The World's First 6-Cylinder Outboard

After the war, the outboard engine industry thrived in the 1950s and one company, Kiekhaeffer Mercury dared to try something new. The world's first six-cylinder that soon proved as incredibly reliable and very powerful. This is a story of the famous Tower of Power straight-six engine series.
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This video is fair use under U.S. copyright law because it is transformative in nature, uses no more of the original than necessary and has no adverse effect on the market for the original work.
Credits -
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[@07zx14White]

Man I miss my old straight 6 merc. I had a Glastron Carlson CV16 with a 140 horse tower of power out back. It shot that little Carlson 16 around like a slingshot. I bought an 18' Fabuglas tri-hull from an old man that had the 'like new' Merc on the back. He said he bought the motor new to repower the tri-hull but only ran it twice because sudden health issues arose. So the new motor and old boat sat for over 10 years in his garage. He sold it to me for $2500 but I had to take the old tri-hull with it. All it needed was a carb clean and three new updated floats and it was perfect, not even a single scratch on the skeg. I removed the 85 horse Johnson Hydro electric shift from the Carlson and mounted the 140 horse tower and a love affair was born. By far the best outboard I've ever owned. Just electric smooth and endless torque at all throttle ranges. Boy I miss that whole time in life. Anyway that's my tower of power story.

[@rockerneck]

I’m a boat mechanic and I get to see a lot of cool new stuff but these old 2 smokers will always hold a special place in my heart.

[@andyharman3022]

You've outdone yourself with this one, VisioRacer! This video pushes my buttons in a few places. The footage from Lake-X in the 1950's showing the test boats running durability is extraordinary. I worked on a team testing an offshore powerboat at Lake X in 1998, and the employees there still talked about the durability test program that Carl Kiekhafer initiated. He was said to be a firm taskmaster and insisted that the endurance testing proceed nonstop, regardless of conditions. Difficult yes, but this is how excellent, reliable products are developed.

[@VisioRacer]

I appreciate it, thanks, Andy!

[@MrCgford1]

Hello Andy, do you recognize the Name Steve Ricketts, or Dennis Ryerson? Steve owned Sterndrive Connections here in Ontario Canada, I purchased the business off him and man he has some stories!!!!!!

[@andyharman3022]

@@MrCgford1 Sorry, I don't recall the names.

[@chrisbennett5796]

I grew up with 2 stroke dirt bikes but never owned a boat, until recently. My wife wanted a small “tinny” (we’re from Australia), but I found a dirt cheap ski boat with a 1978 90hp tower of power. I’m fixing up this engine and love the design of it. This is a great piece of engineering , so far ahead of its time. You covered this well in your video. I am so proud to own such a classic engine. It’s great to see you do a video on the tower of power (I’m a big fan of your work). You are not quite right about the availability of parts for these though, they have a cult following and there are still lots of parts available (at least for my ‘70s motor). Short of major failure, it is easy, (and cheap) to keep this engine going.

[@trustyoldiron5416]

My grandfather bought a Glastron in the late 1970's with a 140hp tower of power with "Power Shift". He had it for years in Montana. It wound up outlasting my grandpa as he passed back in 2018. The boat and motor both still exist and are still running. My aunt now has them in Washington.

[@jadenantal1652]

That's awesome. Me and my buddy just purchased a '59 glastron fireflight. It has a Johnson 65hp 3cyl 2 stroke, but looking to upgrade to a tower of power, probably at least a 115hp

[@lynn4205]

I have a 140 also with a last of the inlines warranty engine that poped,popped, guessed it # 3 cyl. By then mercury didn't want the power heads back ( 88 /89 ) So I got the crank assembly,put one new piston on it the stuff it into the 140 case. Had power ported pistons. The difference between 140 and 150 was the power ported pistons as I remember. Ports were huge as compared to the 90 115 hp. Still have the engine yo this day. Never started it either . I also put the carbs like the BP model used. No back draft carbs. But carbs were same everything except one demention. I got pretty proficient at dropping the cranks in the cases as I was taught by little guy who was an instructor at Foundulack Wisconsin school. Use the Scizzer ring clamps have the rings exactly in the center of the pin an if I remember correctly #1and 6 were down so they went in first the the rest just a little wiggle and they were in. I'll never forget this guy. And when it came to shimming a gesrcase he could tell you you need .002 " more shims to be exact. And he would be correctl ! And it was by feel for him. No dial indicator !!!

[@tonyscaife5234]

Still run a tower of power today. Over 30 years of trouble free service and it can still wup the modern day equivalents. Simple and effective.

[@joshalger6059]

They are excellent engines. My uncle still runs one he bought new over 30 years ago. It’s out a good bit every year. Carbs rebuilt a few times but engine never been opened up. Still runs excellent and it is a joy to run and listen to! My favorite part is the first cold start every year when we take it out for the first time after sitting all winter!!

