Waking Up Laurel River Lake With a 1957 Kiekhaefer Mercury MK75 Six-Cylinder Outboard Motor

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Retro Grade

Retro Grade

Күн бұрын

A video made for all those weirdo's, like us, who could spend over 12 minutes listening to the harmious tune of a Kiekhaefer Mercury 6 cylinder marine engine screaming along at several different RPM ranges.
Motor is mounted to a 1953 Feathercraft Vagabond 15-ft vintage runabout, with a reinforced transom and fitted with Step-N-Trim tabs.
Filmed during fall break on Laruel River Lake in Corbin, KY. Enjoy the sights and sounds!
#mercurymarine #kiekhaefer #towerofpower #mk75 #dockbuster #straightsix #vintageboating #aomci #feathercraft #vagabond
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For anyone who wants to reach out to us specifically, feel free to send us an email at retro.grade.motorsports@gmail.com
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Throw more of your life away watching Retro-Grade content by visiting our channel: / @retro_grade .

Пікірлер: 146
@KensGarage1
@KensGarage1 7 ай бұрын
I guess I am a weirdo because I really enjoyed the video. Very cool old boat with a very cool vintage Mercury engine. For those weirdos that enjoy 2 stroke motorcycle music there's plenty of it on my channel. Great video. Beautiful glassy water on that little trip.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 7 ай бұрын
Ha, glad to hear!!! I literally could listen to video after video of old 2 cycle outboard engines (and motorcycles too). The only thing better is hearing and smelling them in person! I'll have to check out some of your videos. I think the a couple of the coolest old two cycles I've ridden on have been a Yamaha RZ350 and Yamaha Catalina 250 (that thing oddly enough, sounded almost like a Moto GP bike, was wild).
@ChesRich
@ChesRich Ай бұрын
Those mercs are the best
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Ай бұрын
They certainly are!!!
@alweb360
@alweb360 7 ай бұрын
Boat looks like it's built like an aircraft. Looks like it flies. Love the stern tumble home.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 7 ай бұрын
She'll go about 40mph or so! Feathercrafts were pretty much made from suprlus aircraft grade aluminum left over from WW2, so your assement on it looking like an aircraft tracks! It helps to have a good polish as well of course....and I actually used the same buffer and polish as used on airplanes and airstream campers, LOL.
@DanielSon69
@DanielSon69 3 ай бұрын
She looks like a boattail bullet 😊
@robertsloane1268
@robertsloane1268 11 ай бұрын
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ sound brings back lots of memories
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 11 ай бұрын
Oh I bet it does! These motors sound super unique and are the coolest sounding outboards out there! I could listen to this thing scream for hours on end :)
@DavidFerree54
@DavidFerree54 2 ай бұрын
My Grandfather had one of those. I remember riding in his boat with it, about 50 years ago. I still remember the sound and as soon as it started up in this video I swear I could smell the exhaust.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 ай бұрын
Nice! It's funny how you can remember that stuff. My family had ,mostly Johnson outboards years ago rather than Mercs, but in the same way - I can still remember the way they all sounded and smelled. Lucky for me, I now have the majority of them that I remember as well! I will say the the Mercury six cylinder engines have one of the baddest sounds of all though! Probably the loudest and most memorable of any from that time!
@DavidFerree54
@DavidFerree54 2 ай бұрын
@@retro_grade our family had a little 16' boat with a Johnson 35. It was surprisingly strong and pulled two of us teenage kids on slaloms out of the water pretty easily.
@beestoe993
@beestoe993 3 ай бұрын
The old dockbuster tower of power. Iconic, gorgeous.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 3 ай бұрын
They certainly are 😍 Thanks for the comment!
@tonyelliott7734
@tonyelliott7734 7 ай бұрын
Vintage tower of power. Only thing that sounds better is when there's two of them...
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 7 ай бұрын
I would LOVE to have a boat with two towers of power mounted to it!!! This is correct LOL. Thanks for the comment!
