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1969 mercury merc 500 50hp problem

C

Connor Wells

New member
hi everyone I have a problem I recently bought a Mercury Merc 500 50HP ( its from 1969 i belive) and when i brought it home there was some black oil(or something) leaking from the propeller, it smell like gas.
Does anyone know what the problem is?

Thanks For Your Help
 
likely normal for a 2 stroke.-----------Keep an eye on the lower unit gear oil.-------If too much water gets into the gear oil then you will need to install a seal kit.
 
just an update
me and my dad took the lower unit apart and there was not enough oil so we will chane that and there was quite a lot of dirt next to impeller is this a common thing?
we are takeing it to a marine shop so they can change the seals and then change all the oil.
by the way does anyone know how much they might charge for the seal kit and changeing it ???
 
have you checked compression etc on this motor?ran it?what kind of shape is the wiring in?you may want the shop to look the motor over before you start spending money on it....i have owned two of these motors of this vintage and both were good motors for that time....gas hogs but good motors....the two weak points were the wiring and lower unit.....unless that motor has been rewired you got bad wiring...
 
I would say definately check the compression first, these engines are not easy to work on if the rings or a piston is bad. Lower unit seals will cost you a few bucks to have them replaced too, the combination of these would make it cheaper to buy a good used motor. On the good side, you could probably sell the rebuilt lower unit to recover your cost if it came down to it.

I have lived your current situation, I have a '77 500 Thunderbolt that I put back in service after 13 years of moth balls. New coil, new lower unit, new plugs, new wires, rebuilt fuel pumps, rebuilt carbs, replaced carb syncronizer, and a new reverse lockout rod ..... but I had good compression.
 
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