[@jerrysmith7166]

Dude just made a video of the worst outboards made, this was in the top 10… I’m no boat pro but I’ve seen these engines around for decades

[@user-qf8kj1yb7y]

I got a 38 year old tower myself, picked up the boat, motor and trailer for 2k. Hadn’t been used in about a decade. She ran healthy all summer after some tender love and care. I just winterized it today, grabbing a new prop over the winter as the only problem I occurred was occasional hub spin in sharp turns and hole shots. It’s been a joy giving this motor a new life, cheers!

[@alexpb9]

My grandfather bought a Mercury 1350 in 1971. He learned to ski behind it, my dad and uncles, me and my brother and now my kids are learning to ski behind it as well. 1 major break since 1971, crankshaft broke, and nothing else. I am 95% done restoring the boat. Just need a new paint job and sticker kit on the engine, then it will look like it came from the factory... But the engine restore will have to wait for May 2023. Summer just started in South Africa and I'm taking it out to the lake next weekend... It's a beast. And it's a beauty. It's family... Love my Mercury 1350... If it dies on me completely one day, it will be put inside my garage as a work of art. A family heirloom...

[@randybarnes8454]

Love the sound and smell of a 2cycle outboard.

[@festungkurland9804]

I worked on one, simple and cool but hard to take the carbs on and off, sounded awesome when I replaced a fuel pump diaphragm and some carb floats. The crank case design is really cool and very obviously designed to be lightweight.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

waaaang waaang

[@chrisbond7324]

Outboard Mark 90 that had no reverse they said I guess it was that had to switch around thing anyway it's sunk in a hurricane in New Jersey and we got a Johnson 40 horse after that which still could pull a water skier so I can imagine what that 90 Mark did

[@StefanZivkovicMedia]

Yep carbs are a job and a half!!!

[@Dgadude]

My father had a Four Winns Horizon 170 built in the 80's with a 115 horse 2-cycle straight 6 outboard Merc. Started riding on the boat. sometime at the age of two and the boat was in the family up until about 10 years ago. Same engine. I have hundreds of hours driving that boat and my father always serviced the engine himself. The "tower of power" was massively powerful for its size. It was loud and buzzy but had plenty of torque on tap at any RPM. When you got up to around 5000 RPM, you would slam the throttle wide open and even though the boat only had maybe another 20 mph to go, you were thrusted hard back into your seat and the engine screamed across the water. It made 40 mph feel like 80. The motor was always smooth outside of idle and shook violently at idle from the torque. I miss the days of that engine and the sound and power at WOT.

[@yodasbff3395]

When I was a kid we had a Mark 75 on an 18 foot aluminum boat, the motor never gave us trouble. We had that motor for over 10 years, my parents and us seven kids all learned to ski behind that boat, those were really good times. Thanks for the memories. 👍

[@VisioRacer]

Thank you, too!

[@rwd323]

I spent my childhood holidays here in New Zealand on my parents boat with a tower of power on it, learnt to waterski behind it. That noise is firmly etched into my memory, and what a fantastic noise it was

[@dno8025]

This is a great video. Can't beat the sound and smell of the old 2 stroke outboards.

[@gprimeofx]

I've always loved outboards, but then again I love anything with an internal combustion engine 😀 Keep up the good work, VR, I'm a huge fan of your work!

[@VisioRacer]

Thanks!

[@robertfitzgerald3432]

Still have my 2004 Merc 2 stroke 9.9. Other than a warn down choke lever-arm (plastic) which I fixed by adding two layers of epoxy, it starts, runs and moves on my 12' inflatable. Keep it on a rack inside my place every winter.

[@theselb7080]

I had a 150hp tower of power on a 15ft Bullet ski boat. It was obviously overpowered but a lot of fun. Very thirsty on fuel. I still can’t believe how smooth it was on idle. Never gave me any problems other than a starter motor issue which was an easy fix. Great memories. Thank you for the story behind the beast.

[@jeremymcauliff8485]

Awesome engine! My parents had a Mercury inline 6 tower of power on a Glastron hull back when I was a kid. I remember it smoked like crazy since my dad always ran 32:1 in everything. It was a strong, reliable engine that had an amazing sound.

[@darojos]

We bought a boat with an 80hp Marc in 1978. We could not kill that motor. Always worked. I could even rope start it when the battery was dead. The boat sunk once and all it took was new spark plugs to get it running again.

[@j.d.saccociates3313]

tower of power! I've got a 1984 90hp unit. It's a fantastic way to turn fuel into smoke and noise! the fuel consumption alone is enough to make the engine obsolete, but theres something about it that just makes me smile.

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

take same hull and put comp Merc and OMC(doesn't matter-same since mid50's) and 'race, cruise, troll' comparing fuel consumed and Merc will most likely come out as a 'miser'

[@dirtmudsnowandwater]

Lets see, describe a tower of power to someone who's never.... Horrific fuel consumption. They really slurp up the gas. Kick over cans of fuel as fast as you can, the merc will still use more. Fantastic sound at high RPM on plane, they almost fluctuate like a rev limiter but slower, and can run that fast all day. Disturbingly smooth running and quiet at low speeds. crisp and abrupt acceleration outta the hole provided it has a good propeller for the task My dad learned to ski behind a direct drive I6 "DOCKBUSTER" and had mentioned how difficult it is being that theres no "idling" its either forward, reverse, or off. So hitting the throttle on time with the skiers reflexes and driving the boat took some finesse and definitely added frustration. Vizioracer, Thanks for documenting these unique engines for the masses. They mean something to me.

