TOPIC: Damaged merc stuff

Does it make any sense to hang on to a bad powerhead, or at least one that the crank is ruined on one of the journals? Needle bearings melted on #5 journal of this '63 Merc1000.

The crank is junk, nobody rebuilds these right?

The head looks decent, but I don't have the tools to do measurements to see if that bad journal's cylinder is any good. It looks okay.

I'm trying to clean up some and am inclined to just toss these powerhead parts. What do you think? Speaking of cleaning up, I have a 15 spline 13X21 prop, nearly new over on the glassifieds if anybody needs one.

Thanks for any advice!

Frank

Frank a good machine shop can re-work the crankshaft.
Pete

Pete, when I talked to the NAPA machine shop here, they said "No." Well, maybe I should hang on to it. I wonder about what it would cost to get that journal sleeved (or whatever), and where I would need to go to get it done? I'll have to do a little research. Head could be bored? Can you get oversize pistons? Or would they sleeve it to drop it to original bore specs?

Thanks!

Frank

Are you considering chucking the entire powerhead, including the periferals? I've been looking for an inexpensive distributor for some frankenmercing this winter. Want to see if I can set up electronic ignition al-la petronix ignitors

No Peter, I can't see chucking peripherals. I can lift that stuff okay, lol. Plus it's easy to store, and most of it I can rebuild of fix. It's the powerhead and crank I wonder about. I mean, even if I can get them repaired someplace, does it make any sense to?

I want to rebuild the three spare carbs I have just for practice. I've never done that before, but it seems to me it can't hurt to have extra carbs ready to bolt on. I don't really know how the distributor is, but mine seems to be working well, and I believe this one worked too when I tried starting the parts motor. At least one side of the motor did (3 cylinders). I never did find out if it was the distributor or a coil.

I wouldn't mind doing the same thing with this spare distributor - setting it up with Perronix.

Good luck!

Frank

Hi Frank,
When it comes to the classic stuff, I look at it this way - they ain't making the parts for them any more. Unless the crank is completely thrashed and not salvageable in any way, save it - or give it to someone who will save it. 50 years from now someone might be glad you did...
- Scott

Probably a good point Scott. I am re-arranging the shop and in fact the entire basement in our residence and have a bad back, so get tired of lifting stuff and moving it. I'll find an out-of-the-way place for this stuff and hold on to it. 50 years from now I'm sure I won't be around, so probably should designate who this stuff goes to in my will...

Frank

Seriously Frank, have you looked at some of the stuff they have on EBAY!? I don't throw away ANYTHING any more, even if I don't see any possible way I'll ever use it, someone will undoubtedly be dieing to have it (what ever it is in any given case) sooner or later!

I'm not much of an ebay guy Shannon.

My problem is space, i.e., not enough of it. We're in a raised ranch. I keep our good cars in the garage, and then about 1/2 the remaining space is my shop, the other 1/2 storage. I can't afford to build a garage, in fact, my hot rod resides in a portable garage for now. I have a small 12X20 pole barn I hope to expand to 12X30, put a concrete floor in and wall off. I need that for the yard equipment (mowers, atv, trailers) and eventually for the hot rod, and maybe my boat.

I'll find a place to squirrel this stuff away so I don't need to move it again!

Frank

Glad your keepin the old crap frank. I would love to see pics of your pole barn and portable garage. Im in to that kind of stuff. Sounds to me like you need a shed (s), Mike

Just make sure you spray down the crank and cyls with some sort of protectant. They rust very fast.

I store all my extra stuff up top of my garage. INstalled a winch to pull it all up there.

Thanks, will do!

Unfortunately, my garage is right under the kitchen and living room. Gail won't go for me storing outboard parts up there.

Frank

Hi Frank,
Great to see your boat up and running well. A long slog but victory in the end.
Cranks are very problematic as they have hardened journals for the needle bearings. straightness is another problem after welding then grinding to size then hardening. Keep in mind Any 1000 crank will work from an inline 6. The blocks changed over the years to match the way cowls were mounted and then the bottom interface with the driveshaft housing but the cranks remained the same. any 90 cu in 6 will have that crank. I am surprised that the bore is not obviously beat up. This may mean a rod bolt stretched and that is why the bearing took a beating and nothing else. An overheat or no lube would certainly trash a bore/piston long before the crank journal fails. So me, I would not save the crank. The block could help someone some day who has a melted cylinder (more common situation). A melted cyl would most likely damage the block so they could get one good standard piston and your block and reassemble a running motor. Oversize pistons are hens teeth so most of us are stuck hunting for good standard bore blocks and pistons to make a good powerhead. Keep the block, the good pistons/rods in my opinion, junk the crank. You can store the pistons and rods right in the block to save room. The reed cages are probably worth saving too, Along with the deflector inner exhaust plate. The 62/63 Merc being historically signnificant, first black Merc, fist 100 h.p. outboard etc. it is worth saving reasonably good parts for them.
Randy

Boy Jim, that is great advice, thank you sir.

What happened to this motor Jim is it sucked a plastic bag in the lower carb and starved the reed of air, and the needle bearings melted. I don't think the rod stretched, but it's toast too.

I have all the pistons bagged. After Dave Cummings helped me assemble the new powerhead using the best pistons and rings from the two motors, I came home and bagged and labeled everything. They're easy to keep that way. Each one has it's rod and needle bearings with it, and #5 (the bad one) has the reed valve too. Maybe sometime when you're over this way you could take a gander and see what you think.

I'll save the powerhead block, that makes sense. I've already stolen some hard-to-find gaskets off it. I have saved everything else, but wonder if I need the mid-section or even the cowling, which is all beat up. You would need to be a body repair wizard to fix it and make it presentable. I've got all the small parts, and I intended to save them.

Got to go do some work on my new shop. Almost there!

Frank

I've heard that a well mixed thermite weld would fix stuff like that. Never tried it though. I just try to think of ways I can make some $ off of something before I toss it. Rarely have I found there's NO $ to be made from something. I'm not saying don't get rid of it, just to find a way to get some $ off it instead of the trash. Hey, maybe a shop art peice in the making?! LOL! Scrap yard at least.

Frank, the automotive machine shops do not have a wheel narrow enough to grind the merc cranks. The abrasive wheels are available to do it but are expensive so most shops do not have one. There is simply not enough call for them. The powerheads can be bored oversize and pistons are available at .015 over and .030 over.

I honestly can't see hangin onto the crank. Lots of I-6 cranks will work in my powerhead. From what I've seen, it is prohibitively expensive to get an old I-6 crank fixed. Just not worth it when there are so many cheaper alternatives.

Don't toss the crank until you cut the splined section off. Then, weld it to a socket and you have a great tool for lower unit repairs, to loosen and tighten the pinion gear nut for instance.

Good to see ya George.
Conrad

gfgarland wrote:

Don't toss the crank until you cut the splined section off. Then, weld it to a socket and you have a great tool for lower unit repairs, to loosen and tighten the pinion gear nut for instance.

What an excellent idea! Thank you!

Frank