@brianmaxey3263
@brianmaxey3263 Жыл бұрын
My homeplace sits beside of this lake, I can hear it from there whenever you're down on Line Creek ripping her.. it sounds beautiful
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Brian, I'm not sure that's me you hear - as this video was so far the only time I've been to Laurel River Lake so far! But, thanks for the comment! This motor does sound good as well for sure :)
@brianmaxey3263
@brianmaxey3263 Жыл бұрын
@@retro_grade good deal, someone is running a mean outfit down there in the summer.. you'll enjoy the lake, it's beautiful..
@shawnwalsh5430
@shawnwalsh5430 7 күн бұрын
I wany one! My brother had one that i believe was 100hp on a Critchfield i think. The merc was at least 10 years old then but ran and sounded so good.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 6 күн бұрын
They're a bit tricky to find but they're out there! Especially project ones. I recently picked up a MK78 needing restoration for free and paid to have it shipped to me. They're not quiet by any means, and some of the coolest sounding motors on the lake. Any time a Tower of Power is on the lake, you can tell it's there without even seeing it :)
@lynn4205
@lynn4205 Жыл бұрын
Simply beautiful. Thanks for taking all of us for a ride down memory lane
@lynn4205
@lynn4205 Жыл бұрын
I have 2 merc 700's. One is black but originally white. Wasn't going to argue when it was free. 120 # compression on all six using a MERCTRONIC gauge
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Wow, you can't argue with free at all, screamin good deal!!! I'm pretty sure my MK75 reads 120 psi across all six, at least last time I checked using the original Kiekhaefer gage. I actually also just bought a Merctronic gage for checking the timing and dwell also.
@dirtlump
@dirtlump 3 ай бұрын
12 minutes of pure joy..... such an iconic piece of history, THX for sharing !
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 3 ай бұрын
Sure thing, glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment and the support!
@zoeyshoots
@zoeyshoots 11 ай бұрын
When I started watching this I asked myself, why am I watching this? After the third time watching it, I realized why.. sweet ride my friend..!! Props!👍🏻🇺🇸
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 11 ай бұрын
@zoeyshoots - the funny thing is I didn't even think that video would perform that well and posted it at the time to try to get something up. It's performed better than most others that I've put far more effort into. I could listen to old outboard motors run for hours upon it, so it seems that we have something in common :) -Brock
@ftlshome1
@ftlshome1 3 ай бұрын
Those old Mercs were something.. dependable
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 3 ай бұрын
They were simple as well - as big of a black eye as the "dockbusters" got, they had no dog clutch or shifting mechanism in the lower unit to fail. Check out the "50,000 miles by outboard" testing they did on them :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5exfWZoqL-prKM
@bradnichol8216
@bradnichol8216 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you. Many memories....
@nixxonnor
@nixxonnor Жыл бұрын
Awesome sound. We used to run our boat with a 1350 (135HP) Kiekhafer Quicksilver ...something... an inline 6 from ~1970 with 3 carburators. We used it every summer for 30+ years. 10 years ago it sadly had to be put down, because the cooling water was leaking directly into one or more cylinders 😞
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 11 ай бұрын
It certainly is, and like none other! All of the 'Towers of Power' sound fantastic. I haven't had one of the 1970's ones yet but hopefully someday I'll acquire a boat where I can run those as well. That sucks that it eventually gave out, but I'd say 30+ years of use isn't terrible either. Try getting that out of any of the newer outboard motors manufactured today, I'm guessing that won't happen. But time will tell :)
@alweb360
@alweb360 7 ай бұрын
That can be fixed
@erichanson3961
@erichanson3961 10 ай бұрын
My brpther and I ran the wee out of 2 dockbusters many years ago. How we loved em. 59 Mark 75A, then a 60 Merc 800.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 10 ай бұрын
Nice! They are very unique engines and while they are a bit more complicated in their own way, they certainly have other simplicities with not having a forward/reverse dog clutch to go out in the lower unit. I abosolutely love running mine around the lake.
@pauld5530
@pauld5530 2 жыл бұрын
This is awesome in so many ways. The lake, the boat and that motor - MUSIC! 👍🏻😎
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed all of it!
