Sterndrive identification?

supercobra

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What model is this?Can't see the complete numbers.also on the bottom it's missing that little fin deal that bolts there because prop is too big.Did someone put to big of prop or does a cap go there?It's a Baja force 250 with 454.Also what is that fill plug for on upper left side?I don't see a drain anywhere.1788304425389.jpg1788304457698.jpg1788304487322.jpg
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Your missing the anode on your MR drive

Surprised that big block hasn't shredded the drive yet.

Merc quit putting big blocks in front of the smaller drives in 1989 due to warranty reasons
 

supercobra

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Your missing the anode on your MR drive

Surprised that big block hasn't shredded the drive yet.

Merc quit putting big blocks in front of the smaller drives in 1989 due to warranty reasons
So what drive is this?And does that prop look to big for the anode to go there?
 

Fun Times

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To me I’m thinking the back cap of the upper housing suggests this drive is something different than any of the alpha type models plus the size of the overall housing and mounting surface area to name a few.

It could be more of an TR, TRS, MerCruiser II-TR 1973-1976 or any one of the numbered drives including SSM, etc..

I believe we’ll need much more information regarding the overall boat, engine / transmission if ones there? Year of boat, more photos of the engine compartment…
If possible, carefully clean up the lower left side of the sticker just below the 330 number to see if you can fully read the stern drive serial numbers more clearly/accurately… you can see the gear ratio on the right is 1:50…,

A little over half way down of the following link is a list of drive possibilities that it could fall into..

Post as much info about the boat as possible as this one could be a bit more challenging to pinpoint in my opinion.
Hard to tell but the top Transom serial number looks sort of something like 13579170
 

Pmt133

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You could pull the prop and measure the shaft diameter. That would at least eliminate a TR drive if you can't get most of the serial. It would be 1.25". Beyond that I've never seen one of these and dad only ever saw them at merc school. Try and lift the serial.
 

Scott Danforth

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Fun Times is correct. Based on the cover ... Could be a TRS drive. Then there would also be transmissions just behind the motors. A TRS is hard to get parts for, but was the drives put behind many go-fast boats of the 70s and 80s

Post a pic of the hardware at the back of the motor
 

supercobra

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Fun Times is correct. Based on the cover ... Could be a TRS drive. Then there would also be transmissions just behind the motors. A TRS is hard to get parts for, but was the drives put behind many go-fast boats of the 70s and 80s

Post a pic of the hardware at the back of the motor
What is that screw for where it says oil?Do I add there or inside?I don't see a drain.
 

Fun Times

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The top screw is going to be for an oil vent ‘plus an oil full indication…

and the oil drain screw depending on actual drive model you have ought to be on the lower (port side?) gear housing but could be on either side and more often than not way down low but just above the skag closer to the front (towards bow/away from prop) and harder to find on some models and to the point that there’s a small possibility the screw may have gotten covered over with black silicone to smooth out any possible air bubbles created by the screw hole affecting propeller performance as that was a thing in the early years of performance boating.🚤

As examples, see items 9 and 10,

And 4 and 5,

Do you have a stern drive type oil reservoir inside the boat somewhere?
While there’s a few ways to fill the drive with gear oil as you’ll read in the following links, it’s usually best to fill the oil from the bottom up to the top vent screw you show in the photo.



 

muc

"Retired" Association of Marine Technicians...
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It's a TRS drive, it has the smaller lower. TR drive was used on big slow boats and has a much larger prop. Inside the boat will be the dip stick for the drive lube reservoir, that is where you check the level. Also a transmission, no shifting in the drive. That trans could be Mercury Marine or Borg-Warner. Drives for Borg-Warner will have a splined u-joint shaft like the newer drives, Mercury Marine will have u-joint shaft with internal splines and a big spring on the end. The tranny will have it's own dip stick. ATF
The vent plug you see on the upper is used just like the newer drives. The drain/fill plug will be port side near the front. It's possible yours is covered by the nose cone someone added. This was pretty common with a nose cone back then. If that's the case, ask and I tell tell how to change lube. If the drive lube dip stick in the boat shows empty --- stop --- because there is a special procedure to fill these.
Yes you can install a trim tab anode that's missing. If it will hit the prop we would just use a hacksaw to notch the tab.
An Alpha or Bravo drive won't fit on this transom plate.
These drives changed rotation by moving the driven gear in the lower from in front of the pinion gear to behind it. So if this is a new to you boat, you need to make sure someone hasn't put the wrong prop or lower on and used the trans for rotation change. The tranny don't last long when that happens.
Drive appears to be between 1977 and 1993 when the Bravo replaced it.
You can see the water pick up just to starboard on the transom.
They were a very strong drive for their time. But most of us that worked on them are retired by now.

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