quote green thumbs:
Best way to learn is by doing. Practice on a motor you can not hurt. There are more than a few
stuck, broken or missing parts KE4 Mark 7 around. Usually you can salvage some parts…sometimes even a part you might need…someday. You might learn a little by
looking thru past files and photos on Jason’s Wizard site. Western Auto bought outboards
from Kiekhaefer from 1940 to 1957 so the two brands share basics at least. Although there
is no Wizard version of KE4 Mark 7. I have a Mark 7 with a KE4 serial number…dealer sent in tag and factory sent new id tag so dealer could sell as a current model…I also have
a first run KE4 with early KD4 pistons, rods and cylinders….factory did not waste good
parts and it is shown that way in parts manual.
Anyway I once shared you reluctance to delve into matters I did not understand. If you are
not comfortable with it don’t do it. If you can not resist the urge to wrench, have at it.
You will break things and or find things already broke that you will have to parts chase.
It is all part of the fun if you look at things that way.
Louis
Louis
I am not scared to get in there and work on it I would just rather not screw anything up that doesn’t need it if that makes any sense. If I can ask some questions here and learn a bit before diving into a particular portion of the motor I will to try to help myself not break anything accidentally. I have learned so much on this site over the past few years it is amazing. I did go over a browse through a few old threads on the old wizard site as well.
This motor is really in great shape and there was no need for me to get as far into this motor as I have already gotten, I just am a curious mind and want to see how things work. Plus it keeps me out of my wife’s hair 😀 . The inside of the crankcase on this motor is absolutely spotless, it has good compression, and none of the rings appear to be stuck so I would rather not get in there on this one. I’ll save that for another motor down the road that is either stuck or has low compression numbers.
In all honesty I could have just changed one point, cleaned the tank, and serviced the lower unit and this one would have been fine but it gives me something to wrench on!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge of these old mercs they are nothing like the new ones hanging on the back of my boat.