[@VisioRacer]

Thank you for the story!

[@alansmith7833]

I grew up around mercs as a kid, my parents always had boats, and they always had mercs on them, a few were the tower of power, and impressive they are, riding in boats, facing that face plate cover, listening to incredible sound of the tower of power, awesome, absolutely awesome, pretty safe to say there is nothing like it!

[@iBackshift]

In the early to mid 80's I spent several dozens and dozens of hours behind a 90hp ToP Merc either waterski, wake board or driving the boat. My fave sound is when you put in forward [towing a skier] and get ready....Full throttle. Its the sound of the engine accelerating from above idle to 3600 rpm, that loud carburetor sound of the engine pulling HARD, and then back off to about 3100 to pull whoever was at the end of the rope. Im an OMC guy, but the "Tower of Power" is my fave engine right beside the V-4 OMC.

[@otm646]

You'll still see these motors out on the water every weekend around the Great Lakes. Their longevity is all but unmatched.

[@Bata.andrei]

I used to own one of those. Mine was the 85hp version. I got it with a damaged lower crank case due to corrosion. Never got around to fixing it. Ended up giving it away and never heard it roar. I just love the sound of an angry multicylinder two stroke.

[@MrPersonalbest9lbs]

My family had 1971 115hp on our Mark Twain 180. Loved that boat. Learned to ski behind that Merc. Been a Mercury man ever since

[@archbuilder71]

I have a 115 on my 16' Sleekcraft. There is NOTHING that compares, the sound, the smell of the two stroke oil and the instant, brutal power.....it never gets old, shoving that throttle forward and just enjoying the moment is amazing. There are bigger and faster, but nothing compares to that experience.

[@sueneilson896]

Have used Mercury outboards exclusively for the past 50 years. All in tough offshore Australian conditions. Had my first problem a couple of years ago (electrical). Wouldn’t think of using anything else.

[@XX-nw1xg]

I have never been a boat guy but these outboard engines are very cool. Keep it up Visio

[@VisioRacer]

Thanks!

[@8180634]

At 4:05, the name of the county in FL is pronounced "ah-see-oh-la". Cool history, brings back some fun memories.

[@pistonpopper6751]

Thank you for showing interest in outboards and outboard racing. Outboards and outboard racing is really unappreciated by most.

[@pantherplatform]

I started watching this channel years ago and I'm fascinated. The two GMC V6s bolted together to make a low revving V12 was amazing. I have mercury outboards of this vintage too.

[@johnelliott7375]

I always love how you are able to find out and dig up the history on this stuff.

[@VisioRacer]

Glad you like it!

[@portalviewaustralia2684]

Yes this treasure vision is rare and appreciated.. well done. Thankyou

[@Dis-Emboweled]

My grandpa's boat he built in the late 70s still has a Merc 25. Still runs all day long

[@charleslum2438]

I worked on these engines for 40 years and the inline 6(tower of power) was the toughest outboard out there we took them right from mercury marine and put them on our boats at Eldocraft boat company in Smackover Arkansas and ran the crap out of them with no failures but the when the V6 came out it was a different story. They would not hold up like the old 150s . The 155XD ran well over 100 mph on an Alison craft single hull and was the fastest thing on the river back in the 70s. That thing would scare the shit out of you.

[@ninonino8686]

currently running a merc 800 2stroke on my 15 ft 1978 chrysler fishing boat and let me tell you , people are always shocked when i go wide open! the sound and speed are amazing!

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

2 stroke piston from Bottom to Top 1/2 stroke emptying combustion chamber, Top to Bottom stroke 'filling (Air, atomized fuel) cylinder chamber for 1 compression-spark-combustion-explosion-2 down stroke dischargeing previous left overs, repeat 1__so compared to 4 STROKES (SAME RESULT-POWER) a 2 stroke is A LOT MORE 'WORK' DONE WITH LESS EFFORT

[@kevindickerson6306]

Had a pair of 1996 3.0 lt. two stroke, V6 250 hp with EFI on a 27' ,red hull, CV center console with Armstrong engine bracket, weighting 7500 lbs. Top speed 68 mph at 5800 rpm. These engines would cruise all day at 4800 rpm. The 10 years we owned the boat in Florida, running summer and winter. Never had a mechanical failure. Only two secondary ignition coil packs and two trim and tilt electric motors failed. These engines were power monsters and bullet proof. The engine water pumps and lower gear units were serviced every two years. I miss the boat, it was a good ride in rough waters. They loved fuel , 16 gallons per hour, each engine @ 45 mph. Nowadays I'm resigned to a 20' center console with a single 2008 four cylinder 2.0 lt. DF140 Suzuki four stroke. Bullet proof and fuel efficient. Also a great engine. Crusing speed 30mph at 4500rpm , top speed 42mph 6050 rpm.

