TOPIC: Merc problems... HELP!!

Well the new 1965 Merc 650 broke down while i was out on the lake. I was towed in and i pulled the boat out of the water and up to the garage. turns out the the timing belt was streched and the stator was VERY corroded. after having them both replaced i am now left with the task of retiming the motor. The problem is i cant find a timing mark ANYWHERE on the flywheel.

Does anyone know what to do????
thanks, derek w. (well-worth-it)

Easy Fix Get a OMC They out last those Merc thing and keep running.
Mike aka the pirate Hahahahaha

LMAO

do you have a switch box or a mag style ign? should be 3 dots on the side of the flywheel line it up with the arrow on the top of the dist. may have to remove the t belt cover (2 screws-bolts) on the dist. or pull #1 plug and find top dead center, line up arrow strait to center of crankshaft. post on the merc site here or on johns old merc site.

On the flywheel is a vertical line that supposedly is the timing mark for a Merc 500 flywheel so the question is if and when someone switched it. in the meantime what i have done is set the timing belt so that it lines up with top-dead-center instead of lining it up with the vertical line. If i were to line the arrow on the distributer up to the line on the flywheel then it is rotated about 90 degrees to the left of top dead center. the problem is now that i cant time it with a light because the mark isnt in the right place. I must now time it by ear but that is alittle tricky while speeding down the lake.

Dear pathfinderz... even though the evinrudes might be easier to fix and break less, there is no better feeling in the world than hitting 45 with a roaring 650 behind you. Actually the best feeling is hitting 50 with a roaring 6 stack 1000 merc

Derek, I just went out and ck'd the 2 650s I have with the mag style dist. both have a painted dot on the f/w no stamped any thing they have a sticker on the cover......thanks merc! I think I would contact the great and pwrfull Doc frankinmerc.

Only 50? And they look better.

well it turns out that there is a painted white dot on my flywheel and the dot lines up with the arrow on the distributer and with top dead center. BUT THEN PROBLEM #2

My father thought the boat sat a little low in the water and he wanted to install plates to make the transom higher and keep more water out of the splash well. When we trailered the boat up to the shop we took out the plug leading to the stringers and bottom of the boat and 15 gallons of water poured out. The question is... how did the water get in there?? Last year i had the same problem but that was before i rebuilt the transom (which was totally rotted) and at the time i thought that that was the problem.

your leaking through the side trim screws on the sponsons,and or any other trim. I removed mine and bought a small 3/16 wood dowl rod, I cleand out the holes from the old screws and dipped the 2" peices of dowl into some epoxy and pounded them in. I cut off the excess and put in new screws, Ive never leaked a drop in 10 years.

Thanks!! it seems to be holding up