TOPIC: 1965 65hp mercury on a mfg edinboro

Aquired a super nice MFG Edinboro and got it in the water. The 1965 Mercury Outboard motor is running rough. I attached a video of how it sounds. Not much power and won't idle. Anyone got any ideas??
thanks in advance.

modrama wrote: Aquired a super nice MFG Edinboro and got it in the water. The 1965 Mercury Outboard motor is running rough. I attached a video of how it sounds. Not much power and won't idle. Anyone got any ideas??
thanks in advance.

You'll have to give it another shot, the video link didn't make it.

Most of the issues you'll find on an old magneto-powered Merc are either carburetors in need of service, or ign problems. Typically you'd find dirty points, a stuck Economizer collar on the distributor (won't allow the dist. to rotate to full advance), or bad/burnt ign coil.

I'd bet on carb issues, especially if it's been sitting for a while. Merc carbs are quite simple, so you could just pick up a couple of "packing kits", pop the float bowl cover off each carb, pop the idle mixture screw and main jet plug, then you can inspect the carbs, clean out with carb cleaner then blow them out with compressed air.

Check the float valve assembly for any blockages, adjust float level and reassemble with new packing kit. Replacement floats and needle/seat sets with upgraded design are still available as needed.

Also a good idea to replace the fuel pump diaphragms, they're cheap and most likely perished. In fact, if you had a leaky diaphragm, it'd run badly and dump a lot of fuel overboard.

Look up your motor by serial number at marineengine.com or other boat sites such as Crowley's Marine or Boats.net. You'll find parts breakdowns for your carbs and magneto, among others.

Here's a good online source of info on carbs, tuning, etc:

www.maxrules.com/timingindex.html

Last caveat, if you don't know when the impeller was replaced last, replace it NOW. You will otherwise risk burning-up your classic Merc's powerhead, and experience very expensive engine repairs. Pump kits are inexpensive and well worth the effort. Plus the valuable experience gained from working on it yourself.

Try posting the video link again and we'll see how she sounds. HTH.......ed

One last thought, a compression check might be in order if you can't find anything else wrong. A low cylinder is gonna effect how well it'll run.

Just an FYI,...You have captured the attention of my favorite & most qualified Mercury Gurus with your questions.
doc

Dr_Frankenmerc wrote: Just an FYI,...You have captured the attention of my favorite & most qualified Mercury Gurus with your questions.
doc

Awwww...........Doc..........flattery will get you Everywhere!