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  1. #16
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    Sam,
    I have one of these mounted on a Merc800DR. Mine is right hand with a 5/16 shear pin. Also has the top cowl with no recoil and the chrome MERCURY lettering. All White on a short housing. Along the way(?) it had a tiger transplant, and I assume it was a dealer replacement as it has no serial # on the top of the block. If this is the same unit, it comes with either right hand or left hand. Either 1/4 or 5/16 shear pin. 8 1/4" to 9" prop on a 5/8" shaft. My other Merc800 is a FGS, on the same style short housing.

    Albert said to tell ya "hey babe", and that he and John got a lot of nice parts from Pete...trader

  2. #17
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    Yeah, Joe you are right, that was a slip. 14:15 is correct, not 15:16

    Trader's unit is a little different from the one in the image.

    These were the original Speedmasters made in 1961 for the 1961 non-gear shift "Direct Reverse" Merc 800 and Merc 700. Merc made Full Gear Shift pleasure motors the same year, but these are for the non-shift motors.

    The 80 hp unit has the same driveshaft splines as the 100 to 150 hp inline sixes, but the 70 hp Speedmaster has driveshaft splines to match a Merc 700DR with the smaller splines used in the 50's and on the 40 and 44ci fours. The next difference is the propshaft: the 80 hp uses the 5/16" shear pin and the 70 hp unit uses 1/4" shear pin. The 1/4" shear pin was a throw back to the Mark75H racing lower unit propshaft. All three (Mk75H, 70 and 80) use the 3/4" smooth shaft and the same propshaft gear.

    Another difference on the 1961 Speedmasters was the water inlet. A left hand 1961 unit has the water inlet on the main housing near the skeg. A right hand 1961 unit has the water inlet on the main housing closer to the nosecone.

    For the 1962-64 (100hp) Speedmaster, the top front of the housing was extended to bring the front mounting stud forward to match the 100hp (and other full gearshift) mid section. On the pleasure motors this was done to clear the shifter linkage; on the Speedmaster it was just done to match the mid section. Another change was the water inlet. On the 62 and later Speedmasters the water inlet is in the nosecone.

    So, the Speedmaster in the first image has ... 5/16" shear pin, water inlet near the skeg and the top flange does not extend as far forward as the cavitation plate for the forward mounting stud location ... making it a 1961 left hand Merc 800 Speedmaster.

    I'll post images to compare later today.

    Merc 800's and 850's from this era were 76ci and fit in OPC "R" class. OI is a UIM class (1500cc-90ci) that wasn't used in US racing, but APBA could certify records for it as a UIM class. In the late 60's there were classes in OPC known as FI and SI, 89ci motors ran in them in all configurations of the era: standard lower units, gear shift X-115 and gearshift BP's in FI and Super Speedmasters in SI. I think by 1969, the X and BP lower units were kicked out of "F" classification to clarify the class as for fat gearshift lower units.
    Last edited by Mark75H; 12-01-2002 at 06:27 PM.

  3. #18
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    Here is a white 80hp left hand and a black 1962-64 as seen from the top.

    Notice the black unit has the bolt pattern for both types of mid section and the white 80 hp unit is too short to have the correct front stud location for the 1962 and later mid sections. If you find a 62-64 unit and want to use it on a 61 DR mid you will use the back hole ... but you must also shave the inside of the mid or the edges of the water pump housing. The 60's came with shaved water pump housings that fit. The discolored areas near the studs closest to the water pump shows the shaved areas.

    Also note that the black unit is not a Super Speedmaster, the area immediately behind the upper bearing and oil seal area is open to the exhaust area.....there is no back drive shaft.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails shift-nonshiftssm-.jpg  
    Last edited by Mark75H; 03-30-2008 at 01:00 PM.

  4. #19
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    Here are the bottoms of the same 2 units. The unit on the left is the Left Hand rotation 1961 type. The water inlets are on the main housing near the skeg. If this was a Right Hand unit, like Trader has, the water inlets would still be on the main housing, but would be close to the nose cone. The 1962-64 unit on the right has the water inlets thru the bottom of the nose cone like all newer Speedmaster types.

