My Dad was the first Grady White dealer in NJ in I believe 1961. Your power options on those wooden Gradys was Mercury or Mercury. White - 100 hp 6 cylinder was the cream of the crop. In 1967 Dad bought a Boston Whaler from another dealer for my Brother and I to play in the Barnaget Bay with, and powered it with a 1967 brand new black with silver stripe 65 hp thunderbolt. I was 9 years old --- what a diffrent World. That Whaler and 65 Thunderbolt just wouldn't die . The clanky sound that engine made still rings in my ears. 👍
@@BrienLee if was in Barnegat Bay around Barnegat Light, on LBI in Ocean County. Also in the inlet by the lighthouse and ocean. My good old days in the 60's and 70's!
In 1961 my dad got a new 80 hp Mercury on a 16 ft. LoneStar runabout. It would pull 6 skiers. In 67 the motor was still great but the runabout was shot. He got a new Glastron runabout with the first generation I/O Mercruiser 150hp inline Chevy 6 cylinder. I inherited it and ran it till 2009 but had to give it up due to no seals for sterndrive. Lot of memories. In 2014 I got a new Glastron with V8 Volvo Penta. Great boat and motor runs great but I miss my Mercs.
My 1956 Mercury Mark 5 still starts and runs. My grandfather’s hunting motor. Used it extensively in my teens. Don’t have a boat so it’s in my storage room. I will get it back in the water someday. I hope. I’m 52.
My Dad had a 1956 Mercury Mark 20 Gold Plate on a 14' Arkansas Traveler. He raced it and got beat until he took the Mark 20 to Quincy Welding and had a new power head installed. After that, he never got beat again!
We’ve come full circle because todays small outboards with internal fuel tanks suck. Very hard to start so now I have a Newport NT300 electric outboard. Push button and go.😊
To elaborate on post below, I just rigged a 1980's Merc 75. The plastic part onto which the shift cable connects was broken. Replacement required removing the shift track. It's attached to the block with THREE bolts, one of which is 100% blind and inaccessible. The two upper bolts are more than enough to secure this part. I was very lucky - the lower bolt was loose - probably b/c the LAST guy couldn't get it tight - so I was able to almost shake it loose, then rotate it with the tip of a screwdriver. That bolt got thrown so far nobody's ever gonna find it. Sure, the factory installed it with the powerhead, then dropped the head onto the stack. What TF were the engineers thinking? Answer: they weren't.
They where thinking how can we make this cheap and easy to produce. Everyone wants to blame engineers but they design to a target that is rarely easy to service.
I was recently in central Fla and saw white mercs running on boat!!! Haven't seen them since mid 1970s on Long island NY salt ate them. We raced 2.5 v6 skater. Mercury high performance unmatched.
My Dads old 59 Glasspar boat had a 1959 Merc Mark 75 and it would outrun the same boat that was fitted with a Johnson 85. Merc's were the best then and are the best now.
Mercury only import a small number of Two-Strokes, as the demand has reduced significantly due to U.S. laws preventing the sale of high emission outboard engines. MOST FourStrokes are still built in the U.S. as are the Optimax range.
I grew up a mercury mechanic with my father from the early 70s to the early 90s I worked on pretty much every old.merc I got like 50 old Mercurys from the very first one Mercury built as a Mercury to some V6 motors
The full version of this video can be found at th-cam.com/video/T4tJtJqm9Ws/w-d-xo.html. When I uploaded this version above many years ago, there was a limit on time on youtube. SO I have uploaded the full version, which runs 14 minutes or so with more nifty stuff.
Ah come on...after Kiekhafer left Ole Evinrude, it was a “paint it purple” engine until Brunswick bought it and had to buy Boston Whaler to sell them. Almost destroyed Boston Whaler too bc people wanted Yamahas! I will gladly admit that now and finally, The Mercury’s made in America are top dog. As good or better than the competitive! Plus....they are MADE IN AMERICA ! GlennFHoward
Interesting that Mercury's corporate history (at least in the late 80's) makes no mention of the Evinrude connection, which I thought was strange! DId this guy just decide he was going to make outboards out of nowhere? Thanks for clearing that up for me. I wrote the above video and never knew that, based on the "official" story.
