Mercury V6 School for lower units

**nitro_rat** · 07-29-2018, 07:08 AM

It’s fun whoopin’ on newer boats with an old 2.0! Even if I can’t top end some of the big bass boats with big power most guys can’t/won’t drive them that fast. I can get out of the hole and topped out before many of the big fishing rigs even get on plane...

**LakeFever** · 07-29-2018, 08:01 AM

I have the opposite effect going on right now. Streams scare the piss out of anyone not also running a stream. I cruised up alongside an STV this summer with a BP hoping to entice him to let er rip. He looked, waved, and turned away lol. My almost 60mph slug sceared him off it seems or maybe thats my ego talking and he couldnt care less and was up to other things that day

Even though its only a 135 it sounds great and runs real well now. Nothing out of the hole though its real slow compared to what Im used to which will toss you out of your seat if your not careful but its a 115 crossflow w 17P SRX on a 15' 500ish lb hull so you can imagine how quick it is. Im not really too concerned about quick with this stream I want to pleasure cruise and when Im feeling it I want to air this thing out and bust that C note eventually. It already cruises very well and is much more comfy than I expected. So far super pleased although a little rickety feeling with that thin glass work. I'll rectify that eventually

Back on Lower units just to be crystal clear is there no way to retrofit a big bearing set up into a small one? Ratcheting cases better or worse or same limits?

**nitro_rat** · 07-29-2018, 08:13 AM

You definitely want the ratcheting case. If your existing case is ratcheting with no preload pin you probably already have the big bearing 2:1 case. Non-ratchet will cause the boat to hook when you let off the throttle as the prop is dragging. Not a big deal on a STV but no fun in a V-bottom!

**LakeFever** · 07-29-2018, 08:33 AM

I'll definitely be checking it and thanks for the ratcheting tip I did not know that either. What year did the ratcheting case debut? Did Merc phase out the non ratcheting cases at any point?

**Aaronhl** · 09-20-2019, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by bullet123

2.0, 2.4 and 2.5 v-6 lowers will bolt on. If you are going to surface your prop, you need a 200 big bearing case or sportmaster if you want it to last very long. JMO

Educate me since 2.0/2.4/2.5 units all bolt up together, what year ranges are we talking about? Can the late 90s early 2000s bolt up to a late 80s or mid 90s? Are the newer late 90s early 2000s as good as the older ones? Which years are ratcheting and where is the preload pin? Are the newer opti lower units usable on the older mid 90s and are the Optis' units ratcheting?

As pictured in the thread before, what doesn't a newer 1647-9147-C4 give you that a big bearing C1 would?

Hope you get my questions

**bullet123** · 09-21-2019, 05:48 AM

C-1 is ratcheting case. C-4 is not.

**LakeFever** · 09-21-2019, 09:01 AM

From what Ive learned since this thread started there are a few variations on the 2.0/2.4/2.5 style V6 Merc lowers aside from ratios. Aside from the newer non ratchet case it seems with the right mix mash of parts you can pretty much install any of the ratcheting internals into any other ratchet type housing including the Sportmaster and the CLE. The CLE debuted in the 80's as the MOD VP case which was a 2hole above the nose type housing and through updates this became the sportmaster which is essentially a coned version of the CLE. Apparently these CLE units had some different bearings and harder gears vs a stock fishing motor lower but are of the same overall size. The bearings, bearing carriers, and shafts are the key differences but can be installed into whatever big bearing case you have so long as "you know what your doing" which I as of yet do not. Thats where Im at currently with this, I will update as time goes on what else I learn

**TEXAS20225** · 09-28-2019, 03:17 PM

IMHO best hipo case to cone is Torqmaster as it has same gears, shafts and carrier as sporty and cle( late models only) early cles had so many up dates its mind blowing, best fishing motor case to cone is 1647 9147 C1 there is no 135/150/200 case per say for that specific horse power they have identical casting numbers so obviously the guts are whats different and that is only gear ratios this what ive come to after rebuilding more cases then i even could count!!!! difference in sporty cle and torqmaster versus consumer cases is drive shaft, prop shaft, gear sets is the hardness they are same exact size dimensionaly and the addition of second bearing on sporty d.s., hardness and of course carrier which has been modified for big dia prop shaft (2 different styles)there some assembly differences in sporty t/master and cle's which i wont address because its a long story. i really have had good luck coneing consumer cases and getting a good life out of them they just require a little more maintenance then the hipo models because of prop shaft deflection when surfacing seals can be spit out quickly especially when running choppers or other over hub exhaust props ive been running a coned torqmaster on my Bullet for ever, zero trouble which does not mean i wont have some next time out it is a boat so feed it ive been feeding them for 50 years

**LakeFever** · 09-29-2019, 09:31 AM

Great info! Do all the Sportys' CLES and Torque Masters ratchet?

**TEXAS20225** · 09-29-2019, 02:05 PM

the 2.5 style do the 3.0 dont

**LakeFever** · 09-29-2019, 02:27 PM

What year did the non ratchet case arrive? Why did Merc move away from the ratchet in the fishin motor lowers?

**TEXAS20225** · 09-29-2019, 05:17 PM

another person who is asked the same things Ive asked over the years what in the zzxx????? the last year for ratchet consumer case was 1996 all HIPO remained ratcheting for small block mota actually first 3.0 case had a 8 spline drive shaft like the 2.5 cases i cannot for the life of me remember if gears were different or were small bearing i know first generation torqmaster for 3.0 had 4 inlet holes for water like 2.5 case

**Aaronhl** · 09-29-2019, 08:41 PM

Do any of the internal parts interchange with the ratcheting and new nonratcheting units? Could you make the newer late 90s units ratcheting?

**TEXAS20225** · 09-30-2019, 11:43 AM

some say you can install a ratcheting clutch dog on non ratchet gears via prop shaft and it will become ratcheting i cannot answer that question because i have never done it but it looks like good idea

on ratcheting gears there are ramp on each gear and dog on non ratcheting no ramps so if you install dog that ratchets you will have half of the ramps anyway, drive shaft, prop shaft, clutch dog, carrier and pinion gear all interchange

**AlaskaStreamin** · 09-30-2019, 12:37 PM

I put up a post here for a big bearing Torquemaster case and got one. It came off a 225 Promax. I never knew about the C-1 then. (good tip)
I had to make sure the front bearing cup was 3.5" diameter. After that, I had my Sportmaster guts put in it. I like the longer profile for my Virage.