@markhayes100
@markhayes100 5 ай бұрын
Fabulous. The sound of my youth, sort of... Dad had a 1969 115 HP version, I learned to drive boats on a 14" fiberglass boat with an inline 4 50 HP Mercury. Later, I had a 115 on a 19' Cruisers Inc. I restored. 1987 model, one of the last years for the tower of power. They ALL have this sound to one degree or another, I can still pick one out by ear as it comes down the lake. Getting to be a rare sound.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 5 ай бұрын
They do all have a rare sound! I remember when I was a kid, hanging at my grandparent's place on Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, I learned really quick what a black six cylinder "Tower of Power" sounded like from off in the distance. (They have a bit more of a whine to them I feel like). At that time in the 1990's, seeing a Mercury six cylinder around or over 100 HP was pretty common, much more than it is now. As you said, it's getting to be a rare sound. Which is sad, because it's the BEST sound!
@Picasofly
@Picasofly 5 ай бұрын
I have a couple of old mercs. Little ones. 7.5 hp...but nothing like that. Yours is something special.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 5 ай бұрын
Thanks! I recently just bought a couple of project MK78A's, and have a couple of KG7H Super Hurricanes as well. But, you are correct - six cylinder direct drive Mercs are a world of their own :)
@The06mystic
@The06mystic 8 ай бұрын
I ran a Merc inline 6 150hp on my bass boat for years. I used to turn the timing up and that little motor would scream. I burned up countless number one pistons. I just kept rebuilding her, nothing sounded like that tall 6 cylinder.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 8 ай бұрын
Well worth it 🤣 You are correct, no other motor sounds like them. Especially in the little Feathercraft with that motor directly behind the operator LOL.
@donaldf.hunter8365
@donaldf.hunter8365 2 жыл бұрын
I had a black one in that same condition in 1975. Paid 300 bucks for it from an outboard shop fully serviced and put it on a 16 foot Dorset. A beautiful combo just like yours! Never let me down or hit a dock!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks! I haven't hit a dock with mine yet either! But, in all fairness, I'm sure we have a little bit better batteries than they did back in 1957 too :)
@madscientistlife
@madscientistlife 3 ай бұрын
Excellent
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 3 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@tbbaot
@tbbaot Жыл бұрын
Growing up my dad had a Mercury Mark 75 mounted to a Crestliner aluminum boat. I remember there was no neutral in the motor. You had to restart after changing gears. The motor was super reliable.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Yep, that's the way they run! You can briefly see me start it into reverse at the end of the video. On one hand, it adds a bit of complexity with reverse starting the engine - however, on the other hand it simplified the gear box and you don't ever need to worry about the clutch dogs wearing off!!!!
@Carlos-hs8zo
@Carlos-hs8zo 2 жыл бұрын
I love your video. It reminded me of my childhood. I played under the bow just like you kid was doing. Thanks for posting this. I am sure I will watch it again soon. The red is my favorite color for that engine. THANKS!!!!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Carlos! That's funny that you say that. My family still has my great grandfather's 1957 Alumacraft Queen Merrie up at our cabin in Ontario Canada, and they used it as the main boat to fish out of for years up until the early 2000's. My brother and I played underneath the front hood while my parents fished all day - only that boat had alot more room!
@Tregaskis47
@Tregaskis47 2 жыл бұрын
To Quote Carl K: She speaks with authority!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
She certainly does Greg! Love the comment - currently reading Iron Fist by Jefferery Roedgen. Kiekhaefer was a very interesting character 👍
@blackwidowsm
@blackwidowsm 4 ай бұрын
Exactly she was the standard in her day. Kirk underrated power in his mercs this was closer to 88 hp a lot of power attached to such a small vessel. Sounds is a symphony on fresh water.