Kiefaher was Ole Evinrudes engineer. But his ideas were too advanced for Ole. Kiev left Evinrude in the thirties. The old joke was “Mercury’s were the best outboards...when they were running”! I have had several an always found them on par with other outboards. The new Mercury’s are on every Coast Guard outboard boat.
I have a 1978 sea ray 302 mercury boss I love my mercury inboard it a 188 hp but it was done over it has a towing cam 4bl bigger pistons this 19 foot boat hits 65 to 7p on the water I checked my GPS and the boat speed and it's the same this boat was well taken care of i bought it from a doctor who died 10 days after he bought it new I can pull ten water skis out with out a issue
Ignition trigger power packs,Water pump impeller,Carbeurator flooding,reed valve s, top two pistons melt ,water cover corrosion. Salt water corrosion on shafts. Spent years fixing these . Put me through College Thanks.... Their new v6 much better. In 1980s they began use of new aluminum alloy which didn't corrode.. Better quality also. Still alot of ignition components fail. Yamaha electrical lasts 25 years...
No old Mercs in Australia. On a quiet day you hear them corrode away. Electrical is the issue with them. All my Japanese outboards have been faultless. Coils, stator coils, alarms on tbe oil bottles, trim position sender, starter solenoids failures on my Mercs. No more. The four strokes had fuel pump issues. If you get a good one it is excellent but a bad one is a nightmare.
In the late eighties we did a video for all their brands about corrosion protection methods-- they were probably trying to combat that part of their reputation.
@@BrienLee no corrosion on 1990s models amazing . Electronics are the weak spot. Yamaha ignition never fail after 25 years original power packs coils. Mercury much better today. Although We have alot of old 115 v4 Johnson s from 1970s still going in salt bay. Thanks
We had a white with black hood 70, the last year of the one armed bandit. Neutral was a dead motor. 2 starters, 1 for each direction. You started it "in gear". PIA to dock but never failed to start and ran like no tomorrow. Same motor on different boat ran faster than a V4 Johnson 90 it came with. That thing wailed without whining. Next came a Blue Max. Then a 115 Johnson. Never again, back to a Black Max. Much later, a Small block OMC Stringer (absolute junk) drive. The Chevy did fine as did many other engines found on them. Just horrible to use. Now sadly, nothing. But I'm looking and it's Mercury/Mercruiser or nothing. Now if they can get the Missori River in check.......
Can someone tell me this story? J.I. Case another Wisconsin boy famously burnt a customer's kerosene powered Case tractor and replaced it with a new one when he saw many manufacturing defects.
WHY do owners call them "WELFARE MOTOR s" Because they're TALL,BLACK,AND VERY SELDOM WORK !!!! They helped coin the phrase "Bust Out Another Thousand !!! I owned one,then sold it to a total stranger I would never see again. Satisfying as HELL!!!
Eaglecreeker 49 I work on all brands, for over 4o years, they all have good ones and bad ones. Mercury stayed up better on advancements and technology. OMC was stuck in the 1930-40's.
We hear that Mercury doesn't make engines anymore...everything is imported from Japan. Is it true? The new Merc. engines don't look anything like the old ones...but that's progress...isn't it?
D Wetick The New Mercury 4 stroke 40 - 60 hp Outboards are made in China. The 75 hp and Up are made in the USA. I think the smaller Mercury's are made with / by Tohatsu.
Yeah back in Carl's time they may have been pretty they may have been sexy and if you wanted to go fast on a very lightweight boat that was the motor for you but if you wanted to make it back home.....................
Marty Harless You still use a Mercury. Johnson/Evinrude were slow and not as reliable as Mercury but people needed a reason to justify their reason for buying Johnsons so this uneducated statement was created and used by idiots.
Best way to not sell a boat nowdays,,,,,,,have an old merc on it,,,,,,,or best way to get a good deal on a used boat,, haul away the merc as part of the deal :)
Never much liked Mercury outboards although the used boat market has alot old mercs still running i never had any luck with the brand and still prefer a johnson or evinrude for reliability.
Bad leadership made OMC go under. From 1914 through 1990's they had great outboards. Due to bad management the motors quality went down in the 90's to the companies fall in 2000. If they had a Lee Iacocca at the helm who knows.
