140 Mercruiser
Brush, I had one in a 20' Safari, just like your's. Conner and I crashed around in it in the 70's
It isn't the Chevy Nova motor. The 120 was. This is a special block Chevrolet cast for Mercury down in sunny Mexico, before they were NAFTA partners. it uses 327 4" pistons and does not develop enough torque to destroy a type 1 Alpha drive, but they have the typical gimbal bearing and bellows issues. The tilt and trim work great. The cylinder wall thickness is very thin and so there is a problem if you bore them with the cylinders cracking vertically and the engine filling with water. Along with the typical manifold and elbow replacement schedule of three year intervals, the cast tensioner on the alternator cracks, and you can't keep the belt tight. Other than that they are flawless and pretty good on fuel - 3+ MPG.
If I would have put a stubby bracket on it with an outboard, in 1978, like Denny, I'd probably still be running it.
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