Salt Water Merc Ran 28 Years
I replaced the original '76 Merc 150 straight six on my '76 Seafari in 1985 with a Merc 150 V6. This second engine ran for 28 years until the summer of 2013 with the first 15 years in salt water in south Florida. The remaining usage was on SC fresh water lakes for watersports. It received relatively routine maintenance, but the carbs were never rebuilt (thanks to annual replacement of the water separating fuel filter) until 3 years before she died. The mechanic who gave me the low-compression death warrant told me I got twice as much out of it as I should have considering salt water usage!
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