will distributor from 650 1965 work in 1975 merc 850

[clauton]

hi, i was wondering if somebody could tell me if a distributor from a 1965 merc 650 work in a 1975 merc 850 85 hp? also can the timing belt be hooked up? and lastly does the 1965 650 have points type ignition?<br />thanks,<br />clauton

 

[emckelvy]

Re: will distributor from 650 1965 work in 1975 merc 850

You may be able to get it to work, but it's quite a step backwards. Merc put CDI ign on these for a reason, they run a lot better and don't foul plugs as much.<br /><br />Your 1965 distributor should be a magneto-type with points and condenser, also the coil inside. You can tell because there is just one terminal on the side of the distributor where the kill wire is connected.<br /><br />The distributor mountings are similar, however I've never tried so couldn't tell you if it would work. You definitely wouldn't want to use surface gap plugs in this application! Probably something like an L77JC4.<br /><br />Best off to fix the ign that's meant to work with this motor and avoid complications.<br /><br />IMHO, HTH........ed