@markss8413
@markss8413 Жыл бұрын
Badass. That is a fine machine you got there sir!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks, glad you enjoy it! It's defintiely a finely tuned peice of engineering wonderment :)
@KensGarage1
@KensGarage1 7 ай бұрын
Is this engine oil injected or premix? And the age old (serious) question here, what 2 stroke oil do you run? Thanks, Ken
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 7 ай бұрын
It's premix (oil injected didn't come out on outboards until the 70's or 80's I think?) - I'd have to look at the original manual that I always refer to when mixing it, but its around 20:1 or 24:1. Those old motors ran pretty rich on oil - old Johnson/Evinrude outboards, for instance, ran on 16:1. I typically run Mercury Quicksilver two cycle oil, which is a good middle of the ground oil readily available at Walmart of Academy Sports. But any marine rated TCW3 oil is honestly fine. Heck, back in the day they were using standard 30 weight motor oil and only later started coming out with actual two cycle oil for those engines. I actually have a letter from Mercury Motors to my great grandfather in the late 1950's, telling him that running their improved Quicksilver two-cycle oil in his Mark 55 would solve the problem of varnish and carbon deposits on the top of his pistons that he was apparently getting from running standard 30 weight. Some day, I need to find it a make a short on that :)
@FrancisCook-ht2sq
@FrancisCook-ht2sq 2 ай бұрын
Had a 14ft Crosby,45hp Merc, honest 40 mph. Happiest days of my life. Prop Michigan 11 pitch,bronze, three blade, torque, and top end. 😊😊
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 ай бұрын
Nice! 40 MPH isn't bad at all! That's all I can reach at most with the MK75 on the 15' Vagabond with a 17 pitch brass prop (19 pitch doesn't help, and hurts acceleration).
@FrancisCook-ht2sq
@FrancisCook-ht2sq 2 ай бұрын
@@retro_grade thankyou, I tried to switch to a 13 pitch two blade, lost all ability to pop a skier, and no change at all in the top end, and lost a lot of mid range torque. Went back to the three blade 11.
@davidnelson4707
@davidnelson4707 5 ай бұрын
pure music
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 5 ай бұрын
Ha, yes it is! Music to our ears!
@Rlip
@Rlip Жыл бұрын
Clean rig very nice !
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks, appreciate it!
@addvancedgarage
@addvancedgarage Жыл бұрын
Wooooooooo this thing is amazing. Gorgeous footage and awesome float.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
@ADDvancedGarage - thanks! I honestly hadn't really planned on even posting the footage, I was more expermenting with getting video and sound on the GoPro while out at the end of the year on her. Then figured what the heck. It's a great combo - I drove 8 hours or so south to pick it up and sold my smaller Feathercraft model aftewards. The PO had already done a great job with the overkill transom reinforcement. It's basically what I always wanted to try building - a MK75 six cylinder on one of those tiny racey looking hulls. Not as fast as one would figure it'd be (40 mph at the absolute most), but super cool and sounds fantastic :) Thanks for the comment and compliments!
@lynn4205
@lynn4205 Жыл бұрын
Glad to see her smoke. 32:1 mix i hope. Or more. Love to see your scenery. Beats this sand pit here in the bottom of the southeast .
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
I think it's more like 24:1 - I basically mix the exact amount stated in the owners manual. Thanks!
@andyhowat4624
@andyhowat4624 6 ай бұрын
1qt 30 weight motor oil to 5 gallons of gas
@andyhowat4624
@andyhowat4624 6 ай бұрын
Poetry in motion
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 6 ай бұрын
Hah, good way to describe it!
@andyhowat4624
@andyhowat4624 Жыл бұрын
Comments ate great . Grew up on al a lake and now live on a lake. Peace and mercury
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Lake life is certainly where it's at :)
@matthewtaylor1697
@matthewtaylor1697 Жыл бұрын
cool old boats and motor
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks, glad you appreciate them like we do!
@pulsejiggoldprospecting3887
@pulsejiggoldprospecting3887 2 жыл бұрын
Love it. Miss my 57
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, appreciate the support! This is hands down the coolest motor I've had! Love it
@justtl5885
@justtl5885 Жыл бұрын
Nice work !
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@riverdragonmarineservice441
@riverdragonmarineservice441 Жыл бұрын
Beautiful
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the compliment! It's a fun boat!
@yvindarnesen7009
@yvindarnesen7009 2 жыл бұрын
I am a happy weirdo listening to this !
