Ole OMC Stringers' ?

[starsnstripers]

Hi everyone, I'm helping a friend with his 1970s boat with a newer mercruiser 260 (350ci) Gm V-8 Bolted to a OMC stringer. We used the boat with the drive tilt in-operable, free floating drive, lifted it with a rope to load boat, (not good) The bellhousing broke away from the engine, we were in a turn and "CLUNK" at that same time an e-clip came off the throttle. We thought it was just the cable but upon inspection along with the throttle clip falling off the bellhousing was bustede away from the engine. We attempted to hand throttle at carb back to ramp and we did haveforward gear. My friend goosed it a little to hard higher than idle and "SNAP" the intermediate Shaft broke from the increase in rpm and the weight of the engine. I'm assuming the belhousing broke from the tilt being disabled and the drive free floating. Anyway we have it in the garage and Apart. Found a bell housing of which we had to cut out part of it for the starter as was the one that we're replacing was. "customized". We have two doner intermediate housings, BUT! There all different The one that broke has a bigger shaft than the other two. Do we have two 400 stringer donors and a broken 800? Also they all have different bearing setups. The intermediate housing we want to use with a small shaft has like a sealed bering with a ball bearing. the other Donor has a single cone roller bearing on the shaft. Our broken shaft housing had a double back to back cone rollor bearing setup. We were going to use the smaller shaft housing but the drive coupling from the V-6 Buick motor wont bolt to the flywheel of the 260 Merc engine. We want to use the donor inermediate housing that has the small shaft because it has a working tilt and the water outlets are not all corroded and mostly missing like the broken shaft housing.Can the Larger shaft "if we find one" fit/interchange into the housing that has the smaller shaft housing? I Know, the plan is to going to a mercruiser this winter but need to use boat for remainder of season if possible. Any Ole OMC people know if these shaft size differences are what determines the 400/800 drives? Thanks

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

I'm assuming the belhousing broke from the tilt being disabled and the drive free floating.

can't make that connection in my head... but maybe if it was crashing down during directional shifts R to F

Do we have two 400 stringer donors and a broken 800?

no, you have different years of OMC sterndrive intermediates.
400 and 800 drives weren't introduced to the world until 1978

Also they all have different bearing setups. The intermediate housing we want to use with a small shaft has like a sealed bering with a ball bearing.

That's pre-1968

We want to use the donor inermediate housing that has the small shaft

no, you don't - shafts and ball gears go for $500 and up on eBay- there's nothing available for those old units anymore.

And no, the newer shafts don't go in that housing. The newer shafts use tapered roller bearings. Not even close.

I actually welded one of those ball gears up to get a guy going.

Just get the proper intermediate.

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

Thanks Howard, I meant that we ran the boat without the tilt half moon gear in it so the drive was free floating. We think on a sharp turn it raised up and slamed down breaking the bell housing. So different years? So they did run that smaller shaft on V-8 engines? Well i guess we'll look for more donors til we find one that works for now. How do you determine between thew 400 / 800 anyway for future ref.?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

How do you determine between thew 400 / 800 anyway for future ref.?

If we're talking strictly Chevrolet mated intermediates:

400 has 1 exhaust shutter
800 has 2 exhaust shutters

Otherwise, Chevrolet mated 400 and 800 intermediates 1978-1985 are all the same.

If you get a 400 or 800 int, you'll have to figure some way to seal the shift wire through the larger shift cable hole. piece of rubber or something.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

So they did run that smaller shaft on V-8 engines?

yes.
The Buick 300 and the Chev 307, but two different part number shafts of that ball bearing style.

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

thanks Howard, seems we have OMC electrics Only. Like you said different years and applications. 400/800 were hyd/mech. shift. We'll keep eye open for more OMC stringer electric shift parts. Glad i got a 4.3 Cobra in my boat! LOL Oh well gotta love a challenge. good night

 

[futz]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

where are you located?

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

OK, we have pre 1977 striger electric shift drives. Two of the intermediate housings have small ball/gear/splined shafts and the one that broke is a larger shaft. Were the smaller shaft ones for smaller engines or did they upgrade when they got newerto a larger shaft? The plan is to have a machine shop drill new holes in the V6 buick drive coupling to bolt it to the 5.7 flywheel. Can the smaller shaft handle the HP?

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Ole OMC Stringers' ?

..... Can the smaller shaft handle the HP?

I doubt it! The electric shift fine splined shafts and couplers were marginal at best. In 1978 they went to beefier splines.