[@katalist7747]

My grandfather had one, 110 hp i think, it hadnt started in twenty years, he wanted to sell the haynes hunter boat it was attached to, we figured a running motor would help the sale, all it needed were new ignition wires, since the old ones deteriorated, it fired right up and even idled well, they were built well and very reliable

[@James1095]

My uncle had a ski boat with an inline-6 Mercury outboard when I was a little kid, I remember riding in it a few times and always thought they sounded cool. I have a 9.9HP mercury 2 stroke outboard from the late 70s and it still runs great, it's smooth, responsive and quite fast. A bit thirsty though.

[@arthurjennings5202]

Love the video. The Mercury engine used a deflector piston to scavenge the cylinder that did not produce the power of a loop scavenged engine. The Mercury bottom end was used by Quincy, who created a loop scavenged cylinder and head assembly that used dual exhausts for more airflow. The engines were 15 cubic engines, 20 cubic engines of twin cylinder configuration. 30 and 40 cubic engines were 4-cylinder engines. The most powerful was a 60 cubic inch six. The 6-cylinder engine's exhaust note at speed was best described as a shriek as it screamed across the water with six open pipes. This engine series dominated outboard hydroplane racing in the early 60s into the 1970s. In the 1970s, Koenig, a German engine company produced a loop scavenged boxer engine layout that used a rotating plate or "rotary" valve to control the air intake into the crankcase instead of reed valves. The two opposed pistons gave better crankcase compression, resulting in better scavenging of the two opposed cylinders. Koening built two- and four- cylinder engines with this layout. I don't know if they built a six cylinder.

[@lynn4205]

Oh those LOOPERS. Had an A (250) owned by Rodger Dykhouse. Dad bought it off him after he won the nationals in Depue I believe. Had a Koning B converted crossflow to Looper one pipe hi the other on the other side low. Miney Marton owned it. Do you remember Chuck Whites sideways F roundabout? Stacks point toward the shore to compensate for the torque of that old Alki engine which got him around the corner quicker. Also Lake Sanford in Midland Mi.. I saw Billy Seebold down here (fL). At Sanford for the tunnel boat race in I think 95. I said BILLY? HE LOOKED AND ME AND Lynn Jones? How is your mom, dad and twin brother !!!! I hadn't seen Billy since 68 or nine when he was still running the D alki's. RING OF FIRE runnabout and hydros. Got hom to sign one of my race brochures from the days gone by at Ohio Champ boat race. Was helping two brothers from Serbia who lived in Lauderdale here. Some great memories of alki's, mods, and then down here with the Pro division ( old alki division ).

[@rixretros]

Ahhh the memories......Inline Mercs on ski club boats. A buddy of mine was hired in 1961 to be the designated driver for the local ski club on our hometown lake. We were both 16 and I worked as the official watcher in the boat. All boats pulling skier(s) had to have both a driver and a watcher by law at that time. The club boat had a big ol' red and cream-colored Merc inline which was IIRC a Mark 78 and IIRC was rated at about 60HP. I couldn't tell if it was a 4 or 6 cylinder but man would that old girl push that honkin' heavy club boat !! What a golden summer for us kids......a powerful boat with unlimited gas for our "personal" use. LOLOL

[@davidpeters6536]

A story I have waited 50 years to hear, thank you.

[@VisioRacer]

My pleasure, David!

[@jpor1000]

I purchased a 82 115hp tower of power with a bad piston last year that never saw salt just because the history of these motors. And just for giggles I tried to take it out like that before rebuilding it, it still hit 40mph only being a 5 cyl with no piston rings left at all on cyl 3 and a cracked piston and leaking baffles, just to show you how tuff these motors are even when broken. I wound up having to strip the block down and send it to Florida to on of the few good old timmers in the country who can machine these blocks still and bore or hone it out with its blind piston holes and non removable head plate, along with somenwho owned and operated a bridge port with an end mill to be able to resurface the exhaust baffle plates mating surface which are recessed into the block and notorious for warping and leaking water internally when the motors get old. I put it on one of my old boats and the thing screams like a Banshee. Now I'm taking the bottom half of a 72 sports craft safari 17ft and stuffing the top shell off a 69 cobia sea queen 18ft to build a custom boat for the rebuilt motor.

[@kristapsbriezkalns2287]

Same experience here, only with L4 mercury from 1980s. That thing was running with three cylinders when I bought it. After full rebuild, it is a mean machine, witch gives a lot of good emotions and takes a fair amount of fuel:)

[@TheAfterWorkGarage]

Great video! Surprised to see a little bit of my 40hp Merc in there for the internal reed valve assembly (wouldn't mind if you added it to the credits).

[@schwags1969]

Great video, worked on many a Mercury outboard from the 90's through to '10's. Mercury did a stint with Cosworth as well for a tower of power.