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear there is someone else! I debated posting that long of time without anything to break it up, or posting it at all, but figured somebody might enjoy it :)
@bobbellow5502
@bobbellow5502 Жыл бұрын
Nothing, and I mean nothing SCREAMS like a MERC!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Screams (maybe sings) is the only way to describe it that sound!!@@
@theconfused_fisherman
@theconfused_fisherman 6 ай бұрын
Got one of these from my old boss non running, but absolutely complete. I want to make er run again but I don't know where to buy parts from. Any ideas?
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 6 ай бұрын
Man, these are starting to become tough to find parts for. (Points, for instance, are NLA and approaching 80 bucks or more per set). Other than Ebay, try these: www.moparmall.com/category-s/279.htm www.johnsmcintoshvintagemercuryoutboard.com/ www.marineengine.com/ www.vintageoutboard.com/collections/mercury-other-engine-parts www.oldmercs.com/ Marineengine.com is good for finding part numbers off the diagrams to use for Ebay. (And, they have a few parts on there also). I just bought a MK78 that's rough and am looking to get another one, and will be going through more of the same soon LOL.
@Etrician55
@Etrician55 3 ай бұрын
Legend has it a piston fires every 60 degrees of crank rotation
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 3 ай бұрын
😂
@doccyclopz
@doccyclopz 10 ай бұрын
I had a '73 1400 which had inherited a new 150 block at some point. She made that Sidewinder fly, Good times
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 10 ай бұрын
Nice! I'd like to have a 1970's Tower of Power as well on an appropriate ride if I ever come across one at the right price and time. A sidewinder would be a suitable fit for sure - those are really cool looking rides :)
@doccyclopz
@doccyclopz 10 ай бұрын
@@retro_grade I used to torment a couple of other guys that ran v4 140hp OMC's on their boats, one a 16' Sidewinder the other was a 16' Checkmate. I always had about 5 mph on them.
@pjimmbojimmbo1990
@pjimmbojimmbo1990 7 ай бұрын
There was no 1400 in 73, it was a 72 or a 78, and they were two totally different engines, except for Displacement. In 73 there was a 1150 and a 1500. As for exchanging a 140 powerhead for a 150. Exhaust Tuning was different, so the 150hp wouldn't be attained. Even if it was, it is only a 2mph difference
@doccyclopz
@doccyclopz 7 ай бұрын
@@pjimmbojimmbo1990Thanks for the info I wasn't aware of this. I bought the boat/motor used so I guessed that it was a '73 due to the blue banding. I thought the '72's had red banding?
@doccyclopz
@doccyclopz 7 ай бұрын
@@pjimmbojimmbo1990Thanks you're right it has to be a 1972. I thought the 72's & 71's were red and mine was blue but I looked it up and the 72's were blue. Many thanks.
@jwassass
@jwassass Жыл бұрын
Carl is smiling
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Hopefully! 😀
@lynn4205
@lynn4205 Жыл бұрын
I can see the fuel going through those KA's up the amultion tube into the venturi's Oops, those are AJ's on a lark 75. Or in my world, F class hydro on alki and megaphone exhaust.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Yeah, I think they are AJ model carburetors. But, you can still see the fuel spraying when that front cover is off :) I bet that megaphone exhaust speaks to the whole lake!
@jimbob3030
@jimbob3030 Ай бұрын
That's a gorgeous combination of engine and feathercraft, but I'm surprised it's not going faster with such a large engine. Have some of the ponies in the engine died?
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Ай бұрын
@jimbob3030 I was too, 40 is as fast as I've gotten with it. Good compression, new points, practically new engine. I think that these Feathercraft hulls reach a point where they just don't want to be pushed faster. Lack of hull rigidity probably plays a part im guessing. I have read the the Rocket ii and flyer models are quick.. I bet if the engine was on a heavier but faster design fiberglass hull of around the same period it'd move quicker.
