Mercury Outboard: Identifying Model Year and Horsepower From Serial Number

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Author Topic:   Mercury Outboard: Identifying Model Year and Horsepower From Serial Number

efjr1 posted 04-27-2009 04:34 PM ET (US)
I have a [Mercury three-cylinder] engine [whose cowling is] black, with the two parts, that opens from the front. The serial [number] is B180801. I think it is either a 70-, 80-, or 90-HP from 1986 to 1988. I think most parts are the same. I would like to know the year and horsepower. Thanks for your help.
jimh posted 04-27-2009 08:15 PM ET (US)
We do not make any attempt to collect and organize information about Mercury outboard serial numbers and how they correlate to the horsepower and model year of the motor. Perhaps someone will have anecdotal information and can help you. But there are no organized resources here to assist you.
Tohsgib posted 04-28-2009 10:27 AM ET (US)
1986-1988 and either a 70, 80, or 90hp. Not trying to be smart, that is just what my year finder tells me. You might be able to track down the HP by the carb part numbers.
efjr1 posted 04-28-2009 10:33 AM ET (US)
thanks toshgib
L H G posted 04-28-2009 11:36 AM ET (US)
Maybe I can help. I am amazed at how little historical Mercury knowledge there is on this website.
I can't help on serial numbers either. BUT, Mercury did not have split cowling (clamshell) cowlings on 3 cylinder 70-80-90HP engines until 1989, when they introduced all three as new models, basically half of a 2.4 liter V-6. In 1986-1988, the 75 and 90 HP engines had metal "corset" cowlings, with the 75 being an in-line 4, and the 90, an in-line 6 ("tower"). Prior to 1989, the 3 cylinder 60's had clamshells. Those engines were half of a 6 cylinder "tower".
Your engine has no decals on it? So, if it is 3 cylinder, with clamshell, it's either a 1988 or older 60, or a 1989 and newer 70-90. If it has a rather long anti-ventilation plate, with exposed bolt head holding the aluminum anode, it is definitely a 1989 or newer.
Tohsgib posted 04-28-2009 11:40 AM ET (US)
Looking at the # again I am leaning towards 1986 but have no idea as to the hp.
Tohsgib posted 04-28-2009 11:46 AM ET (US)
Looking at another site it looks more like 1987.
Tom W Clark posted 04-28-2009 11:50 AM ET (US)
The serial numbers starting with B suggests it is a 1987 model.
Are you sure the serial number does not have another digit?
http://www.marineengine.com/mfr/mercury_models.html
Tom W Clark posted 04-28-2009 12:32 PM ET (US)
So based on the original post, Larry's cowl information and the serial number information Nick and I found we can conclude the motor is a 1987 60 HP Mercury.
efjr1 posted 04-28-2009 02:02 PM ET (US)
The serial number is stamped inside the enjine on the starbord side inside the cowling. It is a rounded stamp, not painted with a M under the number. There is a long anti ventilation plate with a large bolt on the top holding the anode, so it appears to be a 1989 70 or 90 hp. thanks again.
Tom W Clark posted 04-28-2009 02:41 PM ET (US)
The serial number would start with "C" if it were a 1989.
efjr1 posted 04-28-2009 04:18 PM ET (US)
Tom, your right, appears to be a 1987 60, 70 or 90, based on the chart you posted.
Tom W Clark posted 04-28-2009 04:41 PM ET (US)
1987 70s and 90s did not have split (two part) cowlings according to Larry.
L H G posted 04-28-2009 04:56 PM ET (US)
Just realized my information on the 90's was wrong, and 1986 was the last year of the 75 in-line 4 and the 90 in-line 6. In 1987, they brought out the new split cowling 70-80-90's, with the new gearcase design, but kept the in-line 6 115's through 1988. Sorry to confuse everyone, and I was confused by the longer life of the 115 towers.
jimh posted 04-28-2009 11:29 PM ET (US)
Are there any Mercury motors whose cowlings are not painted black?
Tom W Clark posted 04-28-2009 11:54 PM ET (US)
Jim -- You forget that early Mercury's were painted white.
brisboats posted 04-29-2009 02:54 AM ET (US)
And earlier still green.
