CLE Gearbox - Ever seen one like this?

[XR2Jim]

Has anyone ever seen a CLE with the water pick ups as shown, and none below the nose cone?

I have recently purchased a motor that came with this style CLE and wondered if anyone knew why they made this style..

Thanks for the insight.

Jim547413547414547415

[25two.stroke]

Early CLE. Alpha SS had the same pickup. Old ModVP regulations required a water pickup above the bullet as I understand...so merc made that.

[skialot2]

From what I heard it is for running in the shallows in sandy/muddy areas. So if you bump the bottom you don't pack mud/sand in the pickups

[dagodiver]

Yep MOD VP case

[David - WI]

“Crescent Leading Edge” lower unit. An older-generation Mercury high-performance lower unit with integral nosecone and low water pickups. There were two designs of the CLE, both offering the same performance. Designed for high-speed surfacing applications, and originally equipped on 2.4 Bridgeport engines. No longer in production. 2.0/2.4/2.5L applications only. (5) Painted black. Two versions - holes are either below or above the bullet. Late model CLE 4 hole unit - images 1 and 2 (courtesy eagleone). CLE from a 1994 2.5 carb (courtesy gtrain). Swept CLE with factory torque tab (courtesy tufish).

https://www.biggerhammer.net/mercury/

[tlwjkw]

they also built another one with inlet above tha bullet (normal place for intake holes).. it looked like tha XR4,6 inlet only slotted (one hole 'bout tha size of tha 4/6 inlet hole.. it also had a little body work formin' a "trough" shape to tha intake hole on each side.................

[BPM727RC]

they also built another one with inlet above tha bullet (normal place for intake holes).. it looked like tha XR4,6 inlet only slotted (one hole 'bout tha size of tha 4/6 inlet hole.. it also had a little body work formin' a "trough" shape to tha intake hole on each side.................
Early Mod VP. I have a couple of each one.