@jimbob3030
@jimbob3030 Ай бұрын
@@retro_grade That makes sense. I have a 68 Lonestar Malibu 14' riveted heavier built aluminum runabout, which I'm about to put a 30hp Tohatsu 4 stroke on. I'm hoping to get it to between 30-35mph with the right prop. It just amazes me how many more HP it can take just to get an extra few mph. Exponentially more power doesn't seem to gain a whole lot.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 28 күн бұрын
​@@jimbob3030 - it will probably do that, no issues, aside from the newer four stroke being heavier possibly. In the future, I'd like to put a MK78 on the Feathercraft to see if it can squeeze a few more MPH out of it with 10 more horsepower, but I'm skeptical it will make a difference at all. Then, my 1960 18' Alumacraft Queen Merrie with twin Johnson 50 HP engines on it will go 34 to 35 mph loaded down, same as the Vagabond. And it's not a "racey" looking hull at all, and rated for 90 HP. (Whereas the Vagabond was suggsted for 30 I think?). So yeah, it gets to a point where more HP just equals more weight :)
@langbros.1907
@langbros.1907 Жыл бұрын
Love the pistol grip throttle.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks! The pistol grip throttle used on the earlier direct-drive Mercury engines is (in my opinion) one of the coolest/best looking controls of all time!
@privateer0561
@privateer0561 9 ай бұрын
That's a big motor for such a small Feathercraft...
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 9 ай бұрын
Yes it is, and it's fantastic! (The transom has been heavily reinforced to accommodate it).
@erichanson3961
@erichanson3961 6 ай бұрын
A Mark 30 would be more typical on that boat, and a Mark 55 would be sort of a hot setup.
@gbipit1
@gbipit1 7 ай бұрын
Mercury Rules!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 7 ай бұрын
Yes they do!
@johnrowell1621
@johnrowell1621 2 жыл бұрын
Nice.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@STLT
@STLT 2 жыл бұрын
Skip to 0:37
@madmanmechanic8847
@madmanmechanic8847 Ай бұрын
Thats a Dock buster
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Ай бұрын
Yep, gotta love the direct drive Mercs! Haven't broken any docks with mine yet though, no issues there :)
@harisguhdija9734
@harisguhdija9734 Жыл бұрын
What oil ratio are you running the MK75 on?
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
I'll have to check and calculate - every time I mix fuel for it, I pull the amount straight from the mercury mk75 owners manual
@harisguhdija9734
@harisguhdija9734 Жыл бұрын
@@retro_grade Yeah no worries, I asked because I saw somewhere it said 20:1 but that seems like an awful lot of oil, especially with modern oil. I'm thinking about possibly picking up a MK75, hence all the questions. Thanks.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
@@harisguhdija9734 - that's not out of the ballpark at all - the older engines ran rich on oil. Old OMC outboards run at 16:1. I want to say that 20:1 seems right for that off the top of my head. I actually just looked - the original manual calls for 12 ounces of Quicksilver oil per 2 gallons, or 16 ounces of SAE 30 per gallons - that works out to roughly between 20:1 and 16:1 ratio. I go off the two-stroke oil spec, so I'm running 20:1.
@Shornandkenny
@Shornandkenny 2 жыл бұрын
You crushed it with this man. What feathercraft is that though 🤔 and is that a 75 horse meurc.... My vagabond would be perfect with that on the back of it. Jealous
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, appreciate it! Honestly, it was taken pretty quickly while I was on fall break with my wife and kid, and I wasn't even going to post it at first. Was just playing around seeing what kind of footage and sound I could capture, then decided to put something together. I'll have more videos on this boat and motor in the future. It's a 1953 Vagabond (only year made with that center steering configuration in the rear that looks like that). It's actually a 60 horsepower mercury....the Mark 78 would be a 75 horse. I'm actually trying to find a decent one so that I can mount it up and see if I can push it even harder. I wouldn't personally mount a motor like that on your Vagabond unless you heavily reinforce the transom, like the previous owner did on my boat. He basically had 1" thick wood all the way down on the inside, and then sandwiched two pieces of 3/8" thick aluminum plate, cut out to the exact barrel-back shape of the boat, on either side. The transom height was also raised a bit as well to accommodate the larger motor....although it's high enough it nearly cavitates the prop. However, it it hadn't been raised, that motor weighs the back of the boat down so much, it'd likely sink it lol.
