On Thu, 27 Aug 2015 20:00:56 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

BTW 54 Mercury for me. Lock nut from a carburetor bolt. The machine
shop could fix the head but it was never really right after that.


Same here. Needed a valve job afterwards and had to have the head
planned. I was hoping that would produce a little more compression and
maybe result in a bit more horsepower but it really didn't make any
difference. Just an expensive fix at a time when I could least afford it.


I drove the Mercury until I went into the CG (only a few months) then
I gave it to the guy who helped me fix it.