Brian
jimh posted 04-29-2009 06:04 AM ET (US)
It appears that a website which has undertaken the task of collecting and organizng information about the relationship between the model year and the serial number of Mercury outboards is http://www.marineengine.com/mfr/mercury_models.html .
Tohsgib posted 04-30-2009 11:24 AM ET (US)
Yeah...Tom posted that above. Mercury was painted white for some years in 80-90's on the SeaRay boats. Mercurys were also painted silver for many decades under the Mariner moniker. The Mercury on my 1959 model is actualy red. I was at the Sarasota show and saw a few custom white Verados, looked good but LARGE.
jimh posted 04-30-2009 09:13 PM ET (US)
Yes, Tom posted the website above. It is a great resource for people who want to correlate the serial number of their Mercury motor with the model year. Too bad the text is missing and the chart is a picture of the text, instead of the text itself. This may account for it not being well known. Search engines cannot understand text which is presented as a picture of text. Presenting text in a tabular form by taking a picture of it and making it into a digital image is one of the stupidest ways to present information I can think of.
jimh posted 04-30-2009 09:18 PM ET (US)
L H G writes:
"I am amazed at how little historical Mercury knowledge there is on this website."
The website would be glad to host a well researched and well written article which gives historical knowledge of Mercury motors. All we need is for someone to write the article and send it to me.
The focus of the website is to collect information about Boston Whaler boats and a few other topic areas (such as my cruising guides to the North Channel and my cruising narratives), so the notion that this would automatically mean we would collect and organize historical information about Mercury motors is not necessarily congruent.
In actual fact, the website does have probably the best information available about the automatic oil system of the Mercury motors of c.1980 through c.1995. It also contains a very significant collection of information about the OptiMax and Verado motors. For many search terms related to Mercury motors this website appears in the top ten results from GOOGLE. However, as I said in my initial reply, there has been no effort to collect an organize information about the relationship of serial numbers of Mercury motors to their year of manufacture. This should not be anything that amazes people. We don't have this sort of information on Boston Whaler boats, a subject that is the primary focus of much of the resources we host.
efjr1 posted 05-01-2009 09:41 AM ET (US)
I still am not sure if I have a 60,70,or 90 hp. The serial numbers for all these are the same starting numbers. It was represented to be a 90 hp and is on a 16 foot 1986 wahoo I bought for my kids. I think it is a 70 or 90. I never should have sold my 1977 15 foot [acronym] ( rare with a 75 hp max rating) in 1991 when I got my 18 foot [acronym].
jimh posted 05-01-2009 10:01 AM ET (US)
As I have mentioned already, there are no organized resources here on CONTINUOUSWAVE which contain historical data about the relationship between the serial number of a Mercury outboard motor and its horsepower. Several people have given you anecdotal data, but apparently none of the anecdotal data provided has been sufficient to resolve the ambiguity of the engine's horsepower.
How can we help now?
Tohsgib posted 05-01-2009 10:10 AM ET (US)
60hp will have a small prop like you would find on a 40hp with a 10-11" diameter. The 70-90 would have the same prop as a V4 engine and have a larger 13+" diameter.
efjr1 posted 05-01-2009 10:20 AM ET (US)
The diameter is 13 inches, so must be a 70 or 90. Thank you all for you input.
number9 posted 05-02-2009 04:19 PM ET (US)
Have a Service Manual for that series engines. If you can find the carb. PNs. #s are stamped at Top of carb. mounting flange except some early model engines may be on the face of the air box mounting flange.
PNs:
70hp
WME-7-1 Top
-2 Center
-3 Bottom
90hp
WME-10-1
-2
-3
The 60hp wasn't listed in the manual so would assume it was in a different series of hp range.
don68hog posted 06-16-2009 12:09 AM ET (US)
First time on this site, looks very interesting. I am here because I just bought a boat with a 50 hp merc on it. I have a serial # that just cant be matched on any site I've tried. It is 7031037. I found the # in 2 places, one on the right side of the engine, so I am quite certain of the #. All I know is it is a tower 4 cyl., no power trim. I am wondering why I can not match this #, in order to get parts and find the year. Seems there are knowledgable people on here, can anyone help me.