@Shornandkenny
@Shornandkenny 2 жыл бұрын
@@retro_grade it would be fine, its got a one inch thick pc of mahogany on both sides of the transome. The outer board goes from top to bottom and the inner from one side to the other. The boat is rated for 40. And technically its pushing the same amount of weight to plane. Doesn't matter anyway lol. No new motor in the cards for my boat until the old 20 quits. But are you sure thats not like a feathercraft firefly though?
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shornandkenny - nope, it's a 15' Vagabond. Firefly is REALLY small (9' or so). I actually want one badly. There's one currently on Ebay I'm having a hard time resisting purchase of :)
@Shornandkenny
@Shornandkenny 2 жыл бұрын
@@retro_grade buy it! And yes, the vagabond with the center steer in the rear seat is extremely rare. Ive never actually seen one and ive read and watched everything feathercraft. Grew up in the 80s on lake huron on offshore boats but nobody can afford that anymore so i like my feathercraft, even with the 20 on it it flies with the boy and i in it.
@dba12123
@dba12123 2 жыл бұрын
@@retro_grade I had a hard time resisting the purchase of Marshall's boat. You are making better use of it than I would have. That is way too much motor for me.
@langbros.1907
@langbros.1907 Жыл бұрын
Neat!
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@MegaBait1616
@MegaBait1616 Жыл бұрын
👍👍..............
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
@stanleyhoward1893
@stanleyhoward1893 6 ай бұрын
Only bad thing about that inline sixes they were loud.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 6 ай бұрын
Hah, I consider that a good thing! I love listening to that motor screaming into my ears. But yes, most of the old Mercuries at that time were louder at wide open throttle, as Kiekhaefer didn't put intake silencers on them like OMC started doing (around 1955 I think?). Even the MK55's are fairly loud when you're running them at full throttle.
@trappenweisseguy27
@trappenweisseguy27 7 ай бұрын
What’ll she do, 40-45 ?.
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 7 ай бұрын
So loaded down with gear, wife, and kid, she'll do about 35 to 37 mph. That's also keeping the trim adjusted to give her a smooth ride. With just myself in the boat, and the trim on the next setting to bring the nose up a bit, I've hit 40 mph with her. But, it's not as smooth, very light in the front, and bouncy. In addition, the prop will cavitate making hard turns at that setting (due to the raised transom). This is all with a 17 pitch prop. A 19 pitch would slightly lower the RPMS, make it slower to take off, and lose a couple of MPH. What you are guessing is what I was hoping the boat would go when I bought her :)
@trappenweisseguy27
@trappenweisseguy27 7 ай бұрын
That’s still not bad, and I don’t know of anybody who runs full out for more than a few minutes at a time. I think the fastest I went on water was around 50, and being out in the open it feels like a hundred and fifty.
@bethcrites9435
@bethcrites9435 11 ай бұрын
Could probably be another 3 to 4 inches higher on the transom
@retro_grade
@retro_grade 11 ай бұрын
@bethcrities9435 - surprisingly, it's dead on....can't even go an inch higher on the transom. The previous owner paid a friend of his who sets up and races hydroplanes and such to reinforce and raise the transom on the boat when he owned it. At its current height, if I take a hard turn while having it set to the proper trim for max speed, I'll start to cavitate the prop. It will also cavitate on the rare occasion that I ever have the boat out on rough water. This MK75 is the short shaft configuation, not long shaft.
@JohnJones-ps9fo
@JohnJones-ps9fo Жыл бұрын
What was your speed.?
@retro_grade
@retro_grade Жыл бұрын
Between 35 and 37 mph. Unloaded and trimmed right, 40s about all I can make with it
@JohnJones-ps9fo
@JohnJones-ps9fo Жыл бұрын
Looks good, seems to run well, that's a nice cruise speed, different props perform differently at different rpm on these old motors--you have a nice rig with a classic motor that moves smoothly on the water--enjoyed the video, thanks
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