    The different water inlet positions on the 1961 types is related to the propshaft gear location. On the left hand rotation units the propshaft gear is behind the driveshaft; on the right hand rotation units the propshaft gear is ahead of the driveshaft (farther to the front so the water inlet is moved up to stay in front of it). Different nose cone anchor parts were used. I have no idea why this was done. The later type makes more sense with the same water inlet location for both rotations, probably using the same nose cone anchors etc.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails shift-nonwaterins-.jpg  

  5. #20
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    Here is a 60 RH (we though was like Trader's, but he has a '62). The arrow points to the water inlets.

    The owner of this Speedmaster needs two things.

    That were correctly identified........a prop nut and a correct rotation prop.


    We lost a few posts in the transition/renewal.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails speedmaster1961rh-.jpg  
    Last edited by Mark75H; 03-30-2008 at 01:00 PM.

  6. #21
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    " Sam is a very knowledgable young man"... (Albert Snell)...

    When Mercury started the FGS mid section housing in 1961 on the sixes, did they then carry this design on to the 1962 and later model's unchanged?

    Case in point; On both of the Merc 800 units I have, they both have the same FGS mid section housings. Only one is equipted with a Speedmaster lower unit. Upon your posting the differences in the water pick-up points and the lengths of the housings above the cavation plate, I re-examinmed my Speedmaster, and it matches the Merc 1000 unit... Extended housing and water picked up in nose cone...

    Is this the evolution of the Speedmaster's to match the evolution of the changes in the DR housings to the FGS housings?

    I am not knowledgable at all concerning this issue, but here are the assumptions, I had prior to this post. The early 66 cu. in., DR housing, small spline shaft,left hand rotation (standard), used the first generation Speedmaster... water inlets near skeg...1/4 shear pin... Second generation, 76 cu.in.,DR housing, larger drive shaft, higher cooling demand, move water pick-up forward, use 5/16 shear pin for higher horsepower...Third generation, 76-89 cu.in., with the changeover to the new FGS housing, extend lower housing to match, move water pick-up forward yet further due to higher horsepower/cooling demands. As far as Prop rotation is concerned, it could be accomplished at the prop-shaft, by either placing the driven gear fore or aft of the drive gear. This would accomodate, where the boat controls are mounted to offset prop rotational torque, and twin motor installations. Now I have never seen the inside of one of these units, or even a parts list, but from a engineering standpoint, this is how I would look at the developement of this unit...

    When Mercury used the Speedmaster on the 1000 and earlier sixes, was this a factory or dealer installed option.

    Due to the ignition/starter/control differences between the DR and FGS, did the Merc 1000 use-carryover parts from the Merc800 DR, when using the Speedmaster. Would this then make the Speedmaster equipted Merc1000 a dock buster???

    Alway's thinking out loud...trader

  7. #22
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    To answer Trader's questions:

    Basically yes, but I'm not sure how closely the 61 FGS form continued to 62 and beyond. For 62 and beyond the lower to mid pattern stays close enough to the same for all mids and lowers to bolt together......right up to the last 140's.

    In answer to Trader's middle paragraph:

    On January 1, 1960 all 4 original variations were released simultaneously, there was no evolution. Left hand and right hand were offered together mostly to be used together. The most popular high speed boats at that time were catamarans: Powercats, Stylecrafts, Magnolias etc. Most racing of motors over 40 cubic inches was all day marathon racing and outboards were second class boats in those races, even when they had 3 or 4 large engines they were usually beaten by inboards running in the same race.
    The water pick up position is just a convienience thing on these....not particularly related to cooling demand. If you want my actual guess - I think it is inverse to Trader's guess. The "as sold" Mark75H racing lower unit has 2 small water inlets back by the skeg; earlier prototypes have it closer to the nosecone and higher on the side. My guess is that they thought the water inlets needed to be deeper in the water and farther from the boat to be sure of getting good water and in actual use it turned out that up in the nosecone, slightly higher and closer to the boat was OK.
    Trader's guess on the mechanics of the rotations is exactly correct. Trader should head up to Arlington and ask Charlie Alexander---he did the work on these.

