TOPIC: 1965 Merc 1000 - lower unit was locked up - HELP!!

Finally got around to working on the Merc that I picked up back in the beginning in July. This was the one the Curse was looking at but he backed out because the PO thought it was siezed. Turns out the motor seems fine, but the lower unit was locked up tight. I've had the lower unit off since I brought it home, but couldn't work on it as I was studying for my CFP exam. Had the test yesterday and passed!!!! After a night of celebrating , I finally got back to what I wanted to do - boat and motor projects!!!

I have the Merc manual, but not the specialty tools. Got it pretty much apart, but don't know how to get the pinion gear off the bottom of the driveshaft, and don't have the tool to take out the shift rod. I have dropped some pics below.

Here's my questions:

1 - can I take off the driveshaft without removing the shift shaft? I am guessing that it won't come off the driveshaft because it is engaging the drive gear and doesn't have enough slop to come off. Any suggestions??

2 - Anyone know where I can get the tool. Per my manual, it is Shift Shaft Tool (91-23007) Is this a socket that I can get at an auto parts store, or is it Merc specific? Is there another way to get it off. I tried using a hammer and screwdriver, but it wasn't budging and I didn't want to damage anything.

I need to do a total disassemble as it was locked up and I need to figure out why. PO had the vent and fill plug out, so it is pretty dry and rusty. NOthing horrible, but it needs to be cleaned.

Once I figure out if the lower unit is salvageable I will start putting the rest of it back together. PO took a bunch of parts off and they are in a box. One step at a time.

to take the drive shaft out remove the pinion bolt,nut. then the water pump then put the DS in a vise and give the housing a wrap with a hammer and block of wood it should come right out. the tool can be had from john Mcintash or Ebay the only reason to remove the shift shaft is to replace the seal.

Looks pretty rusty. But a good learning experience taking it apart. Note that some water pumps have a flushing screw in the side of the lower pump body, you have to remove this screw before the pump body (and driveshaft along with it) comes out. Flushing screw is on the Port side above the anti-ventilation plate.

Thanks guys! I was assuming that I needed to take it completely apart to make sure nothing was broken. PO said that his PO had mentioned they hit a rock pile with the motor. I wanted to make sure that there is not a broken gear in there, but it does need a good cleaning.

I did get off the water pump and the DS bearing retainer ring. There is some rust on the bottom of the gearcase, but other than that everything looks good so far. Just a bunch of spider webs and other junk that accumulates over 50 years. I think that it will clean up well, and then I will try putting it back together. Just need to get some of the plugs for the bottom unit that are missing.

So far I have $60 in it not including my time. Probably need some gaskets, plugs, impellor, etc, along with a coat of paint. If all it needs is some cleaning and reasonable TLC, I will be doing cartwheels and backflips. That is, I would be doing cartwheels and backflips if I could and wouldn't need to go to the chiropractor right after doing them!!!!!

Updates - worked with my buddy the mechanic to finish taking apart the lower unit. We were going to weld a tool, but ended up just cutting an old socket into a shift shaft removal tool. Everything popped right out after that.



I have pictures for the Merc experts to pore over and advise.



Reverse gear has the most rust. I assume there is a bearing under that gear in the bearing carrier, but it feels like the gear is welded on. New bearing for sure, and I think i can clean up the gear. How do you get the gear off if you don't have the bearing removal tool - looks like a slide hammer?



Forward looks to be in pretty good shape with just a little rust. Have to try cleaning the bearing to see what it looks like because it is a little rusty. That might be from me turning everything once it was freed up.



Impeller



Prop shaft





Forward bearing holder



Until now I wasn't worried about working on it because it could have been junk. Now that it looks like just a little rust was causing all the problems, now I need to treat it like a lady. Waiting to hear your suggestions.

To the Merc experts - is the clutch supposed to freely slide on the prop shaft? Not quite sure how that works in relation to shifting from forward to reverse. I see the cam which looks like it moves the prop shaft from forward to reverse. Is the clutch fixed and the prop shaft moves?

I just need to know what to be concerned with while I am cleaning everything up. I got a little sticker shock looking on marineengine for the lower drive bearings. The reverse bearing is $75!!! The forward bearing looks specific to the application, but is the reverse bearing just a "normal" bearing where I could find the correct size bearing and put it together? Still need to work on getting the reverse gear off. Maybe Sunday before the Packer game.

As usual - any assistance is appreciated!!

The clutch is spring-loaded and yes it must be free to slide to the rear for Neutral and Reverse. You probably need to clean up all the visible rust, lube it up and work it a bit. Or take it all apart if it won't move freely. Under that spring-keeper (which just unwinds from the slot) is a pin that keeps the spring in place. If you drive out that pin (careful it's under a lot of pressure) it'll all come apart. Be sure to capture all the pieces and note where they go!

