Merctrans question
 

I'm not real familiar with these transmissions and am curious if you can remove all the electric shift components and convert to cables. I'd like to update a restoration project to gafrig shifter and throttles. Assuming it can be done my biggest question is if there is any downfalls to this. Pros and cons.
Boat is a 79 twin bbc

Tips for any input
John

Sure can, very easy! Just have to find the cable mounting linkage that mounts on top on the trans in place of the electric shift setup. No downfalls at all. In fact much more dependable. The electric shift is more practically used in house boats with dual helms. Here is a link to a trans on ebay with the cable shift linkage on it so you can see what it looks like. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercruiser-M...05d063&vxp=mtr
The problem is going to be finding these beings they haven't been made since the '70s.

Prett sure I may have what u need I have 5 of these trannys and only one had electric shift all the rest had cables

there are 2 for sale right now on ebay cheap. 99 cents opening bid. westfield wisconsin. wouldn't be too far from you except for that large puddle named lake michigan...next couple of days when it warms up a little, (i know. a jersey boy complaining about the cold to you is about like a florida boy complaining to me!) i will get a few pics of the shift linkage and cables. they say you REALLY REALLY want to get rid of elec shift. if it dies it ain't so bad. if it works halfway, it blows the tranny. (blows the tranny...sounds dirty.)

well no need in me looking now

Hey tks very much guys! Appreciate the insight and help here. Is there a fair amount of difference in the shifting going to cable. That doesn't bother me the least. I have cables that I had purchased for the BW's I had purchased with the intent of using however am going to stick with the merctrans for now and would like to keep it simple and clean.

So there is no disadvantage at all going to cable correct? i will certainly adjust cables properly....

Tks again everybody.

Good to see you on board still smokin gun!!! I Hope all is well with you. It's been a while.

John.
I will send you a message this evening, I would rather purchase from you if you have and also a couple rebuidable merctrans for spares if you have. I'm not ready to move the engines forward yet.

Ha I saw the trans on eBay. Ya its mighty cold here. Now looking for the bracket mounts in which case I go that route. Also while on subject does anyone know if the flywheels are different tooth size btwn merctrans app and bW's?

Tks john

Tooth number should be the same, 168. However if the flywheels were for BW's using top mount starters then the ring gear will be to the back side of the flywheel. To use with bottom mount starters they will need to be pressed to the front side.

you CAN use bottom mount standard starters on borgs but the starter up high where it is about the easiest thing to get to is a biggie...

Why would you keep the merctrans? Just curious.

because you don't have to relocate your motors forward to switch to another trans that is a little better and a little less extinct...especially cuz they are probably gonna get relocated aft anyway to switch to a setup that is not as good but a LOT less extinct, and a little faster to boot...

I get your point and actually have two freshly rebuilt bW's however these trans only have 300 hours on them and we're working fine when I pulled the boat last however I would like to get the boat back in the water this year after a project that got set aside for some time do to surgeries etc. with another surgery in the near future will undoubtably leave me with a prosthetic left foot and ankle. (Motor cross days). When healed and able I plan to move the engines forward and rig the bW's. I've got everything and then some to get it done however it just more of a time issue now.

These merctrans that were in the boat are the originals and I've known their whereabouts since the boat was new. I pulled them off the old engines today and cleaned up etc. they look new with the original paint and the oil looked great. Gonna put the larger capacity coolers in place of the old ones and call it good for now.

Any reason not to run aluminum flywheels with this application. I have a couple that I just need to put the starter rings on the other side. I'd like to use if possible.
Tks for the help on this. If I recsll the weight of the aluminum ones are 13.5 pds

Boy those pressure plates look like something for a remote control boat compared to the hd ones I had purchased for the bW's.

i assume there is room between the pulleys and the back seat for the move forward? cuz if you have everything it isn't that much of a job if engines are out anyway. since you are already talking running the shift cables and converting the mercs to man shift.

Might consider. Just depends what doc says this week. I am pretty certain I have enough room in the front to move them 8" or so. Doing the work myself. I might give it a shot otherwise like you said maybe just use the set up as was before wit the electric shift. Everything worked very well before restoration so maybe just use existing throttles.

A little better? You know all the hubers and most of bams line are modified Borg 72's right? Sorry the merc trans was weak at best. And it's not much work to do the swap. Just not worth it to me in a performance application. And swapping to a bravo I won't get into that one

The only thing about the aluminum flywheels that I can think of is it may want to kill the engine when you put it in gear. With these being hydraulic transmissions which go into gear softer than say a Alpha or Bravo then there may not be a problem. Just something I had heard or read on here in the past that you may consider.

That is a good point. I could see where their could be some variables regarding that.
Don't really wanna bring my ores to bump start before I throw them in gear. Lol.

Regarding moving the engines forward. I would assume I'd just pull the mounts that's from the current position on the stringers and lower the engines with the bW's and once I drop the bolts in the ears off the tranny I'd continue to lower engine to the same height as where they were before although just forward. I would assume the engines be installed at same height right.
Hmmm. Sounds like not much more than a day's work actually considering the engines are already out.
Tks for the replies.

Any other info on flywheels please inform.
Appreciate it.
John