See full version: How do I tell how old my Mercury outboard is
Some 90-hp engines in 18′ aluminum boats with two people aboard will perform almost as well at cruise and have a WOT in the low 40s. 16′ aluminum boats are popular and a 60-hp engine will typically propel them from 25 mph to 30 mph top speed, depending on load.
You could go as fast as 25 miles per hour on a standard pontoon boat with a 115 HP engine and a medium load. A 30-foot pontoon boat with a 115 HP engine can go up to 15 miles per hour. more
A 1973 Mercury 110 9.8 HP outboard on a 14′ Alumarine aluminum boat at full throttle. With 2 passengers and a boat loaded with fishing gear, the GPS recorded a top speed of 30 KPH (19 MPH). more
Every Mercury outboard has a serial number label located on the transom bracket area of the engine. The latest serial number labels display a 2-digit number in a box at the lower right portion of the label. These digits coincide with the last two digits of the year in which the outboard was manufactured. more
Yamaha also produces a “high-thrust” 9.9-horsepower model, which provides up to twice the thrust of comparable 9.9 models, thanks to a large-diameter propeller. While not as well-known as some other brands, Suzuki manufacturers some of the nicest and most durable outboards on the market. more
Mercury Outboard Prices: 2021
Identify the engine model and type, represented by the fourth through eighth characters, which indicate various characteristics of the vehicle. here
Every automobile produced since 1981 has been assigned a vehicle identification number, or VIN. It consists of 17 characters---digits and letters---that together identify the particular attributes of the vehicle. The VIN's location on a Mercury is, as with most vehicles, along the inside base of the windshield in front and to the left of the driver. Vehicle identification numbers are engraved or stamped on a plastic or aluminum tag attached to the top of the dashboard.
Verify that your Mercury VIN is a genuine number. The ninth character of a VIN is derived using a special formula devised by the Department of Transportation. Each digit among the 17 characters is assigned its true mathematical value and each letter among the 17 characters is given a mathematical value according to the DOT chart. The value of each character is multiplied by a position weight factor. The sum of the addition of the products of each multiplication is divided by 11. The answer should be the same as the ninth digit in the VIN, proving it is genuine. here
Check the Mercury's model year. Look at the 10th character in the VIN. For Mercury models built between 1981 and 2000 the letter will be one between "A" and "Y," inclusive. After the year 2000 the year is represented by a number starting at "1" until 2010 when the system reverted to "A."
Identify the Mercury type. This is indicated by the third character, which will be a number representing the type or manufacturing division. [links]
If your Mercury outboard is a 2006 model, or newer, you can use the online Mercury Parts Catalog to look up the model year. Enter the engine's serial number in the block provided and you get the engine's model year and a comprehensive parts list. more
Finding the model year of your Mercury outboard may be as simple as looking at its title if your state requires your Merc to carry its own, separate title. If not, locate the product identification plate on the engine mounting bracket. Many newer Mercury outboards have the model year stated prominently on this sticker. If the model year doesn't appear on yours, the serial number, also located on this plate, is the key. here
For engines built prior to 2006, contact any Mercury Marine dealer. The dealer is the gold standard for information about your Mercury outboard and, using Mercury's proprietary resources, can provide you with the outboard's model year.
Look on the top of the sheave (the pulley-like attachment around which you wrap the starter rope) for a model number, K1, K2, K3, K4 or K5, stamped into the metal. The "K" numbers are Mercury Kiekhaefer motors. The Wizard motor, though similar in appearance, didn't appear until 1941, and those serial numbers begin with "WA". [links]
Models built from 1947 to 1955 have an instruction plate riveted to the front of the engine with the model number stamped on it. Likewise, 1949 to 1953 four-cylinder models have an instruction plate, with the model number stamped on it, riveted to the cover on the front of the engine.
Whether it's a 1940 K-1 or a 1979 Merc 2000, the identification of a Mercury Kiekhaefer outboard motor depends more on the Model Number than on any other factor, including appearance. From 1941 to 1957, Mercury also built "Wizard" motors for Western Auto that closely resembled the Kiekhaefer motors, but the Wizard motors had different model designations, unique to the brand, and slight differences prevent the the parts from being interchangeable with those of the Mercury Kiekhaefer motors.
From 1941 to 1946, the model number, beginning with the letters, "KB," is stamped on a plate riveted just below the powerhead (the internal combustion part of the outboard) to the starboard (right) side of the motor's leg (the part that goes down toward the water) here