LoL @dyno don did i step on your feelings? OMC going bankrupt was mostly due to the vigilant work of the EPA,, the result may have been good for Mercury but brought alot of japanese brands and imo was bad for the domestic market overall.I would still take a used evinrude or Johnson 2 stroke over these new 4 strokes any day.
Jay A They had a horrible outdive, and mediocre outboards, bad leadership and and average quality killed them. Plus the tried to keep up with Brunswick, buying boat companies, that was their biggest issue. see leadership.
Recently went to boat show and most boat manufactures and dealers have gone to Yamaha outboards. One out of ten had Mercury. Since most of the boats where in the thirty to hundred thousand dollar range I kind of believe most of the buyers didn't come from trailer parks.
i sure like to know how and in what ways a 1947 two cylinder 10 hp mercury lighting outperformed outboard motors twice the size? and why can't they do it now? Seems like someone is telling little white lies here
I've been running a 86 90 hp tower of power fir 9 years now and I fish alot very few problems yeah those johnsons are good to ive owed both and the rude to but I'll take my 90 hp and out run u also 100% ive had both mercs are faster
The way things are today, I could watch this all day
My Dad was the first Grady White dealer in NJ in I believe 1961.
Your power options on those wooden Gradys was Mercury or Mercury.
White - 100 hp 6 cylinder was the cream of the crop.
In 1967 Dad bought a Boston Whaler from another dealer for my Brother and I to play in the Barnaget Bay with, and powered it with a 1967 brand new black with silver stripe 65 hp thunderbolt.
I was 9 years old --- what a diffrent World.
That Whaler and 65 Thunderbolt just wouldn't die .
The clanky sound that engine made still rings in my ears. 👍
I remember from the 60's, the huge "Tower of Power" six cylinder Mercs painted in black at the Jersey shore! Such cool and powerful outboards!
Where on the shore was that? I'd love to see a picture.
@@BrienLee if was in Barnegat Bay around Barnegat Light, on LBI in Ocean County. Also in the inlet by the lighthouse and ocean. My good old days in the 60's and 70's!
Been running a 86 90hp tower of power 9 years now very few problems biggest one keeping gas in it but she's a screamer
Thank you karl kiekhafer, for the best outboard ever
In 1961 my dad got a new 80 hp Mercury on a 16 ft. LoneStar runabout. It would pull 6 skiers. In 67 the motor was still great but the runabout was shot. He got a new Glastron runabout with the first generation I/O Mercruiser 150hp inline Chevy 6 cylinder. I inherited it and ran it till 2009 but had to give it up due to no seals for sterndrive. Lot of memories. In 2014 I got a new Glastron with V8 Volvo Penta. Great boat and motor runs great but I miss my Mercs.
Not sure who told you there is no seals for the stern drive. All merc stern drives from the mc1 to the alpha one will bolt right in.
I had a mark 75 on a 14ft speedliner in the late 50's early 60's
Loved that outfit.
Been a Mercury man since I was 4 years old. I would never consider any other make of outboard. Never had one let me down in 50 years of boating.
Once you try a Yamaha you will never consider any other make of outboard.
Same here. Merc / Mariner all the way!
@@nikosgrigorakos .< Give up snowflake. The kool aid is clouding your mind.
THREE WORDS SUM IT ALL UP !!!!!!.....
MERCS KICK ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i got my 1964 mercury 650 Kiekhaefer working like new. better than a lot of new engines :)
My 1956 Mercury Mark 5 still starts and runs. My grandfather’s hunting motor. Used it extensively in my teens. Don’t have a boat so it’s in my storage room. I will get it back in the water someday. I hope. I’m 52.
My Dad had a 1956 Mercury Mark 20 Gold Plate on a 14' Arkansas Traveler. He raced it and got beat until he took the Mark 20 to Quincy Welding and had a new power head installed. After that, he never got beat again!
Smart Man!
My dad had one of the old green cover 6 hp mercs. That thing ran and ran and ran!
Great video, interesting, educational. Subscribed, looking forward to more.
Thank you very much!
