need help ID'ing this motor

[Kajun37]

i just bought a winter project backup motor at a yard sale for $100....the ID plate on the bracket is gone, anyone know what year this is? or how i can ID it?....it is a 85 hp Force US Marine with black coils and power packs...here are some pics of it.

also i'm trying to build a engine stand for it...i have 9 pieces of 2x6 boards 6ft long...anyone have any pics of their stands or ideas on how to build one?

 

[roscoe]

Re: need help ID'ing this motor

The items to check are:

ignition - prestolite w/black coils
Lower unit - single or dual port exhaust
Lower unit - one piece or two piece drive shaft.

Is it all the same color?
Or is the lower unit more of a charcoal color compared to the rest of it?

 

[Kajun37]

Re: need help ID'ing this motor

has black coils...

gonna be awhile before i take lower unit off though...is there anyway to tell if its single or dual exhaust without taking off the lower unit?....the lower unit has been painted many times with anti-fouling paint so no way to tell orig color....i'm guessing its a 87-88?

 

[roscoe]

Re: need help ID'ing this motor

I was going to say 85-87.
The prop looks like thru hub exhaust, plus the exhaust snout, so it would be dual exhaust. Or someone used the wrong prop.

If the driveshaft is 2 piece, the lower unit is not original, and is from a 90hp motor.

The black coils ended sometime in 87 or 88. I think all 88's had blue coils.

mercruiserparts dot com has parts diagrams if you want to compare.