[@markcollins457]

I've been a boat owner off and on for over 50 yrs and when a big 6cyl Merc was "SCREAMING " down the back water ways I was always amazed you could hammer the Merc all day and never never miss a beat. Great subject I used to have a large selection of outboards mostly antique but there all gone now. Back in the 80's I lived in Orlando FL.and would have loved to go to the lake X testing area

[@rickybrackin543]

Bringing a 68 115 mariner back to life can hardly wait.

[@rickybrackin543]

I grew up in Lakland seen alot of the mercury changes skied in lake parker alot when I was a kid behind a merc.

[@Bennyboysgarage_]

My grandpa used to have a 150 merc and that thing was a riot when it fired up. Freakin miss that engine. Loved seeing thunderbolt ignition on the front cover!

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

Original Capacitive Discharge Ignition (30,000-40-000) volt which brought about 'surface gap' spark plug (no 'finger' to set gap clearance from electrode (center thingy) still with distributor if 'syn-&-lync' were done properly, motor would start before ONE revolution, heck I hand gapped rings, fitted pistons to minimum clearance and once shut motor off at dock-went in to marina store for beer and got in seat, turned key on and engine 'fired' (started) from stored compression on cyl where distributor was as CDI ignition was battery powered. Todays motors are ADI (alternator-flywheel magnets spinning around stators) generating electricty to supply power-paks, switch boxes- coils, triggers- or Ignition system__PS have on work-rack 'kick-started' (rapidly pushing with foot propeller) many INLine- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 cyl Mercs

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

Above was a 99cuinch INLine

[@egustafson]

The 5 cylinder force had an interesting sound. Wild engine. We had a 225efi Merc on a 24 foot cheetah tunnel Hull. What a ride! Have you ever heard of the Force L-Drive? It was basically a stern drive but had a 2 stroke outboard inside the boat and a force lower gearcase outside. Weird stuff.

[@DonziGT230]

I had a pair of the Black Max motors on a Scarab, damn they sounded sweet. With chopper props they acted a bit like jet drives; hit the throttle and they'd almost instantly hit 6K and the boat would quickly catch up to them. The song of 12 angry two smoke cylinders is like no other.

[@doccyclopz]

FYI Black Max's were V6's not Towers of Power so you're commenting in the wrong video.

[@DonziGT230]

@@doccyclopz I know the differences quite well.

[@JETZcorp]

As long as I've been alive, my uncle has had a vintage fiberglass boat with a 150 Tower of Power on the stern. I always assumed naturally that all outboards were light, mean, and 2-stroke. Did not realize until later how special those motors were. Then later to really learn about 2-strokes and discover they were actually ramp-piston cross-flow caveman technology, the performance is all the more impressive.

[@deckert618]

My Dad, a fairly prominent outboard racer in the 70s and 80s spent many weekends at Lake X, but he was ultimately an OMC V6 fan. Of course, Merc dbuted the Black Maxx just a couple years later and the war was on again. Good times.

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

Worked at marina in Key West when retired Pro Baseball player 'Boog' Powell was given a 300hpV6 (pre public release) to 'demo' on a 25' Mako walk-around cabin. Took out to watch 'sunset celebration' in Mallory Square Harbour, around 100 hours crank mains would 'spin', seem like lack of Lube even (of course) MercLube 🛠non-hammer mechanic

[@Thatvolvokid96]

I've operated dozens of outboards, and owned a tower of power. It didn't start easily but it loved high rpms. It was a 90hp on a heavy 17' hull from the 1970's and it got up to almost 50 knots

[@Travizzlee]

Man! This video makes me proud! To have restored and fixed one of these beautiful engines! You did an amazing job sir! We appreciate the video!

[@VisioRacer]

Thank you!

[@wadetaylor9974]

You learned the history and did the work. Excellent video. Good job.

[@VisioRacer]

Thanks, Wade!

[@Sprier]

Used to have a boat at the cabin with a Mercury 1500 in the gloss black with blue accents. Wasn't ever running 100% but I'll always remember loving the sound as a kid when she was running.

[@ChefAtPlay]

Myself and my father have a 16ft sea boat running 2 x 50hp Mercs, we always get funny looks launchung it inti the surf zone from the beach but thise funny looks turn to looks of frustration when we get out before the bigger more powerful boats. They are rock solid amd have never given us major issues and believe me, we go rough on them with the surf launches and beaching. I wasalways a yamaha outboard guy until we got these ones, now I'm sold on mercs. Great video as always, thank you for all your work you put into these videos for us.

[@VisioRacer]

Thank you, Ali!

[@apismellifera1000]

Awesome history on the Mercury engines

[@davidzoltan5263]

Thank you, if you have more outboard historical video I'm always interested.

[@mattt198654321]

When I was a young boy, we would occasionally rent a ski boat at a lake near our house. It always had the "tower of power" and as a 5 year old, I was terrified of it. It sounded like a monster and moved back and forth by itself (I had no idea the steering wheel made the engine move).

