Re: Dark Side Confusion

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bob-d

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Replies: 513
Topics: 104
#76186

Jim, just finished a restoration on a 1971 9.8HP to match my 135HP on my Magnum Missile (avatar pic). Funny story about the motor. It was originally owned by the actor in California who did the voice for Robbie the Robot in the 60’s. I’m expecting it to start talking to me this summer when it gets on the back of the Alumacraft!! It had the same problem as yours, rusted ball bearings in the lower unit. Originally thought the power head was frozen until I dropped the lower unit. Dodged the bullit it on that one. Good news is that all of the bearings are marked with manufacturer numbers and are easy to find. I used a combination of OEM and Chinese on EBay. All other parts are readily available. Hardest part was finding the correct gauge and color wiring to replace the crumbling wires. If I found the correct gauge it was too stiff to move with the mag plate. Found this place after I finished.

http://www.bestboatwire.com

It looks like a good alternative to the big box store wiring selection. Another small problem is the need for a special tool to remove the lower unit bearing carrier, but I’ve seen your machine work in past posts, so this will not be a problem for you.
Good luck. Great motors when up and running. I also think the black / red color combination is one of Mercury’s best.
Bob D