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Author	Topic: Mercury Outboard: Identifying Model Year and Horsepower From Serial Number
efjr1	posted 04-27-2009 04:34 PM ET (US) I have a [Mercury three-cylinder] engine [whose cowling is] black, with the two parts, that opens from the front. The serial [number] is B180801. I think it is either a 70-, 80-, or 90-HP from 1986 to 1988. I think most parts are the same. I would like to know the year and horsepower. Thanks for your help.
jimh	posted 04-27-2009 08:15 PM ET (US) We do not make any attempt to collect and organize information about Mercury outboard serial numbers and how they correlate to the horsepower and model year of the motor. Perhaps someone will have anecdotal information and can help you. But there are no organized resources here to assist you.
Tohsgib	posted 04-28-2009 10:27 AM ET (US) 1986-1988 and either a 70, 80, or 90hp. Not trying to be smart, that is just what my year finder tells me. You might be able to track down the HP by the carb part numbers.
efjr1	posted 04-28-2009 10:33 AM ET (US) thanks toshgib
L H G	posted 04-28-2009 11:36 AM ET (US) Maybe I can help. I am amazed at how little historical Mercury knowledge there is on this website. I can't help on serial numbers either. BUT, Mercury did not have split cowling (clamshell) cowlings on 3 cylinder 70-80-90HP engines until 1989, when they introduced all three as new models, basically half of a 2.4 liter V-6. In 1986-1988, the 75 and 90 HP engines had metal "corset" cowlings, with the 75 being an in-line 4, and the 90, an in-line 6 ("tower"). Prior to 1989, the 3 cylinder 60's had clamshells. Those engines were half of a 6 cylinder "tower". Your engine has no decals on it? So, if it is 3 cylinder, with clamshell, it's either a 1988 or older 60, or a 1989 and newer 70-90. If it has a rather long anti-ventilation plate, with exposed bolt head holding the aluminum anode, it is definitely a 1989 or newer.
Tohsgib	posted 04-28-2009 11:40 AM ET (US) Looking at the # again I am leaning towards 1986 but have no idea as to the hp.
Tohsgib	posted 04-28-2009 11:46 AM ET (US) Looking at another site it looks more like 1987.
Tom W Clark	posted 04-28-2009 11:50 AM ET (US) The serial numbers starting with B suggests it is a 1987 model. Are you sure the serial number does not have another digit? http://www.marineengine.com/mfr/mercury_models.html
Tom W Clark	posted 04-28-2009 12:32 PM ET (US) So based on the original post, Larry's cowl information and the serial number information Nick and I found we can conclude the motor is a 1987 60 HP Mercury.
efjr1	posted 04-28-2009 02:02 PM ET (US) The serial number is stamped inside the enjine on the starbord side inside the cowling. It is a rounded stamp, not painted with a M under the number. There is a long anti ventilation plate with a large bolt on the top holding the anode, so it appears to be a 1989 70 or 90 hp. thanks again.
Tom W Clark	posted 04-28-2009 02:41 PM ET (US) The serial number would start with "C" if it were a 1989.
efjr1	posted 04-28-2009 04:18 PM ET (US) Tom, your right, appears to be a 1987 60, 70 or 90, based on the chart you posted.
Tom W Clark	posted 04-28-2009 04:41 PM ET (US) 1987 70s and 90s did not have split (two part) cowlings according to Larry.
L H G	posted 04-28-2009 04:56 PM ET (US) Just realized my information on the 90's was wrong, and 1986 was the last year of the 75 in-line 4 and the 90 in-line 6. In 1987, they brought out the new split cowling 70-80-90's, with the new gearcase design, but kept the in-line 6 115's through 1988. Sorry to confuse everyone, and I was confused by the longer life of the 115 towers.
jimh	posted 04-28-2009 11:29 PM ET (US) Are there any Mercury motors whose cowlings are not painted black?