[@JDMintegraVTEC]

I was always frightened as a child also. Grandpa had a 1965 glastron thunderjet with the merc 1000. I always thought the engine looked like a big head, turning back and forth slowly while screaming and growling. Awesome memories, boat still runs good today.

[@mattt198654321]

@@JDMintegraVTEC Exactly! Of course, now I look on those days fondly but at the time it was quite scary!

[@vernonspady555]

Went fishing with my Dad... Could not believe the performance and dependability! Mercury outboards are impressive.

[@cactuscanuck6802]

Great history lesson! In 2002 I bought a 1980 boat with a 115 hp tower of power (also 1980). LOVED that engine. Only reason I sold it in 2010 was for something bigger and more powerful so I could still slalom ski with the growing family in the boat.

[@clintonlamar1503]

Met an old boat racer late in his life. He did those time traps with the tiny boats you sit on your knees. They used nothing but mercs. The old ones. 25/35 hp. I asked him if any one used Johnson/Evinrude? He looked at me and I knew the answer. I still use only mercs on my boats

[@xspower115]

We used to run a Blue Band (1970's) 115 tower of power on our 16 foot race boat. The engine ran amazingly, would do hour long races sitting at 6000rpm and never missed a beat! We only ever replaced it with a later model brown band 115 tower of power. The engines performed amazingly and were able to get us up to 108kph with 2 adults and ~50L of fuel on board!

[@brandonshaw2978]

Having worked on the 4cyl and 6cyl mercs with my grandfather, I have a 30cube on my boat rn , but nothing beats the power delivery of an inline 6 , the sound , the smells . My dad had a 16ft Baja sport 164 with a 115 inline 6 . And man with it horribly under propped did it still boggy across the water

[@jamesgeorge4874]

Fantastic as always, I grew up on the Great Lakes, the tower of power was always a favorite, Mercury also has a fascinating story about the development of the Inboard/outdrive system, developed by Jim Wynn, who Kikehaefer dismissed as folly, whom left Mercury, to build it for Volvo, then, a few years later, developed an I/O for Mercury, that would capture 80% of the pleasure boat industry a few years later, again, almost as if Carl just stumbled into success.

[@Wingnut353]

To be fair... Kikehaefer was correct to a large extent, inboard/outboard boats have very low resale value because the inboard/outboard seals and complexity isn't worth fixing..... compared to outboard boats that last essentially as long as they are properly maintained, winterized and stored.

[@jamesgeorge4874]

@@Wingnut353 Yeah, sure, Jeff Bezos should have stuck with the used book store gig too, based on your expertise in busness.....

[@lynn4205]

Charley Strand had the idea for Csrl drawn out on a paper napkin. He later ran OMC. if I remember correctly

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

Volvo had been producing MANY, many variations of OutDrives, world wide for years. US Coast Guard regulations have to be met for boat manufactures to install and sell. The most dependable (due to large oil reservoir) not 'speed demons', but parts availability can be surprisingly easy. Took # stamped on a gear from Lower and gave it (the number ONLY) to NAPA parts man, few minutes later was told , yea- we can get one, gear from a Ford manual transmission matached numbers (remember 6 foot long catalouge racks)

[@glennjames7107]

Coming from someone that has operated many boats, the old mercs' are pretty impressive, especially when setup and propped right ! They still live up to their name today.

[@vicbittertoo]

My last 2 stroke was a 99 300 promax V6, ran great, lots of power with low weight :)

[@retro_grade]

I have a 1957 Mercury MK75 mounted to my 1953 Feathercraft Deluxe Runabout. Always wanted one and finally found one a few years back, and its everything i hoped it would be. The sound is AMAZING, and it runs fantastic. Its an engineering work of art, and very mind blowing the more you tear into one and learn about it works. Very well done video on these motors and spot on!

[@peterkrokodilos6460]

Our across the street neighbor in the 80's the Wenglers owned a 20' tri-hull with a big ol' Merc. So when they arrived home after a trip, all us young teens gathered hurriedly around to watch an event of that could of been on that show The Wonder Years. All us kids with fingers plugged in our ears would with eyes wide open witness the outboard being flushed out with it lowered in a water filled drum. The screaming nature of this 2 stroke is wholly "Balls to the Wall."

[@escapenguin]

Gotta love the styling on these. Everything looks like a big jellybean or a faceless Easter Island statue now.

[@sheafloyd9904]

I'm not so much a fan of boats but your videos have a way of changing that lol. Well done as always 👏

[@VisioRacer]

Glad to hear it!

[@ct1762]

you aren't a fan of boats? did I hear that correctly? I didnt even know that was possible! haha jk.

[@sheafloyd9904]

@@ct1762 lol I worded that incorrectly! My primary interest is cars and motorcycles but finding out alot of technology crosses over changes things! Definitely am more of a fan than I once admitted hahaha

[@andysaunders3708]

Weird. Over the years, I've had nothing but trouble from Mercurys. Your excellent video has made me realise how innovative they were, and I'll take another look at them.

[@VisioRacer]

I appreciate it, Andy!

