Mercury 6HP Outboard Motor

Model ME 6MH: a used, single-cylinder, 6 HP Mercury four-stroke built on the short shaft rather than the long one, steered by tiller and started by hand.

Where a short shaft fits

Short-shaft 6 HP motors like this are sized for inflatable soft-hull boats, jon boats, aluminum tiller boats, and other small utility craft with a lower transom than a long-shaft hull needs. Trim adjusts manually across 6 positions, reaching a shallow water range of 16 degrees, and shifting runs the usual forward-neutral-reverse pattern.

Condition and running details

This unit is used, so expect cosmetic and operating wear tied to its prior service rather than a new-in-box look, though the carbureted fuel system and thermostat-controlled cooling are unchanged from new. Mercury's own CARB rating for this engine is 3 stars. The internal tank holds 0.3 US gallons with an external shutoff valve, and an optional 3.2-gallon remote tank stretches range on longer outings. Dry weight is listed at 56 lbs, and the gearcase runs a 2.15:1 ratio, using 87-octane fuel with up to 10 percent ethanol and Mercury's own FourStroke 10W-30 oil. A propeller ships with the unit. Rinse the tiller grip after salt exposure to keep the twist action smooth.

Q: Is this the short-shaft or long-shaft version? Short.

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