Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
I don't currently have my outdrive on yet. What do you think of the wear on the ball gear? Should I do anything with it now or wait? The outdrive that I am mating with the intermediate drive is a Stringer 800 from a donor boat so the wear won't match up. What do you think?

dimple gear.jpg

5 speed
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Uh Oh! This is scarry that I have no comments! I asked a mechanic and he said that was normal wear from having the drive engaged whils tilting. How har is it to replace this and how much?

5 speed
 
ErieRon

ErieRon

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
463
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Sorry no one is responding...

I've never seen one of those and actually thought it was some kind of seafood..:D
 
Bart Sr.

Bart Sr.

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
1,603
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Do an advanced search in this forum with key words--ball gears--you will get a couple of pages of similar posts.
 
Bondo

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,524
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Ayuh,... They say those are OK til 50%.... Those are gettin' Really Close to that...
 
H

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Howdy,

I'm not a "Stringer guy" but the wear you have is what they do. That's normal for any ball-gear drive.

How far you let go is up to you. Ultimately, it will get to the point where your boat will not go or will appear to "slip".

If you have matched ball gears the wear level you have might go for quite a while. If you do not have matched (wear) "ball gears", there will be a LOT of apparent wear until thy become "matched". .....That may happen about the time they start to "slip"

If I was putting a "new" (different) drive on the back of my Stringer, and I could not use the original ball gears (both), I would replace the ball gears....

http://www.masonmarine.net/stringer-ball-gear-p-1025.html

http://www.sterndrive.info/id20.html

That way I would be starting from the same "wear-point" for both

I know they're not cheap. Nothing "boating" is.... If you don't, you might have to get towed. If that's on an Ok Lake, that might be ok. Take your cell phone with you!



Cheers,


Rick
 
zbnutcase

zbnutcase

Commander
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
2,055
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Ball gears should always be replaced as a pair. Not a terribly hard job but you usually need a press. And chances are you need an upper box reseal anyway. 'nutcase
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

oh I see! yeah thats a no brainer to replace both of them especially now that I have 2 different ball drives and they are both worb to some degree. Consider that done! Now for the upper reseal... I'm a MERC guy gone OMC so I'm gonna need some coaching on that one...

5 speed
 
cr2k

cr2k

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
3,730
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Those ball gears are not even near 50% wear.
If the outdrive set have same or less wear you could probably get away with them for a few years. Yes they will wear a little fast for a while until they "mate".

Yes they are kinda expensive.

Ball gears slipping? How can they slip? That's a new one on me. Since they line up in a circle when they are gone they are gone and there is NO drive.

Mine are 25 years old and still driving.
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

I guestimate the balls to be 20 to 25% worn... no where near 50%! I'll probably replace them just because I am like that! I want to do it right the first time and not have to fool with it for awhile!

5 speed
 
Bondo

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,524
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

I'm a MERC guy gone OMC so I'm gonna need some coaching on that one...
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... OK,... I can handle that 1....:D

What are you Nuts,?.?.?. Dump that Stringer,+ get yourself another Mercruiser...
While you're at it,...
Schedule yourself an appointment with a Shrink,.... You really need to have your head examined....
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Hey now... I bought the boat for a good price and I didn't have the option of a merc! In fact I am real lucky to have found a I/O period in a Starcraft.

5 speed
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Hello all, I have my 800 Stringer outdrive donator boat that I bought just for the OMC outdrive off ebay for 255.00 bucks, coming to my house for surgery Friday. My Starcraft has a Ford engine and the donator boat (Sea Ray) has a Chevy engine. I'll look at the ball gears on it of course and use the best of what is there. My question is what can I do to service what is there before I remove and install the 800 outdrive and propeller on my Starcraft? There is a slot screw/cap at the 11pm position. What is this for lube for the intermediate? Does that need to be flushed? I want to put a upper seal kit in the outdrive and also put a fresh impeller in it. Is there a prefered grease for all the gears and bearings? I'll blend the nicks on the propeller and paint it with epoxy paint. Do you install the outdrive like a merc in the full throttle position or does it matter on the OMC? I'll get a manual eventually but I would like to get a jump start on these items. Thanks in advance!

I got the manual out and started to read and read and read! I now know that this is going to be more than a day job with the shift linkage and replacing all the seals and fluids!

5 speed
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Finished the removal of the outdrive and intermediate from the donor boat. This ball gear looks brand new compared to the donor! I learned alot from taking it apart and removing it.

5 speed
 
jaxnjil

jaxnjil

Lieutenant
Joined
Aug 3, 2007
Messages
1,368
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

cudos; i'm sure there will be some along that can benefit from your experience in the future
 
H

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Ball gears slipping? How can they slip? That's a new one on me. Since they line up in a circle when they are gone they are gone and there is NO drive.
Click to expand...
If you run them to that point, they'll do what I described....
Ultimately, it will get to the point where your boat will not go or will appear to "slip".
Click to expand...
For the benefit of the some non-technical types.....I use the term loosely!


Ayuh,.... OK,... I can handle that 1....:D

What are you Nuts,?.?.?.
Click to expand...
toothlessgiggler.gif
uh....yeah..... my point exactly!;)
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

LOl! I'm just going to replace the ball gear set and put in the new seals. My hobbs is showing 250 hours I think replacing them now it prime time to do so.

5 speed
 
H

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

Those links I posted indicate that the ball gears aren't that expensive (compared to other wear parts)

If you take good care of your stringer you'll get good service. There's plenty of other people that have a lot of experience with them and good results!

Understand that there's not a lot of techs out there that know anything about them these days....They're more than 25 years old in most cases......


Make sure you have the CORRECT OMC service manual for what ever you do if you want to do it yourself......



Good luck!



Rick
 
5speedhemi

5speedhemi

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
204
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

I have the correct manual and me being an aircraft mechanic by trade it's not difficult for me. I also have a 115HP electric shift Johnson that everybody said the same thing about. . . no biggie. I have a pretty good idea that this boat will be something that turns heads at the lake. It being all aluminum, deep V design is somewhat intimidating. Add a healthy 250HP 4bbl V8 with above water exhaust bellows burbling in the water ... oh yeah baby :D

5 speed
 
W

WizeOne

Commander
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Messages
2,097
Re: Repair, replace, or leave it alone?

5speedhemi said:
I guestimate the balls to be 20 to 25% worn... no where near 50%! I'll probably replace them just because I am like that! I want to do it right the first time and not have to fool with it for awhile!

5 speed
Click to expand...

undoubtedly, replace them. The mismatch will greatly accelerate the wear. Then do not run with the drive up. My ball gears are now 29 years old and have no where near the wear of your picture.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top