[@lynn4205]

Good for you. Turn idle timing up a bit they will idle better. Old trick I used to make to them. Plus they came out if the hole better

[@michaelparks3106]

I had a 10hp Mercury Lighting outboard. It was an early model from Mercury that had no transmission, when you started it you were moving! To reverse you simply spun the motor around backwards. Rumor had it that made more like 15 ~ 20 hp but was marked 10hp due to engine restrictions at many lakes. In the late '60s/early '70s my father bought a 115hp "tower of power" with power tilt (hydraulic rams to alter the engine trim while you were moving) for an 16 foot Chrysler "Fury" tri-hull. It was kind of flimsy but light boat and with that engine would do over 60mph when trimmed out. Fun days as a teenager living on a lake.

[@nolanschneider3248]

Had one on a 17’ CB avenger race boat. The thing nearly jumped out of the water when floored and was truly a unique power delivery. Super amazing engine note and it just loved to rev. Never had many issues with it during our ownership and I’m sure the new owner is still flying pasted bigger inboard boats to this day

[@cluricaun78]

Awesome episode Sam, love those marine 2 strokes!

[@lightmechanic2370]

Owned a 1993 Merc fuel injected 2.5L V6 150HP to 20 yrs. What a dream engine. Power galore and good low end, smooth flat power band and great torque. Wide open throttle from a start would spin the 3 blade SST prop instantly up to 2500RPM, the prop would be digging in and it would shoot the boat out and pull hard and steady to 5400RPM. Trimmed out it was a rush hearing it howl down the lake.

[@HunterB738]

Dad bought a 1985 Chris Craft Scorpion 167BR with a 115 tower of power brand new. Man I miss him, that boat and that sound.

[@carlgeorgtsigakis498]

Back in the 80s I had the smaller 80hp Mariner version on a 15' dateline speedboat. It was a fantastic engine with an immediate power delivery that made the boat more or less jump into plane. Drank gasoline like nobody's business, but great fun!

[@I-AM-DaNiEL43]

Great content man! Perfect !👌 I work on boats/ family business on Marine equipment, so around alot of various types of different styles of outboards,inboard, 2 & 4 strokes etc. So always learning something new. & I use KZbin to troubleshoot when getting stuck mechanically. Never fails; so thankful for KZbin when comes to fixing & learning.

[@skyfly51]

Great video. There is no feeling like a old mercury 2 stroke. They offer such a rich deep throaty sound and impressive speed

[@philiptownsend4026]

Another very diverse engine story from Mr Viseo. Please keep them coming, any engines will do, they are all interesting to me and I will keep on watching.

[@VisioRacer]

Thank you very much!

[@GlenB1963]

I've owned 3 mercs in my life, a 72 6hp, an 85 150hp, and a 06 150EFI. THE 150S ON THE SAME BOAT. All great motors. Cherished memories.

[@colingale]

I still run two 150's, one blue band and one brown band, amazing engines and still going strong.

[@servehim1746]

Had a four cylinder 50 on a Rebel W bottom stick steering bass boat, Soooooo smooth and pretty quiet.

[@Y2daT420]

the mercury and mariner outboards are awesome. .. my uncle had a fiberglass shallow V boat that was set up for a outboard engine ,but otherwise, identical to the James Bond jetdrive boats used in a older 007 movie , and we made a bracket to retrofit a 90hp mariner engine that corrected the engine height difference(or lower unit length) and set the engine about 15" behind the transom. / and that boat was the most awesome of many that we had. and still is. it was very fast. and on days were the water was calm you could turn as hard as desired at fullpower and the boat would turn on a dime banking itself into the turn . kind of like how a fighter jet aircraft rolls into a sharp turn. the rub rail that ran around the top edge of the boat would be in the water on the side you were steering tiowards..

[@awesomesauce3938]

Your videos always make my day better

[@DizzyMan24]

I've owned a 1970 Mercury 80HP 4 cylinder. The engine had a pretty unique sound and screamed and wide open. Was impressive how reliable a 50+ year old motor was.

[@j.thomas7128]

7:42 Leading to one of my favorite engines of all time; the Mercury 2.5 liter V-6. It's an amazing engine. The 2.5 was eventually available as a 300hp, 9000 rpm, factory built motor that weighed only 375 pounds. Race teams had this motor spinning up to and over 11,000 creating 400+hp. The sound of the Brucato SVS intake combined with the offshore exhaust (equivalent of straight pipes on bikes) made this thing sound futuristic and almost alien as nothing sounded like it. You'd hear it from miles away. I had one on a lightweight 19 foot catamaran and it was SCARY FAST! Folks would cheerfully ask for a ride while at the docks. A couple of times, they returned to the docks crying and sobbing from fear. What a great time that was.

[@lynn4205]

Yup. Champ boat engines. Supposedly STOCK lol. I had the opportunity to be an inspector for that league race boats. Terry Rinker, Lynn Shimburger, Tim Seebold and Mike etc. I was truly blessed for sure !

