I want to move my motor up one hole on my boat. It is a Mercury 115 4 stroke. I took the cowl off and I see no location to hook up a lift to the motor. The manual says that I need to take off the fly wheel and then I can put a eye bolt into the motor and use that to lift it. I checked into the price for themercury fly wheel remover and it is not cheep like right around $200. Is there any other way to remove the fly wheel with out this tool??

look at the top center of your flywheel, there may be a plastic plug protecting a fairly large fine thread. Mercury (and others) makes a lift ring that screws into that thread. How did you get the Mercury service manual so fast? I hope you're not looking at some other generic service manual, that may not be for your specific engine. The Mercury service manual I have for my 75 Opti shows the correct tool. I can't imagine the 4-strokes are that much different. The dealers need to easily lift the motor to hang them on the boats.
HRG
it would look something like this:

For example, my dealer hates to use lifting eyes. So he has a set of pads he puts on a forklift and lifts the motor by the lower cowl- the arms on the lift fit closely to the lower unit. He's lifted several engines for me numerous times and it's really fast- and costs a lot less than $200.
Doug

look at the top center of your flywheel, there may be a plastic plug protecting a fairly large fine thread. Mercury (and others) makes a lift ring that screws into that thread. How did you get the Mercury service manual so fast? I hope you're not looking at some other generic service manual, that may not be for your specific engine. The Mercury service manual I have for my 75 Opti shows the correct tool. I can't imagine the 4-strokes are that much different. The dealers need to easily lift the motor to hang them on the boats.
HRG
it would look something like this:

Hot Runr Guy, I have not gotten my service manual yet. The puller is shown in my owner's manual and I did a search on the net to see what it cost. I am going pull the cowl again and see if there is a plug that I can remove that a eye bolt will screw into. I will let you know what I find.

they may want you to pull the flywheel and use the tool they describe because the 4 stroke weighs more and the eye needs all the thread grip it can get so it doesnt pull out

Pulling the flywheel can be a job in itself and if you have never done it before it might just be better to let a pro lift the motor like was suggested.

I really dont know, just a thought

I looked at the motor again and there is a rubber cap on top of the fly wheel but under the cover is the bolt that holds the fly wheel on. I did notice that right behind the fly wheel there is what looks like a lifting eye that extends above the motor block but it is still part of the motor block. Not sure how I missed this the first time I was looking at it, once I saw it, it now sticks out like a sore thumb. I would have to assume that this is a location that I could run a lifting strap thru to lift the motor.

Thanks for your feed back

Why not just unbolt the motor from the transom, balance your motor on the skeg, lower the transom by cranking the front of the trailer up allowing you to re-install the bolts in the new position. Worked for me on a 225 opti. With two people this is quite easy.

I looked at the motor again and there is a rubber cap on top of the fly wheel but under the cover is the bolt that holds the fly wheel on. I did notice that right behind the fly wheel there is what looks like a lifting eye that extends above the motor block but it is still part of the motor block. Not sure how I missed this the first time I was looking at it, once I saw it, it now sticks out like a sore thumb. I would have to assume that this is a location that I could run a lifting strap thru to lift the motor.

Thanks for your feed back
My 60 4S had that lift hook you're describing, but I wasn't sure the larger motors had the same built-in hook. You should be good to go.
HRG

Another source for a mercury lifting eye.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercury-Lifting-Eye-P904_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el124 7QQcategoryZ50439QQihZ005QQitemZ150137169838QQrdZ1 QQsspagenameZWD1V

Use the lifting eye - don't try to jury rig it. Your motor is much too valuable to all the possibility of dropping it when moving it.

REW

Balance a 225 on the skeg? I'm surprised that the skeg would not bend or break under the weight, since I don't believe that the skeg was ever designed for that.

I bought one of those lifting rings off EBAY, doubles as puller

Balance a 225 on the skeg? I'm surprised that the skeg would not bend or break under the weight, since I don't believe that the skeg was ever designed for that.

I actually got this idea from a WC forum. I've helped a few other guys do this with their engines too. Pretty simple really. We always put a piece of 2x8 under the skeg to keep it off the concrete. I guess the key word here is 'balance'. (We didn't have a beer until we were done!!)