We’ve come full circle because todays small outboards with internal fuel tanks suck. Very hard to start so now I have a Newport NT300 electric outboard. Push button and go.😊
To elaborate on post below, I just rigged a 1980's Merc 75. The plastic part onto which the shift cable connects was broken. Replacement required removing the shift track. It's attached to the block with THREE bolts, one of which is 100% blind and inaccessible. The two upper bolts are more than enough to secure this part. I was very lucky - the lower bolt was loose - probably b/c the LAST guy couldn't get it tight - so I was able to almost shake it loose, then rotate it with the tip of a screwdriver. That bolt got thrown so far nobody's ever gonna find it. Sure, the factory installed it with the powerhead, then dropped the head onto the stack. What TF were the engineers thinking? Answer: they weren't.
Russ G welcome to outboard motors
They where thinking how can we make this cheap and easy to produce. Everyone wants to blame engineers but they design to a target that is rarely easy to service.
Is it bad that I'm getting hyped and excited
I’ve never owned a merc till now and it’s a good motor, 150 Blackmax xr2 on a ranger 350v and that motor runs good
Glad to hear it!
Please post the whole thing. I love videos like this.
This was great. I would to see the old films. Carl Kiekhaefer seems to me to not only have been a great engineer but a Hell of a marketer as well.
Okay, I'll look for it.
He took any opportunity to feature his products-- water ballet shows, racing competitions, theme parks.
Still running my 18 horse Super Hurricane as I'm posting this . Pushes my 16 foot flat bottom about 28 MPH loaded !
I was recently in central Fla and saw white mercs running on boat!!!
Haven't seen them since mid 1970s on Long island NY salt ate them.
We raced 2.5 v6 skater. Mercury high performance unmatched.
My Dads old 59 Glasspar boat had a 1959 Merc Mark 75 and it would outrun the same boat that was fitted with a Johnson 85. Merc's were the best then and are the best now.
Great product, great heritage.
Yea your Chinese mercs are ok today LOL
@@dang5553 < Failed attempt to make a point.
Thanks for sharing boating history gold.
Thanks-- you're welcome.
Please make more videos like this
Mercury only import a small number of Two-Strokes, as the demand has reduced significantly due to U.S. laws preventing the sale of high emission outboard engines. MOST FourStrokes are still built in the U.S. as are the Optimax range.
Still running my 1947 ke-3 3.6 horsepower 74 years old and still runs like a fine clock
I grew up a mercury mechanic with my father from the early 70s to the early 90s I worked on pretty much every old.merc I got like 50 old Mercurys from the very first one Mercury built as a Mercury to some V6 motors
Расскажи пожалуйста о слабых местах Mercury 200 Tanderbolt 20hp 1972
i still have my dads super 10 and my 66 65hp. great motors
They made Mercury in an old munitions plant in Port Credit, Ontario, too
I like the classic Mercs styling of the 50's to 80's Todays Merc's although they kick ass They look much like a black Jonson or Evinrude clone..
They were very distinctive, for sure.
+rEdf196 I Agree
Well said.
Hard to beat the XR and magnum series. Unless it's an OMC looper :)
The full version of this video can be found at th-cam.com/video/T4tJtJqm9Ws/w-d-xo.html. When I uploaded this version above many years ago, there was a limit on time on youtube. SO I have uploaded the full version, which runs 14 minutes or so with more nifty stuff.
I love the 50's motors, I have 2 of them
He'll yes kick ass motor
i like the late 60's to any thing thats not a fourstroke now.
81 years now if it was 1939.. Had a crappy blue band that died... Now I got my 05 75hp.. Love my Merc..
I can't believe we produced that video 31 years ago. Still one of my favorites. Thanks for your comment!
Did I just see a waterskiing elephant or am I just drunk?
No, that's the real deal!
Yes you saw elephant abuse lol
Got a 84 90 tower of power. Like new . I bought form a guy who ued it once ,then stored it for 30 years.
No mention of their short lived but awesome snowmobiles.
I have Dad’s early 1960’s 6hp Kiekaefer….