[@j.thomas7128]

@@lynn4205 Oh my goodness. That's wild. I could only wish to pilot an F1 hull with a team-prepped eggbeater! We ran river racers in the early 90's and had so much fun with the Eliminators, Allisons, and STV's. Unfortunately, our local waterways started posting speed limits and that ended our 100+mph river romps. It was fun while it lasted. I surely miss having a boat that needs to be flown! Oh those memories!

[@tysongonsorowski8574]

I had one of these six cylinders,wish I'd never got rid of it,I amazing while watching this found it crazy I own a 55 300.i went skiing behind that when I was in my 20s. I amazingly still have the shifter linkage

[@pg8393]

We had two 1977 115 mercury out boards towing parasailing all day without a hitch, with great fuel economy. What a wonderful piece of engineering. I currently own a 2010 150 mercury optimax, which they made even better.

[@razgriz814]

I've got 2 a 1972 135 horse on a 16 footer and a 1975 115 horse on a 17 footer. When they are running right, just the power and acceleration is just awesome.

[@needmoreboost6369]

Unbelievable timing lol I just took mine out yesterday and fired it up for the first time in 6 years! It’s just a 90 for a 17’ seafarer half cab, with the hydraulic steering and very fast electric trim using 17p-19p props it moved along pretty well with excellent rough water handling, and I’m guessing close to 40kts! Top speed or Maybe more but it cruised around 35kts. the transom and deck is rotted now it’s been a “I’ll do it one day” but never dedicated time sorta deal. the engine is on a stand and fired straight away with fresh fuel,I do remember draining the carbs before storage and kinda happy I did! I also have a partial built hydroplane meant for 25hp but I might see if it floats with the tower of power on the back if it does it’s going to be scary!

[@lynn4205]

Are you NUTS 😅 HANG ON LUCY !!!!!

[@paulmoss7940]

To this day I run a 1988 115 Mercury on a matched 18ft. Ranger Fisherman. Every year someone asks if its for sale. Owned it 23 years.

[@jonathanknight8251]

Also sometimes called, “the black stack from Fond du Lac,” in reference to the name of the city in Wisconsin where Mercury is headquartered. Fun fact: the Lotus-designed DOHC 32-valve LT5 V8 in the Corvette C4 ZR-1 was manufactured by Mercury’s MerCruiser division.

[@feellucky271]

I was born in Fond du Lac 60 some years ago at St Agnes Hospital which was some times called St Agony. I'm here in Florida now but my cousin messaged me today that it's 40 and Fond du Lac and it's 89 here in Florida where I now live and have for the last 45 years. Thank you for the reminder of the Black Stack from Fond du Lac. Love the Wisconsin brats,broads and beer.

[@lewiswood88]

Yes about time we learned more about outboards 👍😊

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Those were some big powerful 2 stroke engines!

[@The-Host]

As a boat mechanic I highly recommend running as far as you can from any of the force motors.

[@crankychris2]

Yup, they were unreliable and slow. Real dogs.

[@shingnosis]

Tower of Power. A friend of mine has one of those in basically "crate condition". Boat kept on a trailer and in a warm garage etc. Without a doubt one of the sexiest outboards ever made.

[@Internetpirate3]

Had a boat with a 90hp Tower of Power. They run good but hard to start cold. Fully charged batteries a must!

[@andyhowat4624]

Not mine . Fire's right up

[@DanaBerry-c1b]

Must not have been 'sync and lynced' properly, mercs had more abd 'finer' parts and needed set to 'spec's

[@arjovenzia]

Personally never been a fan of the look of the newer 'tower of power' design, but the old ones look amazing! and you cant deny they sound awesome! I started driving our speed boat when I was about 6, its had 3 outboards in my life, a 75 evinrude, a 60 johnston and now a 4 stroke yamaha 60. Gotta say, the 4 stroke is a gamechanger, you couldnt really cruise efficiently with the 2 strokes, but they were quick. actually having a wide power band is super nice with the 4. If you've never driven an outboard, its quite a different beast, as the steering and power are delivered from the same spot in the rear. no difference to a car if your just cruising around, but when your doing more "fun" things, its an absolute blast. racing, skiing, slaloms (if you get it right you can swing the rear end out in a kind of power slide. get it wrong the boat will turn itself over), swell surfing (our boat has almost no wavebreaking, so if you have to navigate swell, you have to work with the wave, hard work, but super good fun). Awesome video.

[@c0neyisland]

Apart from being great engines, it was the smell and the sound of that straight 6. That nasal "worrrr" sound when running flat out was something to hear! Happy days indeed.

[@robertmann9822]

What I noticed about Mercury, c.15y ago, was that they had the very good sense to adopt Ralph Sarich's "orbital' compressed-air fuel-injection method, easily the best way to make a 2-stroke. The big, if not the biggest, Mercury was of this design for about a decade. I never heard of any criticisms. Then this was abandoned, in favour of the more complex, heavier 4-stroke, requiring a separate cylinder head (& gasket). Can anyone explain the reasoning?

[@jermynpedretti4761]

Grew up tubing behind a tower of power and they truly are something