The reverse gear bearing is non-tapered ball bearing, so you should be able to get the numbers off it and find a replacement. Not sure if it'll be cheap, though! Maybe less than Merc wants, anyhow. Stay away from Chinese eBay bearings, be sure you get a name brand such as Fafnir, FAG, BCA, NTN, SKF. These are all quality bearings, the Chinese junk won't hold up.

BTW a bearing "splitter" will likely be necessary to get the rev. gr. bearing off far enough to get a jaw puller behind it.

www.amazon.com/dp/B01F62S2RO?psc=1

www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=bearing+splitter

Or rent one at Autozone.

Heat the new bearing in a toaster oven,etc, and install on the gear. Here's how to do that:

www.lubsys.com/knowledge/knw_heatmnt.htm

HTH........ed

Thanks for all the help so far. Finally got around to rolling it out in the sun to let you see what the top looks like. Right now looking at whether I should scavenge some of the wiring from this motor to get the 63 Merc 850 up and running or if I just need to source everything else.

Pics for the experts below:



Box of parts - starter, controls, solenoid, etc





Should I grab this for the 850?









Choke solenoid is not set up. Does it need to come off with the starter?

Looks like the correct external harness for a Dual-Coil ign system.

The choke solenoid on the later motor mounts on the removeable upper cowling support. On the older recoil-starter motors, the solenoid mounts up inside the recoil housing.

Should I scavenge for the 850, or just find something for the 850 elsewhere?

63LStriton wrote:

Should I scavenge for the 850, or just find something for the 850 elsewhere?

That depends on your priorities and which motor you most desire to get running.

There are quite a few of these still kicking around on eBay and Craiglist (not to mention in the Hot Little Hands of many Fiberglassics members!), so you're bound to eventually run across more Good Stuff.

Time to troll eBay and Craigslist for more parts!!

BTW that control box with the correct harness on eBay hadn't any bids the last time I looked at it, for $60 or so it was pretty cheap.

Still available, auction ends 6:48 PST, $83.09 shipped:

Here's another for ya, a guy on eBay that restores the internal harnesses, this auction is for an 850 FGS harness, but he has others and can even rebuild your own, if it's repairable.

Of course, if you have a repairable harness, you can do it yourself for much less! But lacking one of those, this one looks pretty nice:

Saw your posting too late and missed that the control box auction was closing out!!!! I should have hopped on that one!!

I have the control boxes, just need the external and internal wiring harnesses for the 850.

I think I need to start a parts list for the Mercs so I can have some helpful eyes looking out for what I need.

Regarding the LU on the 1000 - new forward bearing, reverse bearing, and the needle bearings for inside the reverse bearing carrier. I was able to break the reverse gear loose, but it sounds like it is running in sand. Once I cleaned up the forward bearing I saw that a good portion of it was eaten away by rust. Don't trust it enough to put it back even if everything else looks good. Hate to have it blow up and back to square one!!

Know anyone with a set of bearings for a 1965 Merc 1000?

it looks to me like the reverse gear is toast, the ramps where the cluch dog hits is damaged badly and will jump in and out of reverse and the exhaust housing is missing some, I would find another lower unit, gears and a dog and bearings will cost a pile

I will get some more pics of the gears. The bearings are definitely in trouble, but I didn't think the gears looked too bad with mostly surface rust except for a bad tooth or two.

This one might be turning into a parts motor so no big deal, but I would rather get it back together and sell it in working order. I will post some pics in a few days.

If the motor would stay fairly complete from the clamps-up, (and if you would consider selling it), I would be interested for a fair price. If that would help you move towards your other goals. My hope would be to look for a short shaft lower section to work with my short shaft boat, or just be a back-up to the motor I presently have (which also has reverse problems ironically...worn out and won't stay in reverse.

Let me know if that is a direction you want to consider. If you want to keep it and use for a parts motor for yourself, I understand. If you part it partially for yourself, and have some leftover parts, I may still be interested. Is the powerhead good with consistent good compression?
Mark

Mark - if I start to part it out, there is probably not much I need outside of the carbs and wiring harness. No idea on compression, but I can try to test it. The PO had the starter sitting in a box, so not a huge priority.

Since you are only an hour away pop down sometime to GB and we can see what you want. Right now it was a winter project, but if I get the other 1000 it will free up some garage space. If I don't I can still probably get talked into parting it out. Just hate to give up on one!!

Maybe how about I wait a month or so and give you time to think over what you might want to do big picture. Then if you have ideas of letting some of it go (if you started taking parts for yourself), then just let me know and I would drive over. It would be great to meet you anyway and perhaps I could learn a bit with a short visit. I may have boated all my life, but this restoration thing is a bit new to me. The talent on this web site blows my mind at times. What a great help to someone like me.