I’m having some problems removing the lower on my 62 Mercury 700. The service manual isn’t super clear on this (and was wrong on some things, like the trim tab needing removed, it said it wasn’t needed but it most certainly was needed).
Anyway, they say there are 3 5/8″ bolts, one of which is “leading edge”, the other two are the standard side bolts. The “leading edge” bolt, right on the nose of the upper is what I think needs to come off but there is zero access to it. The motor mount is in the way of getting any kind of tool in there, particularly a tool that you can put some torque on to loosen the bolt. In these pictures you can see where, with some effort, I was able to get a 5/8″ socket over the bolt, but no way a socket wrench or even an extension will go in there – the engine mount curves in a way that the only access “hole” at the top is not a straight shot to the bolt at all.
I tried putting a universal on the socket to see if that little bit of wiggle room would allow me access and the socket is about all I can fit on that bolt.
So, how in the world does one get that bolt out? Is that bolt securing the lower? I assume it is because the lower is loose all the way up to about where that bolt would be securing it to the upper. I’ve seen on later 70’s models that that “nose bolt” is needing removed to drop the lower, but in later engines it’s completely accessible with a socket wrench, on this it’s almost like I need some bizarre special angled wrench, and even if I had that I don’t see how you could maneuver it to get the torque needed to loosen the nut.
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