First ride 16ft cat w twin 1000s never forgot it wow
Ah come on...after Kiekhafer left Ole Evinrude, it was a “paint it purple” engine until Brunswick bought it and had to buy Boston Whaler to sell them. Almost destroyed Boston Whaler too bc people wanted Yamahas! I will gladly admit that now and finally, The Mercury’s made in America are top dog. As good or better than the competitive! Plus....they are MADE IN AMERICA ! GlennFHoward
Interesting that Mercury's corporate history (at least in the late 80's) makes no mention of the Evinrude connection, which I thought was strange! DId this guy just decide he was going to make outboards out of nowhere? Thanks for clearing that up for me. I wrote the above video and never knew that, based on the "official" story.
No, you saw right. The fabulous fifties water shows!
where can I find more info on the 450 mercury for repair or overhaul?
Kiefaher was Ole Evinrudes engineer. But his ideas were too advanced for Ole. Kiev left Evinrude in the thirties. The old joke was “Mercury’s were the best outboards...when they were running”! I have had several an always found them on par with other outboards. The new Mercury’s are on every Coast Guard outboard boat.
Thanks! I appreciate the info.
I have a 1978 sea ray 302 mercury boss I love my mercury inboard it a 188 hp but it was done over it has a towing cam 4bl bigger pistons this 19 foot boat hits 65 to 7p on the water I checked my GPS and the boat speed and it's the same this boat was well taken care of i bought it from a doctor who died 10 days after he bought it new I can pull ten water skis out with out a issue
Sounds like you've got a great thing going! Love those mercs on the open water.
Been running 86 90 hp tower of power 9 years now very few problems biggest one keeping gas in it lol she's a screamer though 👍
Had a 13 foot Boston Whaler with a 40 hp Mercury ........that boat would fly.
I love my 69 merc 200, runs like a dream.
You have probably one of the best outboards made. I had a '71 20 it was bulletproof and would romp a 25 OMC.
Mercury the one and only...
true.
My tower of power still going 1978
That's a tribute to the engineering (and the care you give it).
Ignition trigger power packs,Water pump impeller,Carbeurator flooding,reed valve s, top two pistons melt ,water cover corrosion. Salt water corrosion on shafts.
Spent years fixing these .
Put me through College Thanks....
Their new v6 much better.
In 1980s they began use of new aluminum alloy which didn't corrode.. Better quality also.
Still alot of ignition components fail. Yamaha electrical lasts 25 years...
We used to call them black anchors but when we went to see the Hydro boats race they almost always won.
No old Mercs in Australia. On a quiet day you hear them corrode away. Electrical is the issue with them. All my Japanese outboards have been faultless. Coils, stator coils, alarms on tbe oil bottles, trim position sender, starter solenoids failures on my Mercs. No more. The four strokes had fuel pump issues. If you get a good one it is excellent but a bad one is a nightmare.
In the late eighties we did a video for all their brands about corrosion protection methods-- they were probably trying to combat that part of their reputation.
@@BrienLee no corrosion on 1990s models amazing . Electronics are the weak spot.
Yamaha ignition never fail after 25 years original power packs coils.
Mercury much better today.
Although We have alot of old 115 v4 Johnson s from 1970s still going in salt bay.
Thanks
I googled Freddy Mercury and ended up here :)
Freddy might have liked the waterskiing elephants. Welcome anyway!
Are they with Tohatsu now???
lol they sure do favor each other.
yes
Awsome Motors, too bad the Greed of the Union ran the out of Wisconsin.
I heard merc tell WI no taxes for X amount of years or we are moving to Texas or FLORIDA
Why did Mercury insist on making some rather ordinary jobs like cleaning carburetors or connecting throttle and shift cables such a Royal PITA?
We had a white with black hood 70, the last year of the one armed bandit. Neutral was a dead motor. 2 starters, 1 for each direction. You started it "in gear". PIA to dock but never failed to start and ran like no tomorrow. Same motor on different boat ran faster than a V4 Johnson 90 it came with. That thing wailed without whining. Next came a Blue Max. Then a 115 Johnson. Never again, back to a Black Max. Much later, a Small block OMC Stringer (absolute junk) drive. The Chevy did fine as did many other engines found on them. Just horrible to use. Now sadly, nothing. But I'm looking and it's Mercury/Mercruiser or nothing. Now if they can get the Missori River in check.......
Is that the infamous burning of evinrude zephyrs that kiekhaefer used to do at 7:00 into the video?!
