# 60/40 stainless impeller



## handyandy (Apr 11, 2016)

So I have a 60/40 mercury on my boat I did the jet swap and the jet I found used came with the smaller 6 5/8" impeller that was meant for 50/35 engines. I've been running it the 6 5/8 since I had it and figured I'd run it till it was worn. I called outboard jets today and was ordering up the 6 7/8" liner and told them I was wanting to go with the three blade stainless impeller, but they were telling me that mercury has changed the design of the three blade stainless impellers to better suite the four stroke engines they make now and that they no longer run any better in the two strokes than the aluminum impellers. Told me if I wanted stainless to try and find a old stock stainless one that is better on the two stroke engines. Just hoping to see if anyone has compared a older stainless impeller to one of the new ones or knows if this is true that the impellers have changed before I decide to order one or not.


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## mphelle (Apr 11, 2016)

If you look at the outboard jets website, your 93 has 51.8 cubic inches meant for the 50/60hp pump/impeller combination vs. the 98 and up 59 cubic inches meant for the 60hp with the 6 7/8 impeller. What rpms are you seeing at WOT with the 6 5/8?


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## Lil' Blue Rude (Apr 11, 2016)

I'd check with quicksilver ( they make mercury stainless props and impellers) before I'd take outboard jets word on it. They've always said on smaller motors aluminum impellers are better. I know what I've seen EVERY time I've put a stainless in it'll gain better holeshot and normally 1mph on top end. Let us know if you figure anything out.


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## Sully (Apr 11, 2016)

Give Wooldridge Boats a call and ask Glen. I bought one of his stainless impellers for my 1991 Suzuki PU40 it was a 4 blade and I was very pleased with the performance. Worth a shot!


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## BigTerp (Apr 12, 2016)

Lil' Blue Rude said:


> I know what I've seen EVERY time I've put a stainless in it'll gain *better holeshot* and normally *1mph on top end*. Let us know if you figure anything out.



This is exactly what I experienced when going from an aluminum impeller to stainless on my 1994 Johnson 50/35.


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## handyandy (Apr 12, 2016)

I'll try and give quicksilver a call. I'm aware my motor is the 51ci engine, it's the 60hp model. According to outboard jets even back then the 50hp jets although the same AG model had the 6 5/8" impeller and liner where as the 60hp AG model was suppose to come with a 6 7/8" impeller and liner. I'm not sure what my rpms are exactly no tach, I know I should get and plan on it. My motor is a 60hp I've just been running the smaller impeller because that's what the jet I bought came with. I bought my outboard jet lower used because it was only $800 vs around $2000 for a new one. Had I bought new which I didn't do because I couldn't justify the cost of, I would have got one with a 6 7/8" impeller and liner. Just going off of the sound of the engine at WOT it sounds like it's revving a little high, I know get a tach to be able to actually know. I plan on getting a tach so I can compare rpm before swapping around impeller's and liners. I will compare speed as well, but it will be a little subjective as when I make the switch I'm also switching to one of the rock proof UHMW intakes, which I've heard usually hurt top speed 1-2 mph. My hope is that the speed I lose for the UHMW intake I will gain back with the 1/4" larger stainless impeller and wind up with the same speeds but have the tougher intake. I usually don't keep it 100% WOT while running unless I really want some speed to go across a shoal or riffle in a river just because it does seem like the rpm's are a little high. 

As for the UHMW intake I will report my thoughts on that as well. Main reason I'm going with it is I tend to have a lot of logs to go over and some spots with riffles that are impossible to go through with out catching some larger rock sticking up a little higher than the rest. The logs are always good at catching the intake as you go over. I'm surprised I haven't done more damage to my intake already. I'd say the one thing that has saved it so far is my motor is older doesn't have power trim and can kick up easily with the tilt assist when the motor isn't locked down. Which I never run it locked down so it can kick up. Thankfully this pic has been the worst outing and didn't do any major harm to the intake, but bent the intake bars up pretty good.


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## mphelle (Apr 12, 2016)

Here is a link to a cheap tach that you could mount on your motor. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Digital-Tach-Hour-Meter-Tachometer-Gauge-For-2-Stroke-4-stroke-Gas-Engines-/331223584733?hash=item4d1e76cfdd:g:~awAAOxyi-ZTadfo&vxp=mtr

I'm curious what rpm you're at now and hopefully it will spin a 6 7/8 over 5k, if you want to drag it over here to St Louis you can try it with my aluminum 6 7/8 impeller and foot.


