What year is this 9.9 merc please

[sweetmarie]

Hello all. been awhile. Just bought this 9.9 merc, can't find the id sticker. Can anyone tell me what year this would be, from what I've searched and seen it's about a 1988. It has the cable shifter. Also for the life of me, I can't locate the water intake on the bottom of the foot to connect the "ears" to run it with water. I'm more familiar with omc outboards, this being my first merc.
Thanking anyone in advance.

 

[merc850]

Can't tell the exact year but it's newer than the 70's; the water pickup might be on the underside of the anti-cavitation plate.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Its 86 or newer.

Run it in a garbage can. You cant run on muffs, the water pickup is on bottom of cav plate just above prop

 

[sweetmarie]

Ok thanks, just saw an area on the forum where I should have posted this, I looked beforehand but didn't see the non-mechanical section, or something like that. Sorry about that admin. So on the underside of the anti-cavitation plate meaning I can't really use the "ears" for water intake?

 

[sweetmarie]

To Scott Danforth, sorry, was writing at same time as you I guess.

 

[ondarvr]

I clamp my muffs on the AV plate so it covers the intake, works fine for me.

 

[sweetmarie]

I guess I'll have to take another look at the set up. Couldn't really see where I could get a good seal like I can with my omc's.

 

[sweetmarie]

Wow, these mercury motors are really difficult to determine the year, why is that? What's the big secret anyway? I did find the serial number but still can't the year code. Serial number is 0A742331. First character is a zero. Anybody have any connections or a secret code? Tks

 

[sweetmarie]

Got my answer, it's a 1989 15hp from what I found.