1976 OMC Sterndrive motor mount issue

Howard Sterndrive

Rear Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
4,603
Re: 1976 OMC Sterndrive motor mount issue

a moderator will probably move this to the restoration forum where there are lots of folks who have replaced stringers and floors in their boats.

There are some great books in the library too.
I got one called "Runabout Renovation"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071580085/102-9180268-1132111?v=glance&n=283155

Where there's rotten stringers, there's rotten flooring and waterlogged floatation foam.
Might as well fix it right.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: 1976 OMC Sterndrive motor mount issue

Why did this almost sink it? Moving to boat restoration as this is not a problem with the drive system. Good luck!
 

Howard Sterndrive

Rear Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
4,603
Re: 1976 OMC Sterndrive motor mount issue

The two beams under the floor that run from the transom forward are called stringers.
Sort of like the frame rails on a truck.

So your boat kind of has a rotten "frame"

It's the whole backbone of the boat.

Hard to say the extent of the rot, but no way to tell without ripping up the floor. Could be minor.
Most likely major.

And the boat shouldn't be sold the way it is, except "as is" or "project condition" disclosed but that's your call of course

Yes OMC is out of business, and one of the toughest makes to support in old age, but Mercruiser and Volvo don't offer a ton of support for their 1976 models either... so if responding to that advice you got, you probably want something much newer.
 

nitsuj

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
483
Re: 1976 OMC Sterndrive motor mount issue

If I keep the boat I plan on putting a new floor. The wood was semi-rotten when I bought it. I might sell it. Not sure what it's worth though. I was told to sell it and buy something with a mercruiser or volvo penta because OMC is out of business...

OMC is out of business, but they were one of the largest companies in boating. So it's not like once they went under, every OMC became useless. My boat is a 67 with an OMC sterndrive. It's a good system, despite the poor reputation. And so far, I've been able to find most of what I needed to restore it. Sometime you just have to be creative.
 
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