1986 Mercruiser 140

[rgcarnevale]

I have a 1986 Sunbird with a Mercruiser 140 engine. I was just told by my local marina that I need a new distributor but the part is very hard to locate and will cost around $500. The part number the shop provided is 19514-1. Is anyone familiar with any partnumbers for other distributor makers that can be used as a replacement. I have been looking around and I think that I have come up with the following but would like confirmation before purchasing.

Sierra Distributor 18-5315

Mallory YL673AV

Also is there any kind of lemon law on boats? I just purchased this boat 2 weeks ago. It seemed to run fine when we tested it on the water and the first day I had it but then started running rough. Unfortunately this is my first boat so don't really know what to look and listen for. Marina has also told me the gimble bearing is on its way out.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

used boat that you tested and ran good and your asking about a warranty, not likely.
running rough could mean a lot of things.fuel filters,tune up needed,water in a cylinder,hung valve,etc.
need to know why you were told you need a dist.a loose bushing running points may be corrected by going over to electronic unit.

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

I was just told by my local marina that I need a new distributor

Why?...What SPECIFICALLY did they say was wrong with it?

If indeed it IS bad...you can find a very good USED dizzy for MUCH less and do it yourself with little problem.

I'm always wary of ANY "dealer"(boat/car/snowmobile/etc...) who tells me I need a new component without explaining WHY it's bad, the testing which led to that conclusion, and not just the "spray and pray" component replacement method to solve a problem.

 

[Don S]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

I have a 1986 Sunbird with a Mercruiser 140 engine.
Also is there any kind of lemon law on boats? I just purchased this boat 2 weeks ago

It's a 25+ year old boat, with unknown number of owners, unknown maintenance, why would you think you could get that covered under any kind of lemon law :facepalm:

Did you buy this boat from a dealer or an individual? Was there a warranty, or sold as is. If you test ran it, then bought it as is then it's your's. There are marine surveyors that inspect boats, but not for free.

 

[rgcarnevale]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

If indeed it IS bad...you can find a very good USED dizzy for MUCH less and do it yourself with little problem.

They told me there is excessive end play in the shaft, allowing the rotor to contact the cap.

I have found some used ones on ebay but they were not much cheaper the the cost of brand new ones for the part numbers I provided in my original post, which is why I would like to confirm if they are valid replacements or not.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

If your not in a big rush I can put a bushing in to correct that, but have never heard of that. usually its the upper bushing thats worn allowing side to side movement. the shaft cant raise that much anyway because the drive gear is pinned to the shaft and there is not that much play to raise it up that far.vertical shaft movement is maybe 1/8 inch

 

[rgcarnevale]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

If your not in a big rush I can put a bushing in to correct that, but have never heard of that. usually its the upper bushing thats worn allowing side to side movement. the shaft cant raise that much anyway because the drive gear is pinned to the shaft and there is not that much play to raise it up that far.vertical shaft movement is maybe 1/8 inch

BT thank you very much for you offer, however since I have only had it for 2 weeks and only on the water twice I want to fix as quickly as possible. The first thing I did before bringing it to the shop was replace the rotor, condensor and cap. The person I bought it from claimed he replaced the plugs when winterizing it this past winter so tuneup has been completed. I found a online store that says the Sierra part number I mentioned in my original post is a true replacement for the partnumber the shop gave me and it was half the price they wanted to charge me so I purchased it. There is another boat shop in my town so I think I will have them give me a second opinion on the other issues that this shop told me I had (gimble bearing and shift cutout switch). I am not very impressed with this marina anyways with the way they jerked me around, telling me they were caught up one day and then all of a sudden had 5 days worth of work to do and only seemed to look at mine when I told them forget it I will come pick it up.

 

[dingdongs]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

replace plugs and fit a new set of points and a condenser,tune up with the correct tools.don't assume its been done by previous owner.
people here are trying to help but if you choose to ignore then you have to pay a marine mechanic who has overheads too.
your time and labor is free and you'll learn plenty from knowledgable engineers on this site who will endeavour to guide you but the work has to be done by ones self.

 

[thumpar]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

replace plugs and fit a new set of points and a condenser,tune up with the correct tools.don't assume its been done by previous owner.
people here are trying to help but if you choose to ignore then you have to pay a marine mechanic who has overheads too.
your time and labor is free and you'll learn plenty from knowledgable engineers on this site who will endeavour to guide you but the work has to be done by ones self.

+1 and if that doesn't work find a new mechanic.

 

[rgcarnevale]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

replace plugs and fit a new set of points and a condenser,tune up with the correct tools.don't assume its been done by previous owner.
people here are trying to help but if you choose to ignore then you have to pay a marine mechanic who has overheads too.
your time and labor is free and you'll learn plenty from knowledgable engineers on this site who will endeavour to guide you but the work has to be done by ones self.

As stated I already did replace the points and condensor as well as rotor and cap so I am not sure why you think I am choosing to ignore anyones advice, and I appreciate any help I get.

Funny thing is this post started off just to try and get some confirmation if the above Sierra and Malloy part numbers were replacement parts for the original distributor that is no longer available.

 

[thumpar]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

You can throw parts at it all day long but if they are not set correctly it won't help. I doubt your entire distributor is bad. Set the gap on the plugs, get a feeler gauge and dwell meter and set the points then see what happens.

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: 1986 Mercruiser 140

They told me there is excessive end play in the shaft, allowing the rotor to contact the cap.

Did you look inside the cap to see any "witness" marks? Chipped plastic/scorch marks anywhere other than the contact points?

As stated previously...there is some vertical play, and more often than not, they go bad in the horizontal which will be evident under a timing light.

Good luck!