79 Merc 80 HP

[KI4NCW]

I bought what i believe to be a 79 mercury 80 hp outboard with tilt and trim. I am new to the outboard world so i have some stupid questions. On the controls i have a arm with two buttons that i believe to be the tilt up and down? The arm moves forward and back for throttle? Behind that arm there is a smaller arm made of metal, is this the transmission lever? On the very top of control there is a round button? What is that?

HA thanks

[charmc]

HA,

Working on old outboards and making the controls work again can be frustrating, but also rewarding. Here are two sites with info on a variety of control configurations and old Mercury controls and parts. Hope this helps!

http://marineengineparts.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page278.html

http://www.usboatsupply.com/outboardparts.php

Good luck,

Charlie

[RAWRF]

The small metal arm is a throttle only lever that allows you to rev the engine without it putting it in gear, unless yours is different than mine (I still have the controls, got rid of the Merc a long time ago). The small button might be an electric primer button, but you should post a pic and I could tell you for sure.

[KI4NCW]

From what i have read so far i think the small round button on the control box is the choke. The two buttons on the arm are tilt up and down right?

[RAWRF]

By the way, is this engine running? Those are some of the absolute worst engines you can possibly get, I had an '83 70hp and I was working on it nonstop. If you find yourself doing the same, take it from me, just get rid of it and write it off as a loss. The worst thing to do is start sinking money into an old Merc, it will never run right.

[KI4NCW]

Yes it was running fine when i bought it a few weeks ago, I just need to rework the old wiring on it and figure out what does what.

[RAWRF]

The choke on mine was automatic with the key, but it had a manual choke inside the engine compartment, which you could only access by taking the four or five piece cowling off (the most idiotic thing I have ever seen on an outboard).

[KI4NCW]

If the buttons on the arm are for tilt up and down, how do u trim?

[RAWRF]

You must have got one that was made on inspection day when the owner of Mercury was making his rounds. Count yourself lucky. I have always wondered if Mercury Outboards has anything to do with Ford Motors Co. like the cars. I swear by Fords, the trucks anyway, but Mercury cars are quirky and you have to work on them all the time.

[RAWRF]

Tilt is probably all you have unless you buy a newer type transom jack.

[KI4NCW]

ok that makes sense. thanks

[KI4NCW]

Now here is a really dumb one, i can see where u put the pin through to stop up and down movement but how do i lock the steering?

[RAWRF]

Lock the steering for transport on a trailer? If so, there might be a screw with a spring on it below the engine, thats how it is on Johnsons. Outboards with steering wheels should stay pretty well where they are if you just turn the wheel all the way to one side, but if you want it locked anyway, look for a big screw with a spring or something similar.

[KI4NCW]

ok thanks

[KI4NCW]

The mix is 50:1 right?

[RAWRF]

I would run it at 32:1, I don't believe in anything lower than 40:1 tho. It was actually Mercury who did a study not long ago that showed that the more oil you mixed in, the more hp you got out of the engine. They did this testing on outboards, and I think they went all the way down to 16:1. Someone will probably come on here and say that you will foul plugs by mixing richer than the factory recommends, but I have never fouled a plug because of oil, you foul plugs because of incorrect jetting or some other reason.

[KI4NCW]

Is there a switch that will not allow it to start if there is not enough water in the lower end? I have it in a tub but it wont start and it ran before. Turns over fine.

[RAWRF]

Now you know why I got rid of mine. This could turn into the neverending thread of continuous Merc problems, and it's always something like that. Mine was just the opposite, I had mine purring and starting great, in a barrel of water, because I wanted it running right before I put it and the electric tilt and the steering cable and all the controls on. Get it to the river and in the water, won't start. Get it started, won't stay running, float down the river five miles cursing and beating on it to no avail, get towed back, work on it some more. To answer your question, tho, I don't think so, my '83 didn't have anything like that.

[KI4NCW]

I have it running now. Need new wiring harness. I'm building a 20' Hartley Voyager, have frames 1- 6 (of 9) on the jig now. Will send ya a pic as it goes.

[RAWRF]

Hope all goes well, congrats on getting it running!

[KI4NCW]

Well i have to back up a bit. Frame 4 is wrong. I had to pull it today and will have to rebuild it. The angle on the keel cut was wrong.