61 mercury 50hp

[djwalters]

also toying with using a 1961 mercury 50hp. need some general info on unit such as availability of parts? reliability? performance? inherent problems? any other feedback / information that may help me decide whether i would want to use this vintage unit? overall this motor looks very clean, seems to have good compression, and it is all there, but i have not heard it run. i am restoring a 1956 14.5' duracraft twin cockpit aluminum speed boat. rated for up to 50hp. trying to decide whether to go vintage mercury 50hp or vintage evinrude 50hp. what do you think? all preferences welcome and considered, thanks so much, dave

 

[rodbolt]

Re: 61 mercury 50hp

hello<br /> wow as much as I have cussed that inline 4 over the years this would be a very easy decision. go with the merc. it is 1/2 the weight burns about 1/3 the gas and will do circles arount the 50 omc v4. I know I will take heat for this but oh well.<br /> good luck and keep posting

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 61 mercury 50hp

Hi DJ,<br /> Run the Merc - hands down! A vintage OMC 50hp looks cool, but that's about as far as it goes. You can always find a Fat 50 by following the oil slick it leaves behind. The Merc 500 was built with some upgrades from about 1949 to 1990s. Basic design remained the same. Lots of parts still available, and for it's size you will not find a better performer or smoother runner. As with any vintage outboard, it helps to be a bit of a wrench to keep one running, but if set up correctly in the first place, and assuming it has been maintained well through it's lifetime, it will give you good, reliable service.<br /><br />Do invest in a factory service manual from www.oldmercs.com, plus they have original owners manuals, basic maintenance parts, etc. I don't think iboats has any manuals that go back that far...<br />- Scott

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 61 mercury 50hp

Here's a third vote for the inline 4 Merc. I love my 73 Merc 500, unbeatable even tho it is now 30 years old. This site has a Merc factory service manual on CD:<br />www.acmeoutboards.com<br />Good reference for those who restore these old gems. good luck

 

[rons boat]

Re: 61 mercury 50hp

In 1958 my Dad bought a 35HP Evinrude Lark the same year the 50HP V-4 was introduced. My friend bought the 50HP and put it on a 14 foot Duracraft. My Dads Lark ate it up due to the extra weight of the 50 on the boat and only a few more hp. This was the first year for the V-4 and it took many years to get HP up to deal with the extra weight. The early Evinrude V-4s hp to weight imho was a real problem. I have been getting a lots of good advice here on this forum and invite you to look down to see the answers to the question I posed about the 1955 M-55. I have owned lots of motors of both brands and they are good except I do not like the early V-4s from OMC. I also believe the late V-4 starting in the 80s were much better in fuel economy and performance than earlier Vs. I owned a mercury 85HP and a V-4 85 Rude during the 80s and noticed the Mercury was more dependable because of the electronics. I remember it used more fuel though it was quiet compared to the Merc. Horespower to weight was still in Mercurys favor. I never owned an early mid HP Merc till now. I now have two. Ron

 

[djwalters]

Re: 61 mercury 50hp

thanks so much you guys. merc it is. can't wait to get the little devil back on the water. dave