    There is no literature that says you can get a Speedmaster installed by the factory, but I'm certain if your dealer ordered it from his distributer with one, the distributer probably shipped it that way after doing the work there. Back in the 1950's and early 1960's Merc distributors were not the warehouse depots the grew to be later, many were still regular retail dealers in addition to being the regional distributor. If someone can turn up a "Mercury Messenger" or other sales announcement from Merc that says you can get them from the factory, I'll gladly eat my words.

    I do not know of anyone retrofitting Dockbuster linkage and starter to a 100 hp or larger powerhead, but it could be done. Even the last type inline six Super Speedmaster had a water pump housing that could be used with either motor rotation.
    Last edited by Mark75H; 03-30-2008 at 01:05 PM.

  8. #23
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    Sam,

    So what you are saying is that the Merc 1000 equipted with Speedmaster lower units, were used in a direct/drive fashion? Forward only? If so how about the Merc800?

    The unit I have, as I stated earlier, has a Tiger (89cu.in.) powerhead, with DR starter, and DR ignition, and MK75-78 style Quicksilver controls.

    Another curiousity. When did Mercury start leaving model info off the I.D. plate? 1962? Only Serial#

    trader

  9. #24
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    Yes, Speedmaster equipped motors are normally run forward only.

    Here is a little known fact:

    When the first Mark75 was announced in 1956, Charlie Strang promised 3 lower unit variations: Standard "Fleetmaster", racing "Speedmaster" and an in between variation "Sportmaster".

    The Fleetmaster promised speeds up to 60mph on tiny boats and the Speedmaster was promised for boats capable of over 80mph. For boats in the 60 to 80 mph range they intended to sell the Sportmaster.

    The Sportmaster came in right and left hand rotation Dockbuster through prop exhaust versions. The water inlet was much like a Fleetmaster or Scott - - above and behind the prop. Unlike the Speedmaster it was marketed to be used with both long and short shaft motors. Rather than 4 different versions with 4 different driveshafts, the Sportmaster used a 2 piece driveshaft coupled just over the water pump. The gear ratio was 1.5:1 and the "R" dimension was 3.25 vs the Fleetmaster at 4.125 and the Speedmaster at 2.125.

    The same 2 piece driveshaft arrangement had been used on preproduction prototype Speedmaster units labeled as test pieces for 80 hp motors.

    The biggest surprise to me is the delay from announcement to sales of the Speedmaster and Sportmaster units. Maybe they thought boats weren't ready to go that fast. In any case, boats were never ready for the Sportmaster. They sold almost none and soon discontinued it. Maybe if it had looked like a giant Speedmaster it would have had better sales appeal.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails parts2.jpg  
    Last edited by Mark75H; 12-03-2002 at 08:57 PM.

  10. #25
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    The main list
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  11. #26
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    Quite unassuming. Easily mistaken for a 50hp lower unit.

    Maybe Eric can supply a better picture...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails mercracing_side.jpg  

  12. #27
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    Sam,

    Could you please post a part's list on the 100hp Speedmaster? I sure would appreciate...

    ps: I slipped in a post between your's that you may have missed. Could you also address that also...thanks...trader

    Ooopps.. I saw you beat me to it... Let me ask you this instead, do you feel it inadvisable to use this as a DR unit?

    trader
    Last edited by TRADER; 12-03-2002 at 09:29 PM.

  13. #28
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    no

  14. #29
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    Sam, How much differance is there from the early twin pinion to the late ones when it comes to the internal parts. One of the ssm's that I have is a early one with a twister driveshaft. How much stronger are the latter one's built ? Not including the MC-1 ,I have one of those and there alot heavier but there doesn't seem to be much differance in size of all the other ssm's ?
    DaveW

  15. #30
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    Crazy, what is a "Twister driveshaft"?

    As far as the internals, I'm of the opinion that the internals are pretty much the same in the twin pinion SSM's, given the same rotation direction.
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