TOPIC: 1962 Pacific Mariner Stern Drive

I recently picked up a 1962 Pacific Mariner boat with a small 4 cylinder motor. What sold me on the boat was the outdrive. It seems to be a vintage Mercruiser that has a crank that lowers the out
drive and locks in to place via what seems to be a pristine cable. Is this a rare find? The boat it self in my opinion is in darn near new shape. Can anyone tell me anything about this vessel? I plan to dust it off and use it. Its just way too cool. I think all I need are a pair of hanging dice on the mirror and I will be back in the 60s.

Welcome Dan, please post some pics of your PM when you get a chance. We'd love to see it, and it would help the gang identify what you've got there as well.

(There's a thread in the Support Forum on how to post pics if you need help, I just can't get it to come up right now for some reason. Ain't that a kick in the pants! )

I made an error on the year of this awesome little gem. Its a 1966 Pacific Mariner Stiletto. It has a 60 hp Mercruiser motor and this freaky outdrive that lowers with a crank. The outdrive says Mercruiser. The motor just bolts right on to the outdrive and is suspended and has no motor mounts at all. I have never seen anything like this. To me it looks like she will run.I need to get a key made install a battery and keep my fingers crossed. Its a one owner boat, the owner passed away and it has been sitting for quite some time. By the looks of the oil,the spark plugs,and the pristine interior, this guy loved his boat.My big and probably the most expensive question I have, would be, should I decide to repower the boat with a new motor and and outdrive, what choices would I have? For now I am just assuming the motor is frozen and the outdrive is toast. I want to make this boat look like she did the day she was born. I think I will spare no expense to accomplish this.
Repowering is plan B.

PACIFICDAN,

Unless i'm badly mistaken, that is a 68 CI, 4-cylinder, built by RENUALT engine coupled to a "fits nothing else" outdrive.
(the only engines that will interchange are the 80/90HP RENAULTS, which are simply larger bore/longer stroke on about the same design.)

That engine/OD may well be OK & changing to another system (other than possibly a 110/120 Mercruiser) would be a real PITA, imVho. = I would TRY to use the original if i could.

yours, satx

PACIFICDAN,

WELCOME to the FORUM!!!!

note: should you decide to change out the engine/OD, the 120 Mercruiser (a 153CI GM block) & the matching OD are often DIRT CHEAP, if you get them as a part of "a JUNK-BOAT deal". - right now, i KNOW OF 2 junkers, with good engine/ODs, for FREE, if you don't want the trailer!

yours, satx

You are correct. It is a renault motor. It looks like it needs a little electrical work done. I will have that done
install a battery and see what happens. The outdrive looks ok. Since its a manual crank to raises and lowers the drive i dont have to worry about any hydraulics, burnt out drive motors, or anything too expensive to repair. Does anyone know when the next Fiberglassics get together at Coulon Beach in Seattle is going to be?

PACIFICDAN,

BEST WISHES on your repair/restoration. = looks like a "winner" of a rig to me.
(i suspect that it's a fairly rare boat, too.)

yours, satx

Hi,
Free advice is sometimes worth what you paid, but I would recommend that you:
1) very carefully inspect the drive line (U Joint) bellows for rot or damage, as if this fails it can quickly do a lot of damage to the outdrive (gimbal bearing, universal joints, input yoke, etc.) and fill the boat this water when not on plane
2) remove the top cover of the upper drive unit, and carefully inspect the upper roller bearing (this bearing is not immersed in lube and can rust with a long lay-up) - an o-ring will be needed
3) remove of the drive unit assembly from the transom assembly to allow the gimbal bearing to be felt for "catches" or binding, to inspect the bellows inside for an upper drive unit gear lubricant leak, and lubricate the driveline splines to engine coupler (the grease may have congelled) - this will require a bell housing to upper drive gasket
4) replace the rubber water pump impeller in the lower drive unit (you would be quite lucky if the present one does not allow the motor to overheat and the high exhaust temperatures do a great deal of damage to plastic and rubber components in the exhaust system - likewise, never test run the motor even for a second or so without a water supply) - an impeller and the impeller face plate gaskets would be the minimum
5) check the gear lubricant in both the upper and lower portions of the drive unit, and certainly very soon after a test run on land with a water supply or a sea trial to ensure that there is not a severe gear lube leak
6) lubricate (with a hand grease gun) the outdrive turning and tilting points, and the steering system both at the helm and transom

Regards,
Joe
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www.fergusonpoolemarine.com

Ferguson_Poole,

Sounds like GOOD ADVICE for ANY I/O rig. - especially one that has "set a while".

yours, satx

That engine combo is good one. Two of our neighbors had this combo. One was a 15' Larson All American and the other was a Glastron 15' tri-hull. The engine ran like a sewing machine. We used to raise the outdrive with a old style hand crank that was remineiscent of a hand drill. As I recall, it fit into notch and raised the cable up to bring the outdrive up. Cool find!

OH BOY, do you ever have a rare one there. That is a Mercruser 80 or 90 hp and they are rare beyond rare. They basically used a lower unit from an outboard with a smaller than usual top section installed on top of it. Problem was there was no market for an sterndrive that small and the Renault engine was an issue for parts and service. Merc dropped the idea after only a couple of years. Very interesting package, they even tried a 60 horse version with a Rover diesel if you can believe it. You would have to search long and hard to find one of these today, and parts are pretty much a done deal I am afraid. A real shame, I enjoyed working on these back in the day, and I suspect it will be very collectable for it's rarity!! Love to see some pictures. Check out this link for some info on the srerndrive.

books.google.ca/books?id=lykDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=mercruiser+80+hp&source=bl&ots=RPBWFY7RHu&sig=7gV7rMIxE0YcD7QUzxjR7qB274Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=T1XKUKD-G4GErAGXsYHoAQ&ved=0CGYQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=mercruiser%2080%20hp&f=false