Tom W Clark	posted 04-28-2009 11:54 PM ET (US) Jim -- You forget that early Mercury's were painted white.
brisboats	posted 04-29-2009 02:54 AM ET (US) And earlier still green. Brian
jimh	posted 04-29-2009 06:04 AM ET (US) It appears that a website which has undertaken the task of collecting and organizng information about the relationship between the model year and the serial number of Mercury outboards is http://www.marineengine.com/mfr/mercury_models.html .
Tohsgib	posted 04-30-2009 11:24 AM ET (US) Yeah...Tom posted that above. Mercury was painted white for some years in 80-90's on the SeaRay boats. Mercurys were also painted silver for many decades under the Mariner moniker. The Mercury on my 1959 model is actualy red. I was at the Sarasota show and saw a few custom white Verados, looked good but LARGE.
jimh	posted 04-30-2009 09:13 PM ET (US) Yes, Tom posted the website above. It is a great resource for people who want to correlate the serial number of their Mercury motor with the model year. Too bad the text is missing and the chart is a picture of the text, instead of the text itself. This may account for it not being well known. Search engines cannot understand text which is presented as a picture of text. Presenting text in a tabular form by taking a picture of it and making it into a digital image is one of the stupidest ways to present information I can think of.
jimh	posted 04-30-2009 09:18 PM ET (US) L H G writes: "I am amazed at how little historical Mercury knowledge there is on this website." The website would be glad to host a well researched and well written article which gives historical knowledge of Mercury motors. All we need is for someone to write the article and send it to me. The focus of the website is to collect information about Boston Whaler boats and a few other topic areas (such as my cruising guides to the North Channel and my cruising narratives), so the notion that this would automatically mean we would collect and organize historical information about Mercury motors is not necessarily congruent. In actual fact, the website does have probably the best information available about the automatic oil system of the Mercury motors of c.1980 through c.1995. It also contains a very significant collection of information about the OptiMax and Verado motors. For many search terms related to Mercury motors this website appears in the top ten results from GOOGLE. However, as I said in my initial reply, there has been no effort to collect an organize information about the relationship of serial numbers of Mercury motors to their year of manufacture. This should not be anything that amazes people. We don't have this sort of information on Boston Whaler boats, a subject that is the primary focus of much of the resources we host.
efjr1	posted 05-01-2009 09:41 AM ET (US) I still am not sure if I have a 60,70,or 90 hp. The serial numbers for all these are the same starting numbers. It was represented to be a 90 hp and is on a 16 foot 1986 wahoo I bought for my kids. I think it is a 70 or 90. I never should have sold my 1977 15 foot [acronym] ( rare with a 75 hp max rating) in 1991 when I got my 18 foot [acronym].
jimh	posted 05-01-2009 10:01 AM ET (US) As I have mentioned already, there are no organized resources here on CONTINUOUSWAVE which contain historical data about the relationship between the serial number of a Mercury outboard motor and its horsepower. Several people have given you anecdotal data, but apparently none of the anecdotal data provided has been sufficient to resolve the ambiguity of the engine's horsepower. How can we help now?
Tohsgib	posted 05-01-2009 10:10 AM ET (US) 60hp will have a small prop like you would find on a 40hp with a 10-11" diameter. The 70-90 would have the same prop as a V4 engine and have a larger 13+" diameter.
efjr1	posted 05-01-2009 10:20 AM ET (US) The diameter is 13 inches, so must be a 70 or 90. Thank you all for you input.
number9	posted 05-02-2009 04:19 PM ET (US) Have a Service Manual for that series engines. If you can find the carb. PNs. #s are stamped at Top of carb. mounting flange except some early model engines may be on the face of the air box mounting flange. PNs: 70hp WME-7-1 Top -2 Center -3 Bottom 90hp WME-10-1 -2 -3 The 60hp wasn't listed in the manual so would assume it was in a different series of hp range.
don68hog	posted 06-16-2009 12:09 AM ET (US) First time on this site, looks very interesting. I am here because I just bought a boat with a 50 hp merc on it. I have a serial # that just cant be matched on any site I've tried. It is 7031037. I found the # in 2 places, one on the right side of the engine, so I am quite certain of the #. All I know is it is a tower 4 cyl., no power trim. I am wondering why I can not match this #, in order to get parts and find the year. Seems there are knowledgable people on here, can anyone help me.