Hey Flat Out

[Ron V]

Liked your comment in the Dad's Motor poll thread about the 1962 Merc 850. We had one identical to that a few years ago and you're right, it would have struggled to pull up a slalom skier. Even a 10 year old on two skis I think. It had low hours on it and was in good shape, but I couldn't get the carbs adjusted right to save my life. Always either so lean that it died when you put it in gear or so rich that it chugged horrible coming out of the hole. The inline Mercs have always been a bitch to set correctly (especially if you follow the owner's manual) but this was something else again. Not to mention it was maybe 2 mph faster on top end than our 1971 Merc 650, and just a hair more punch once it was on plane. Real gutless out of the hole, a 25 hp Johnson would have dragged it backwards. Hard to believe it's the same powerhead that was on the dual motors Bob Switzer used to set the record on his Flying Wing. Not one of their better motors, wish it had been a year newer so it would have been the 90 cuber but it was free so I guess I can't complain.

[Flat Out]

Gutless it was. Sounded good though. I remember people getting up on the nose to help it plane out. The funny thing was that this boat had been used at the "Man and His World" Ski Show in Montreal at one time. We lived in Montreal at the time. Dad paid $1100.00 for it. We had it 3 years and he sold it for 1600.00. I cried my eyes out the day it went. I thought we would never have a boat again. Was I wrong. Funny I still seem to cry (well almost) when I sell anything.
Years later we got the Sidewinder w/1500 Merc. Another tower of NO TORQUE.
It wasn't till we got the 140 'Rude that we realized a motor could pull up a slalom skier, all hail the mighty V4.
I would still like to get an old 850 to play with. I even now were an old Owens is.
Who knows.
Oh yes every Merc inline stalls when you put in gear,must be all that torque.

[Firestarter]

Sean I know where an old owens is too, and a switzer tunnel. Free for them no less, I might pick up the switzer, do you want he owens?....call me



RT

[Ron V]

Flat Out,

Every inline Merc that ever belonged to me, my family, and friends was terrible about killing when you put it in gear. They tell you to adjust the low speed to where it idles the best in forward gear at a dead idle. If you do that it will kill every time coming out of neutral. Clear it out with the cold start lever and then put it in gear and it still kills. They are also especially sensitive to weather conditions. On a 90 degree day with 90% humidity you can forget it. Stay on shore. Your only hope is to shift into gear and slam it open all in one motion while steering with your knee and frantically reaching across with your left hand to hit the choke button. Setting the carbs 1/4 turn richer and letting it load up a little is the only answer I found, and that killed the old 850. The 850 was okay out of the hole with a power prop but when you propped it for the redline (and not over) like one typically would, it just over-carbureted itself coming out of the hole and couldn't get underway.

I'm sure that none of the people from Merc whose ass we now kiss years later will admit it even if it was true, but I don't see how Tommy Bartlett could have possibly used those motors to pull a line of ballet skiers off the dock in front of 1000 people without having a mechanic tuning each motor every morning. He must have gotten a hell of a deal and been assured of very special attention in the tuning department. There is no way you can rock them in and out of gear like you have to when you're getting the slack out for that kind of takeoff in a show. Part of the problem is they probably should have updated the carbs, all they were was overgrown versions of the ones on the 1947 Lightning 10s. Indestructible powerheads and fast on top end on a light boat, but the "rumors" that Merc fanatics complain about are pretty damn true--no guts out of the hole or with a load.

As for the newer, bigger inline 6s not having guts, that has not been my personal experience; not saying some of them didn't have the same problem. My friend has a 1985 Merc 115 that has pulled 5 skiers up from a deep water start with a 20" Typhoon. But it is on a Checkmate with a very wide transom, is mounted low on the transom, and has a Sting Ray so it is getting a lot of help despite the Checkmate's trademark tendency to aim for the sky coming out of the hole.

[sho305]

My '73 1500 has no problem getting my 17' BR Checkmate out of the hole. It is better now that I advanced the timing a little and use premium. I use a Laser II 20, and the exhaust vents help a little too. Never pulled a skier yet, but I can hammer the gas and hold the trim up and the trim is too slow. However, every V4 I have driven seemed to have more bottom end power...even the 85hp V4.

I can hit 6000rpm on a cooler day w/empty boat and a little chop to get the vee loose. It is transom mounted, and lifted 2". I have to idle it at about 900-1000 in neutral or it kills on a hot day; I just shift and hit a little throttle right away then. Still a pain. I figure it is 30 years old, so that is what you get. I need to install a bypass for the safety so I can start it in gear. Also idles/starts better at negative trim. I can feel the power come on as it gets to 4k rpm; so no, not a tower of torque. Not bad for it's weight and age though.