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## handyandy (Apr 12, 2016)

ordered that same tach already shortly after my last post.


mphelle said:


> Here is a link to a cheap tach that you could mount on your motor. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Digital-Tach-Hour-Meter-Tachometer-Gauge-For-2-Stroke-4-stroke-Gas-Engines-/331223584733?hash=item4d1e76cfdd:g:~awAAOxyi-ZTadfo&vxp=mtr
> 
> I'm curious what rpm you're at now and hopefully it will spin a 6 7/8 over 5k, if you want to drag it over here to St Louis you can try it with my aluminum 6 7/8 impeller and foot.



I'm from stl originally I might take you up on that. Although I already sent the money for the UHMW intake people I found that actually have them really didn't have anything bad to say about them. And ordered a new liner for the UHMW intake as it uses the drop in liner so my current one wouldn't work and outboard jets doesn't make a drop liner in 6 5/8" to be able try and see the difference in intakes using the same size impeller as what I currently have. So I had to go with the 6 7/8" liner. I suspect the motor will turn the 6 7/8" just fine cause if it originally had a jet it would have had that, and it's not a lot bigger only a 1/4". We will see still need to call mercury and ask about weather or not the new stainless impellers are that much different. But next time I'm going to be around stl I can let you know could try running the different impellers and intakes to see how much of difference is made in all them. aluminum intake vs plastic with each impeller, and plastic intake with aluminum impeller vs stainless. Aluminum intake with 6 5/8 impeller vs 6 7/8. I would be curious to see what kind of difference there is between all of them.


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## mphelle (Apr 12, 2016)

Sounds good, I saw that JL8Jeff has a merc 60/45, if it's older than 98 maybe he will weigh in and let you know what impeller he has and what rpm he is seeing at WOT.


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## handyandy (Apr 12, 2016)

hopefully he might chime in as his motor if pre 98 would be pretty much the same. Mine is the mariner variety so it's sporting grey paint rather than black.


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## JL8Jeff (Apr 12, 2016)

I'm not really sure what size impeller my motor has. It looks like a factory jet outboard but the tag is missing. I don't have a tach either so I'm not sure what rpm's I'm turning.


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## handyandy (Apr 13, 2016)

JL8Jeff if you fell like pulling your boot off you can measure the diameter of the liner to know whether or not you have a 6 5/8 or 6 7/8. What year is your mercury if it was a factory 60/40 rather than a 50/35 it should be a 6 7/8 from what I understand. Talking with outboard jets the 60hp got the 6 7/8 and the 50hp although they were same basic power head got the 6 5/8. The 50hp was the same as the 60hp back when mine was made it was just detuned with smaller carbs and a different exhaust tuner. So if mine had been a factory jet it should have had the 6 7/8 as should yours if it's a 60hp powerhead. But in my case I have the 6 5/8 because that's just what I got with the jet unit I bought to swap mine to a jet.


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## JL8Jeff (Apr 13, 2016)

Mine is definitely a factory 60/45 jet I think from 1994. I don't think the motor got a lot of use, it was pretty clean but was hit by a large tree branch during Sandy which cracked the hood and broke some linkage. It might still be the original impeller/liner which are in pretty good shape. I did take the grate bars off to straighten them. I'm putting the boat in the water for the season today so I won't get a chance to pull the foot off any time soon.


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## handyandy (Apr 13, 2016)

well if you ever happen to take the foot off if you can measure the impeller I'd be curious to know what it has. Should be a 6 7/8 being the 60 rather than the 50


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## JL8Jeff (Apr 13, 2016)

I just stuck a measuring tape up inside the foot and the outside of the liner measures 5-7/8 at the bottom. I'm not sure if that helps or not.


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## handyandy (Apr 14, 2016)

Not sure how much the impeller and liner expand as they go up.


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## mphelle (Apr 14, 2016)

While you wait for the tach, measure the OD of the bottom of your liner and take note of it's thickness.


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## dhoganjr (Apr 14, 2016)

This is a link to a Facebook group I'm on. The new impeller design from Mercury is to get the rpms up on the Fourstroke's, gains about 400 on them and about 1-2 mph. Doesn't help the 2 strokes from what I have read. Since Gw is taking trade-ins for the new ones, you might be able to get a good used one for a better price. Give him a call, won't hurt to check. 
https://m.facebook.com/groups/604452952959143?view=permalink&id=1016538915083876


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## mphelle (Apr 14, 2016)

Great info, do you have a link or contact information for those of us that don't use facebook?


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## dhoganjr (Apr 14, 2016)

mphelle said:


> Great info, do you have a link or contact information for those of us that don't use facebook?


