1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

[ryan_eyres]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of restoring my 1978 Reinell 1701 - See the thread here: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=237400

When I bought it, it came with a cracked block, and a complete outdrive assembly in the boat. Also, it came with a rebuilt shortblock 140, and an extra leg upper and lower unit.

I have gutted all the parts from the boat, and the boat is at the point now where I'm ready to re-install the engine and outdrive.

Here is my question:
What parts should I be ordering to rebuild the outdrive?

There's three pieces to the outdrive, the lower unit, the upper unit, and the piece that bolts to the engine and sticks through the boot in the transom (what's this called?).
I'd like to replace all the parts that I should, while I'm in there.

So far, my list includes:
Seal kit for upper and lower unit.. (does this include seals for the
piece that bolts to the engine and sticks through the transom?)
Impeller
Ball Gears
Rubber boot that goes around leg and screws into transom.
I think I also need new shift cables as the plastic sheath that
they are in is cracked.

Any and all advice and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
-Ryan

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Ok, so you never bought a manual to read huh? Know how I know that ?

Cause you don't know what the intermediate is called.

The drive you have is a electric shift? It's a 78' or earlier.

I won't sleep well if i told you to install those electric shift drives, let alone to spend money to reseal them.

If i were you i would if i just had to keep that boat install a 85 full mechanical shift drive.

But then you would need the shift converter steering cable , and 85 intermediate. Everything from the back of the engine to the tip of the 85' drive.

Have a donor boat around there with that?

Now may i say this, scrap that hull keep the motor you just rebuilt, and find a hull with a bad motor and good drive. Say with a merc drive. The motor being a 3.0. Pull out the bad motor and drop in your good motor.

Sell on e-bay all the drive pieces.

Now you will have a good boat with a good drive.

Good luck !

 

[Zackman]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Cheif, I think you need to take a look at his referenced thread. He's done a great job restoring that hull and I'm sure did a lot of work over the last year.​

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Ok Zack i took a look at the other thread looks like alot of work and he did a wonderful job.

So keeping the hull is a must. Ok this ain't gonna be a easy one.

Jeez just finished with another guy phone calls all kinds of pm's just when i thought i was out they pull me right back in, remember the godfather, Al Pachino saying that.

Ryan will you look at your pm.

Here goes take a close up pic of the hole from the outside please and count the screw holes and post the amount of holes you have there..

Also please take a side pic of the drive. I could not see the drive clearly in your other thread. Take pics of the intermediate, side bottom,top. Close up.

And please keep all posts to this one thread. In other words don't keep starting new threads with all the problems that will pop up as we go about trying to put this back together.

You need a manual, i have the Seloc OMC Stern drives 1964-86 Repair manual, upper right hand corner #3400 thats what it says on the cover.
When a problem pops up i can refer you to the proper page for the fix as i explain it understand?

First what size motor?

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Chief,

Thanks for the reply, and pm! I'll take pics of the intermediate and upper and lower units today and post them. I'm pretty sure it's not an electric shift model, but then again, I didn't even know what the intermediate was called.

It's got 22 screw holes around the hole in the transom and the engine is a 140hp (181ci) 4cyl. I bought that same seloc manual for it a few months back, so you can reference pages if you like.

I consider myself to be quite mechanically competent, I've rebuilt and worked on several unique cars in my life (Alfa, BMW, Alpina, Porsche, Lada, etc.), though outdrives are completely new to me. I'm sure it's nothing I can't hande - and I like the fact that right now it's all out of the boat and on a table!

So like I said, I'll post pics tonight of the outdrive units tonight. Does 22 hole mean it's not the dreaded electric shift?? Thanks again for your help!

-Ryan

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

YES SIR it most certainly does. I am very very happy for you as you can tell.

Alright now what we want to know next is it the dreaded hydro-mechanical drive, it was on boats between 78-81. Page 10-47

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Pics as promised. The white upper and lower units are the spares that came with the boat. The black upper and lower is what came on the boat.

-Ryan

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Here's all 4 sides of the intermediate:

-Ryan

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

both lowers pictured are hydromechanical shift.
Do either of them work?
Seal kits are no problem, but there might be a few specific internal parts NLA (no longer available).

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

I don't know if either work, as I've never ran the boat. The guy who I bought it off said that the one on the boat apparently worked before the block cracked, and that the spare was also in working condition. I don't trust the source though..
-Ryan

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

If it were my boat i would do a leak test by putting 5-7 psi in the drives and see if it holds air overnight, do the one that was on the boat .

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Hey Chief,
I plan to pull apart in order to inspect the internals and replace the seals anyway, so is a leak test still necessary? The prop shaft is bent on the one that was in the boat. Is there any reason I should still do a leak test before pulling them apart?

Thanks,
-Ryan

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Nope don't need it if your gonna reseal.

Ok 3 different kits if you want to do the intermediate, upper, and lower drives.

If you want to do the tilt housing then it's 4 kits.

Then a water pump kit with the housing.

Let me know if you run into any problems .

Oh the shaft can be straighted out can you measure how bent it is.

I believe off the top of my head 5 thousands is acceptable.Maybe more or less i'll look it up latter.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Not bad for a ole geezer it's 6 thousands.

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Thanks Chief,

I'll try and measure it tonight. What I plan to do is disassemble both upper and lowers, and build 1 set back up with the best condition parts (of course buying new wherever necessary). At this point, I was thinking I'd use the white lower and the black upper unit, just based on my visual assessment of the condition.

I will do a waterpump, and I'd like to reseal all parts too. I'll also disassemble and reseal the intermediate. New ball gears, and I'll put in a new shift cable as well. Any other parts that I should definitely get before I even start?

Thanks,
-Ryan

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

You going to do the ball gears / finger gears also?

Need a kit for that also if the ball gears are more then halfway gone it puts a undo stress on the ball gear shafts. Noticed i used the plural will mess the bearings up, if your doing this then do it right, another 119 dollars on ebay the whole kit not counting shipping.

Everything else maybe ebasic power.

Heres some more sites i don't know if they have everything but here they are anyway.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/brp_parts/7087.cfm

http://www.dougrussell.com/partscat...on=group&group=17&GroupList=17,18,19,20,21,22

http://www.evinrude-parts.com/index.html

http://amarket.com/omct.htm

As before good luck let us know when you run into a problem.

 

[THE BEEF]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Ryan, The Chief is the Man. He knows his way around stringers.
Give me a PM I can help you on a factory manual.I have copys
Beef

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

So many guys with the name Beef i mistook another guy with the same name.

This is the real Beefmaster ?

Where has " The Beef " Been ?

Maybe you should take him up on his offer the manual is the real original factory manual 80 bucks on e-bay.

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Are there different quality seal kits? What about transom boots? If so, which ones are better?

Thanks,
-Ryan

 

[chiefalen]

Re: 1978 OMC 140 and Stringer Outdrive rebuild

Seeing as omc is out of business more than 10 years your gonna have to get aftermarket, cheapest seal kits you can get and the transom boot also. 22 hole one.

Once you start one drive best to finish it the same day.

Now the upper is the most complex i believe, cause you have to do 3 things when disassembled. So make sure you start that one early in the day no distractions.

The finger gear, the water pump and the drive all get resealed.

The intermediate has to have the drive off to reseal so if your gonna do it do it now while the drive is off.

As always good luck.