Ford to Chevy Shiftplate Relocation

[Bimmerknut]

I've replaced the Ford 351 in my ’76 24-ft Fiberform with a Chevy 5.7. I'm lost in figuring out how to mount my shift plate for the linkage. Does anyone have any pictures of the plate on their 5.7? The first pic is my actual shift plate. The second pic is a stock photo that better shows my entire plate. I've unbolted it from the mount to see if it offered me better placement options. I think it was a transom mount but I'm not positive. Others have told me that the 5.7 mount is attached to the exhaust riser. I'm going to GUESS it's to the two outer bolts to that riser but I'm really a novice at marine motors and linkage and need all the help I can get.

 

[alldodge]

Thanks for the pics but for me their not helping

Look at it this way, the shift plate can be mounted anywhere (transom, bilge, bulkhead, exhaust) so find a place where the plate can be mounted without the cables binding

 

[Bimmerknut]

Thanks for the pics but for me their not helping

Look at it this way, the shift plate can be mounted anywhere (transom, bilge, bulkhead, exhaust) so find a place where the plate can be mounted without the cables binding

Good to know allDodge, I believe the one I have is designed to mount to the transom. That may be good news aside from the fact that I have limited space. I've removed both risers and that gives me realistically almost 50% more access to the aft end of the motor bay, to access the transom.

 

[Bt Doctur]

You would be better updating the trim pump and cylinders and get rid of the reverse lockout.The shift bracket will mount to the 3 threaded holes on the inside of the riser

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[Bimmerknut]

View attachment 327255

Whoa! That's a really small pic. What am I looking at here. Be kind, all this is new Greek to me but I'm learning. I was asking about the shift linkage bracket and you answered me about upgrading my trim pump. Not to sound ignorant but what is the correlation between the trim pump and the shift linkage? When I think of shift linkage, I think of putting the outdrive in and out of gear, right? And when I think of trim pump, I think of the 3-button console on my boat that raises and lowers the outdrive. I'll mention again, I've never had this boat in the water so the mechanics of it is all new to me having only previously owned a small outboard. If I can understand the mechanics of it, then I can put into perspective of your suggestion to source a different/new trim pump. Thanks!

 

[alldodge]

BT was talking about that your motor uses a reverse lock out for the drive. Its part of the the shift plate to keep the drive from coming up when put in reverse.

If the trim system was changed you could use the newer shift plate

 

[Bt Doctur]

On the stbd elbow are 3 threaded holes , the newer shift plate mounts there
click to enlarge

 

[Bimmerknut]

Neither risers have bolt holes in the side. Both these pics are of the starboard side.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Well, if you had mercruiser elbows and manifolds

 

[alldodge]

Ahhhh, should say if he had "newer design" Merc mans and elbows

 

[Bimmerknut]

Here's the sum of my biggest issue with the shift plate. The original shift plate location was on the Ford bell housing. The way that bolted up, the cables ran from left to right, the right being where the lock out was. Now that the Chevy bell housing no longer supports the shift plate due to the distributor being located at the back of the motor, the only existing alternator place is the transom, or so I thought. The problem there is in order to mount it to the transom would require turning the plate 180 degrees. Doing so however positions the lock out on the left and that won't work as the cables would then need to be run past the plate and then arced in a bend 180 degrees to mount to the switch. My picture illustrates how the cables are properly positioned for the Ford motor but in reality the plate would be about 2 feet back to attach to the bell housing. Moving the plate to the transom, because of the mounting holes would mean, as I said before rotating the plate 180 degrees. I hope I'm making sense as to the problem here. Realistically what I need is a shift plate that mounts to the transom and would have the lock out on the right. This is the only way I know how to explain it. Thank you all for your patience. This is the FIRST step since getting the motor aligned to proceeding with getting things hooked back up. So either the plate I need exists or I'll have to have someone fab up a bracket to attach to the transom and then bolts the shift plate to that. I'm just hoping that someone with a Chevy 5.7 can give me hope that I won't have to be fabricating things.

 

[Bt Doctur]

your old setup usually bolted to the rear flywheel housing but the lower shift cable is not a mercruiser cable . What drive is on it?
How much room is in front?
click to enlarge

 

[alldodge]

Can it be mounted in either of these locations?

 

[Bimmerknut]

your old setup usually bolted to the rear flywheel housing but the lower shift cable is not a mercruiser cable . What drive is on it?
How much room is in front?
click to enlarge

BT both those cables are I believe to be original. The only thing done was disconnected all the wiring and cables to drop the 5.7 in. Nothing has been modified. All I know about the drive is that it is an Mercruiser 888. I'm not sure if that means pre-Alpha or not. Remember the production year is probably 1975 or so since the boat is a 1976. As you can see, there is quite a LOT of room on the left of this picture. The upper cable is I believe is reverse and the bottom one is forward. I may have them reversed but I did check them by moving the shifter.

 

[Bimmerknut]

Can it be mounted in either of these locations?

View attachment 327675

Both those locations I believe are doable but the switch wire would probably have to be lengthened. I'll have to remove the mounting bracket from the plate and see how it sets but I supposed I could use short spacers if I needed it elevated a tad to compensate for any hardware on the backside of the plate.

 

[Bimmerknut]

So this is where it's going. Had to remove the switch in order to get some more length to the wire as it was tangled with others but I think this will work.

 

[Bimmerknut]

Well I've studied this option for several days. The end result is I have no idea is this location will support it. I know nothing about what's below the mount plate. If it's just insulation, I'm screwed. I'm sure there's some type of framework there but is it enough? If it were you, would you mount the shift plate in this location, or tackle the task of getting back to the transom?

 

[alldodge]

I would get rid of the trim system you have and install the new sty;e with no reverse lock out. New cables

 

[Bimmerknut]

I would get rid of the trim system you have and install the new sty;e with no reverse lock out. New cables

Yer KILLIN me smalls! LOL. first off, I would think the lock out being a safety measure would be a good thing. That said, what is your argument to ditch this feature? Secondly, I have NO idea the ballpark figure on what you're promoting, do you? (Asks the guy holding the thin wallet)