Can someone tell me this story?
J.I. Case another Wisconsin boy famously burnt a customer's kerosene powered Case tractor and replaced it with a new one when he saw many manufacturing defects.
WHY do owners call them "WELFARE MOTOR s" Because they're TALL,BLACK,AND VERY SELDOM WORK !!!! They helped coin the phrase "Bust Out Another Thousand !!! I owned one,then sold it to a total stranger I would never see again. Satisfying as HELL!!!
nunyer beeznaz You probably can’t afford any brand so you trash the best. A valid question would be “why did Evinrude go bankrupt?”
LoL you were one of the lucky ones,, you couldnt give some of them away.
Eaglecreeker 49 I work on all brands, for over 4o years, they all have good ones and bad ones. Mercury stayed up better on advancements and technology. OMC was stuck in the 1930-40's.
Sounds to me like you didn't know shit about outboards you're the one that lost out knuckle dragger.
nunyer beeznaz worst models were white...
We hear that Mercury doesn't make engines anymore...everything is imported from Japan. Is it true? The new Merc. engines don't look anything like the old ones...but that's progress...isn't it?
D Wetick 40 and above made in USA.
Merc headquarters is in Wisconsin
D Wetick The New Mercury 4 stroke 40 - 60 hp Outboards are made in China. The 75 hp and Up are made in the USA. I think the smaller Mercury's are made with / by Tohatsu.
the us Idea that I am worth too much ran out the economy in general lol :)
Yeah back in Carl's time they may have been pretty they may have been sexy and if you wanted to go fast on a very lightweight boat that was the motor for you but if you wanted to make it back home.....................
You need a Johnson for that
Marty Harless You still use a Mercury. Johnson/Evinrude were slow and not as reliable as Mercury but people needed a reason to justify their reason for buying Johnsons so this uneducated statement was created and used by idiots.
Best way to not sell a boat nowdays,,,,,,,have an old merc on it,,,,,,,or best way to get a good deal on a used boat,, haul away the merc as part of the deal :)
Where are your Johnson's at today...
Never much liked Mercury outboards although the used boat market has alot old mercs still running i never had any luck with the brand and still prefer a johnson or evinrude for reliability.
Eaglecreeker 49 Evinrude/Johnson went bankrupt. It sounds like your problem was the operator.
Bad leadership made OMC go under. From 1914 through 1990's they had great outboards. Due to bad management the motors quality went down in the 90's to the companies fall in 2000. If they had a Lee Iacocca at the helm who knows.
LoL @dyno don did i step on your feelings? OMC going bankrupt was mostly due to the vigilant work of the EPA,, the result may have been good for Mercury but brought alot of japanese brands and imo was bad for the domestic market overall.I would still take a used evinrude or Johnson 2 stroke over these new 4 strokes any day.
Jay A They had a horrible outdive, and mediocre outboards, bad leadership and and average quality killed them. Plus the tried to keep up with Brunswick, buying boat companies, that was their biggest issue. see leadership.
Eaglecreeker 49 EPA didn't hurt Mercury, Honda, Yamaha, Tohatsu.....
the heavy tax state of Wisconsin destroyed another great company, a damn shame!
Seems I only see Yamah these days, I am surprised Mercury are still in business.
Tony M Gotta leave the trailer park to see Mercury.
Recently went to boat show and most boat manufactures and dealers have gone to Yamaha outboards. One out of ten had Mercury. Since most of the boats where in the thirty to hundred thousand dollar range I kind of believe most of the buyers didn't come from trailer parks.
Two-stroke 150 saltwater series great motor
i sure like to know how and in what ways a 1947 two cylinder 10 hp mercury lighting outperformed outboard motors twice the size? and why can't they do it now? Seems like someone is telling little white lies here
Mercury used to underwrite their horsepower.
Over priced boat anchors. I'll stick with my 1977 115 Johnson
I've been running a 86 90 hp tower of power fir 9 years now and I fish alot very few problems yeah those johnsons are good to ive owed both and the rude to but I'll take my 90 hp and out run u also 100% ive had both mercs are faster
but Yamaha is still better...
Horse shit
Black on the back you won't come back white on the back don't go out at all . Yamaha is the only way !