Merc 700xs

[mercmack]

Just Going Thru Ebay This Morning, There A Merc 700xs Up For Bid, Item Number #4526676726 Has About 6 Days Elft For Those Interested. :d :d

[Raceman]

I don't believe Mercury ever built a 700XS. They did in fact build the X engines (12" mids with Speedmasters) in both the 650XS and 700X designations.

I would be very surprised to learn that it's authentic. Since the seller shows brochure pictures I'm gonna e mail him and ask for specifics.

[mercmack]

A Number Of Years Ago, While Attending Merc School In Hayward, Ca
They Had A Merc 650xs On Display...a Few Years Later The Sold It To Some Guy That Had A Rubber Boat, What A Waste.. :d :d

[Raceman]

I have a pair of 650XS's and also a 700X, but the 700XS is one that I don't think exists. The seller E mailed me that the literature says 700X, which the engine pictured isn't, and he said that it says OXS on the cowl. I believe that everything in the XS series had the red stickers and this one doesn't. It's probably a 650XS with some replacement stickers, still real desirable.

[PARKER RABE]

Norris , Is That The Original Cowl ? And Stickers , Did Someone Drill Holes In It ? Those Stickes Are From 81 82 83 84 85

[Raceman]

The 650X or 700X would have had a lift off cowl like that without the holes. The XS's had clamshells with a different front and some other mods for carb clearance. My best guess on what that motor is, a 650X or 700X powerhead and cowl on a std production mid. The 650XS had sold lower mounts that were kind of bulges in the mid where the removable covers would be on a std. mid. That looks like a std. short 3 cyl mid to me, but hard to say from the pics. I might bid on it if it stays cheap (doubtful for E Bay) just for the powerhead parts, but I doubt seriously I'd be getting anything more than that.

[150aintenuff]

currently $255 and reserve not met....

[Raceman]

Why not Jim? I guess I've never tried because I don't have any std 3 cyl mids, but that's exactly what the one in the auction is. He sent me a zip file with about a dozen pics and what he has is an XS type powerhead with a lift off cowl and a mid with std lower mounts............... removable covers at the bottom. The strange part is, he says there's a serial number sticker on the swivel bracket that matches one stamped in the powerhead. He also says his literature refers to 700X rather than XS.


Tell me about the bolt pattern at the top. Is it possible he's got something that's custom adapted?

[mercmack]

just checked e-bay and some guy has bumpped up the bid to 650, is it worth that much.. :eek: :eek:

[Raceman]

I suspect it'll go a good bit higher. Although I think the seller has made an effort to describe it as best he can, there's still some doubt as to exactly what it is. If there remains some feeling that it's a complete factory engine I think the price could triple, maybe more knowing E Bay hysteria.

[Mark75H]

I think there is a possibilty that some of the bidders are planning to use the powerhead for Formual E/Super E mod racing on a hydro

[Raceman]

Is Mike playin'?

[Dave S]

Hey RM if it has sticker type serial# that means its a newer type 1987? serial #. It migth be a newer block and lower with the 3 carb front.Kinda a homemade thing? You don't know what Merc or someone afterwards has done. Get him to look in the plug hole for fancy port work. :rolleyes:

[Mark75H]

I don't think you have to look in the plug hole on a disassembled engine, Dave:http://i3.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/62/18/df_1_b.JPG
http://i20.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/62/4c/73_1_b.JPG

:rolleyes:

[Raceman]

Dave, there are a couple of things I don't know about 3 cyl powerheads. I have 2 650XS's and a 700X, but nothing std to compare em to. Jim Hunt says that the X and XS stuff won't mount to std mid sections, but I don't know why. If that mid/swivel bracket is from the 80's, and the serial number matches the powerhead as the seller says, it's safe to say that it's NOT Merc high perf stuff. Looks like an X or XS front half on production stuff at a glance maybe, unless somebody did some number stamping on the block. In any case, may be a good piece for racers to use as a starting point, but I don't see any collectibility there. I think the seller honestly doesn't know what he has, but looks like if the price runs up somebody's gonna get burned.

Sam, I'm sending you the zip file with all the pics he sent me to your AOL address.

[Dave S]

Hey RM, I don't know all there is to know for sure. But the merc 650 and 700 fissing motors had different bolt patterns on the bottom of the block. The 70hp merc had better exhaust tube style. The 65 hp merc had a square kinda outlet. Maybe that is what Jim is picking up. If the 700x was based on the 70 fissing motor you would use the 70 hp base plate to use on the fissing exhaust housing. I have not looked at the motor on E Bay, so I can't make any judgements. But if it looks stock maybe it was used for racing in a class in a different country. I just picked up a 70hp style motor and it was a real late model and it had the newest type trim ram on it, the 2 wire single ram type. I did not know they made the motor that late to have that trim style. :confused: You learn every day your eyes are open. ;)

[mercmack]

Your All Right The Price Is On Its Way Up Over 760 Now..be Careful. :d

[Mark75H]

$1210

Well above any realistic value for a collection of mis matched parts :(

[Raceman]

Over 1500 now with 2 days left. We're gettin' into the somebody's gonna get burned real bad range now.


A couple of our guys here bid when it was low. I hope they're through now. I really don't see anything of value there except for the powerhead and it's got at least one bad cyl.

[Mark75H]

I'm thinking if the serial number does match the block serial number ... then someone just put a 650xs/650x/700x front on a fishing 650 block.....and since he has 700x literature .... it was from a 700x.

[Raceman]

That makes sense, since it apparently bolts to a fishing motor mid. Somebody's gonna throw up when they realize what they've paid that kinda money for.

[Hounddog]

I think Sam is dead on. My guess is that its a 70 hp Mercury short shaft with
X front end. The pistons are the power port Mercury replacements for the stock motor. I don't see any gaskets or the plate that goes infront of the reeds. Maybe someone tried it. It likely didn't seal right, ran lean and that was it. We have raced XS's for years and from experience those pistons don't work in an XS. The good news is it shows what interest there is the old race motors.

[Raceman]

The good news is it shows what interest there is the old race motors.

I'm not sure that's such good news. I've still got a few holes in the collection that I'd like to fill before the market goes from it's present stupidly expensive level to totally insane.

[Mark75H]

Just a few hours left for you to pay several times over the value of a 3 carb front and 3 TC3A carbs!

$2000+ Whoooooooo Hoooooooo! :confused:

[Raceman]

Now some "expert" has chimed in and told him he's selling it way too cheap, that it should be worth more than 3500.

"SORRY FOR EMAILING, BUT I HAVE SOMETHING SAY TO YOU. YES YOU HAVE A 700X MERC MOTOR IF I WAS YOU USE YOUR FIRST EBAY LISTTING AS A INFORMATION LISTTING TO YOU. I ALSO HAD A 700X AND SOLD FOR 2.000.00 AND WAS I WRONG THAT MOTOR WAS TURN KEY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOLD FOR ATLEAST 4.000.00.AND KEEP IN MIND I SOLD MIND 2 YEARS AGO. THESE MOTORS YOU CANT FIND.YOU SHOULD NOT SELL FOR ANY LESS THAN 3500. "