GW Lutrell, (573)689-2647


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## mphelle (Apr 14, 2016)

Thank you sir, I believe handyandy will be looking for a 6 7/8.


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## handyandy (Apr 15, 2016)

I will be, and will give them a call. Sucks about the stainless impeller redesign, dang four chokes ruining them.


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## mphelle (Apr 15, 2016)

What were your measurements?


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## handyandy (Apr 15, 2016)

well just talked gw he does have new 6 7/8" impellers of the older style. Doesn't have any used ones in as of yet that he wants to sell. He is kind of proud of the new impellers he has, but what can you do. Pay a little less and get around 380 on line and get a new style one that work as well on a 2s. Or pay a little more to get one of the old style ones brand new that you won't be able to find anymore soon. It's almost like they are trying to force four chokes on you now. I can get making a new impeller for the four strokes, but wish they would have done it under a new part number and keep making the old style. Seems like they're still plenty of two strokes running around, and enough guys like me who don't care to trade in and have to sell a arm and leg to buy a new engine.


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## handyandy (Apr 15, 2016)

dhoganjr said:


> This is a link to a Facebook group I'm on. The new impeller design from Mercury is to get the rpms up on the Fourstroke's, gains about 400 on them and about 1-2 mph. Doesn't help the 2 strokes from what I have read. Since Gw is taking trade-ins for the new ones, you might be able to get a good used one for a better price. Give him a call, won't hurt to check.
> https://m.facebook.com/groups/604452952959143?view=permalink&id=1016538915083876




I appreciate the lead on gw, and the FB link but I couldn't get the FB link to work


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## dhoganjr (Apr 15, 2016)

You can search for and join the group SEMO Jet Boat Enthusiast.
It was started by a member from here.


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## handyandy (Apr 15, 2016)

thanks found it joined seems like a good group. Just talked to mercury customer service for a while suppose to call me back to verify what the difference in impellers is the guy I talked to was baffled because he figured they would have come out with a superseding part number if they changed the design. Everyone says the new ones are different just wanted to hear from mercury themselves before I pay extra to make sure I have a older style.


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## handyandy (Apr 19, 2016)

well I called up multiple dealers, troutt and sons, ernies, current river marine, and gw asked all of them about the new and old impeller. I got quiet the mixed answers. Troutt & Sons says the new impellers run just fine on the two stroke 60/40 mercs they just spin a couple hundred rpm faster than they did with the old ones. They say the extra rpms are just fine with the 2s and that they have customers running them on 2s without any complaint or noticeable difference. GW says that the new ones don't run as well as the old style ones did on the 2s, he has a couple old style impellers still brand, but wants full list price $420 plus tax, and shipping for them. Not exactly a good deal considering on line a brand new one is 340 total, and all the other dealers around only want 350-380 for a brand new one. Current river marine they weren't even aware of the change and couldn't really say weather or not the new ones ran much different on the 2s or not. Ernies had about the same to say as Troutt & Sons that it shouldn't affect performance that much that the engine would just spin a little faster. So honestly now I don't know what to think, wish I could try out a new and old style one before coughing up the money. Haven't been able to find any body with a 2s that has run both to comment on what they think.


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## Lil' Blue Rude (Apr 19, 2016)

Either impeller is going to be an improvement over what you've been running. GW is probably right that the older ones are better but for what your doing the new one will still be better then what you have. You have to keep in mind GW doesn't deal with the average fishing boats, he's dealing with high performance riding boats. So when he says the old ones run better he might be talking about 1 boat length faster out of the hole or something along those lines might be more then that I haven't had a chance to talk to him about these new impellers yet. Back when they had the boat races on the gasconade GW had a 60/40 Johnson that could only be out run by Cowtowns built 200hp evinrude. Hopefully he dust it off and brings it St. Clair on May 21 for the races this year.


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## dhoganjr (Apr 19, 2016)

^^^^^Great advice from Lil' Blue Rude. A few extra rpm's won't hurt unless you are running at the rev limiter. I also think either one will be a big improvement over what you have now.


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## handyandy (Apr 20, 2016)

Thanks for the advice my tach came in the other day so I'm gonna get it on and see what my rpms are like now with the 6 5/8 and speed. The UHMW intake came in the other day along with the 6 7/8" liner, so need to get a impeller now. When I swap them I will report back what speed and rpms are like with the new intake and impeller. Debating on getting a 6 7/8 liner for the aluminum intake to be able to see if there is any difference in speed between the aluminum intake and uhmw.


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