt?
BTW-how do you know all this stuff? Are you a marine mechanic/engineer?

[Formula Jr]

A photo would be nice cause wood boats had all manner of ways to bolt the engine down depending on the internal framing pattern. Its hard to believe that the generator belt would have been designed the way you describe it but it could be an after thought if the engine isn't original and the engine mount funky. I might need a serial number to tell if its really a '63 140. Find the starter. The engine id plate is directly up from the starter on the block. Sixes generally had four mounts, two fore and two aft that stradled the keel timber and either bolted to cross members or side stringers. I can't visualize your setup yet.

You would be amazed at how little I know about boats.