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Message |
    
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 17
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 04:35 pm: | 
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as the title says, 1979 merc 70hp 3-cylinder 2-stroke. Any opinions on it? I found one fairly cheap... |
Fastjeff
Senior Member
Username: fastjeff
Post Number: 6301
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 07:37 pm: |
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Whoa! You're opening a hornet's nest, fellah! Some people swear by the infamous triples--other swear at them. I have a 65 hp 1974 model and it's...okay. Kinda heavy for the power, idles a bit rough (and inconsistent), but it runs okay.
So....if it's cheap, and it runs okay (insist on hearing it run), then what the heck. Expect to put a new impeller in, and maybe clean the carbs.
Jeff |
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 18
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 08:48 pm: |
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I can get it for 300 dollars and have to drive 120 miles to get it. Not too bad. I figure I can sell my 1987 45hp for more than that... I talked to the guy on the phone a few times, he seems good enough. Im sure we could do a compression test. |
Fastjeff
Senior Member
Username: fastjeff
Post Number: 6304
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 09:26 pm: |
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And a running test. Compression should be at least 120 in all cylinders, especially the top one.
Jeff |
jamie campbell
Advanced Member
Username: outboard_doctor
Post Number: 468
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 04:03 am: |
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James keep the 45hp as well you might be putting it back on lol |
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 19
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 07:49 am: |
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i never got back to the guy last night... Im not even sure when I'll have time to go pick it up...
I was hoping to hear from some more merc experts on this board... |
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 20
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 02:03 pm: |
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forget about the 70hp. I found a johnson 90hp 4-cylinder for cheap. Its a friend of a friend and he only wants 400 for it, the only catch is that I have to take the junk boat and trailer that its attached to also. He thinks the motor is a 1989 or 1990. He knows its worth more but doesnt care since he doesnt use it and its just been sitting for a few years. I wish I could get the motor on my boat for this sunday but wont have time... oh well... |
Graham Lamb
Senior Member
Username: galamb
Post Number: 5783
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 09:05 pm: |
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That's an excellent price for a nice motor - even if you have to rebuild it completely in a year or two.
89 or 90 will make it the V4 Crossflow model - good displacement (almost 100 cubic inches) in the 90 horse flavour (also shared it's powerhead with the 100 and 110 models).
Twin 2 throat carbs with fixed jets (both high and low, so nothing to adjust).
Half decent ignition system (OMC's CD4) - not a Merc Thunderbolt, but you can't have everything 
I would hang this motor off the back of one of my boats and I do run a 1986 140 horse V4 90 degree looper with the same ignition - but I repainted/redecaled it (it was a Johnson and I turned it into a Evinrude - colours just matched my boat better - ok so I'm a little vain when it comes to boats) |
Fastjeff
Senior Member
Username: fastjeff
Post Number: 6321
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 06:40 am: |
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Buy the rig, keep the motor, junk the boat, and sell the trailer!
Jeff |
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 21
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 07:58 am: |
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Im not even sure the trailer will be up to the task of making it home... haha... Luckily its only 20 miles and all back roads... I havent even seen it yet, the guy says the trailer will make it home but I'll bring some extra tires with me just in case.
Im going to pick the whole thing up tomorrow night, and will doing the swap, cleaning carbs, and getting everything else ready to go once the kids go to bed. Then a quick test run down the river on saturday before a family outing at the lake sunday... busy busy busy... Im trying to recruit some friends to help with the swap over friday night. |
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 22
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Friday, July 24, 2009 - 07:22 pm: |
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i got the motor today, turns out its a 1984 but still looks decent. I fired it up for a second but I need to rebuild the carbs, one had gas leaking from the float bowl gasket. The guy sold it to me for 320 bucks. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the junk boat and trailer its attached to. |
Don West
New member
Username: biker60
Post Number: 2
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Friday, July 24, 2009 - 07:41 pm: |
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where you from I might be intrested in the 45 if you wanna get rid of it let me know |
James McFee
Member
Username: indy440
Post Number: 23
Registered: 07-2009
| | Posted on Friday, July 24, 2009 - 09:35 pm: |
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in im Cobleskill, NY. Just outside of Albany. I would actually give the 45hp to someone willing to install the 90hp for me... |
