Questions on buying a used 40 hp Merc

[Dr. Bob]

Hi Guys,

Next spring I am going to be looking for a used 40 hp long shaft Merc Tiller. I hope to find something from the mid 80's or so due to the low price of older motors.

I have been a Johnson man (rather pactial of my Yohnson as a mater of fact) all my life. Last year I ended up with a 1984 25 hp Merc, and I am very impressed with it. It will blow the doors off of my 91 Yohnson! A buddy of mine also has a 1978 40 hp Merc on his 16 ft Lund. (Thats the same boat am going to put mine on.) I have driven it a few times in the past and was amazed at the power it has.

I am just wondering if anyone is familiar with those motors and if there are any year models that I should avoid. I am also wondering if anyone knows of one for sale.

Thanks

[Hemlock]

Dr. Bob, we have had a couple Merc 40 h.p.'s over the years. One was late 70's and the other was about 1982. Fantastic motor. Snappy, smooth, reliable. The model # was 402. We didn't have electric start on ours, but I will warn you if you do get one with a pull start to take the "start-N-gear" protection off of it. It was a sucker to pull, and a couple times, half way through a pull, it would slip into forward somehow. This would engage a stopper and just when I was half way through a significant pull on the cord, wham, stopped dead and hurt the wrist. Other than that *#@*&% thing, they were awesome motors. We had it on a plain jane Lund 16' which the max h.p. was 40. She howled when empty, and handled a load very well. My .02 cents.

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[Gus]

I've got an 81 50hp merc with 4 cyl that I absolutly love. very smooth and easly to troll with.

[MuleSkinner]

Dr Bob, I have an '84 40 horse Merc. console. I go through more than 2 gallons of oil each year the last 5 years (I use it a lot), and it runs and runs. I feel guilty cuz, other than changing spark plugs, and fogging in winter, I don't do nothing to it. I don't know if there were any bad Merc years, but sounds like 84 was good.

[Windy]

Hi Dr.Bob, I know where there is a 40hp Merc in around that late 80's early 90's. E-mail me taggart@wikteldotcom.