Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

Is there anywhere to get cheap parts for this? I looked up the impeller shaft and it cost nearly the price i paid for the boat.

not really. There's an aftermarket w/p shaft here on iboats -usually the aftermarket piece goes for around $150, and isn't as good as OEM. And if the w/p splines keep stripping, eventually the female spline in the upper is toasted.
There must be two dozen "what's so bad about OMC" threads here on iboats where the high cost of taking these things from "project" to "seaworthy" is always many times the purchase price.
And although the engine in your boat is very popular and common, it has no automotive equivalent. It is a marine specific lump.
They aren't the best choice for a mechanical restoration. Get a Mercruiser Alpha One propelled boat with a Chevy V6 or V8 where parts are relatively a dime a dozen compared to OMC.
Or look for a 2nd basket case boat of the same vintage that has opposite issues to yours and make one boat out of two.

If you don't have the shift cable as I mentioned above, you need about $1000 worth of stuff that will fit in a shoebox. It gets silly fast with these things.

New OMC parts are sold through Evinrude, who has a vested interest in making you hate i/o powered boats and love OUTBOARDS as they only sell outboards. So the last thing they are keen on doing is dicounting parts that keep old sterndrives on the water.

 

[La Vita è Bella]

Re: Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

I think I found a place in ga with a complete outdrive assembly, I can see if i can go and get the parts i need off it. Also it is a 2.5, there is just a pulley, no harmonic dampener as far as I can tell.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

That's a stringer all right.
Are you sure the boat's an '87?
(The HIN number on the stern would be able to tell you)

It's possible that the builder had some older drives left over that they put in a couple year newer boat.
It's also possible that previous owner subtracted a couple years off the age of the boat either by accident, or not...

It's a great example of what boat builders have been doing for many years................Last years engine and drive in this years boat.

85 was the last model year before the (new in 86) Cobra. So an 86 boat "should" have gotten a Cobra. But since they don't always sell all of this years engines, a LOT of them end up in NEXT years boat.

There must be two dozen "what's so bad about OMC" threads here on iboats where the high cost of taking these things from "project" to "seaworthy" is always many times the purchase price.

AND unfortunately many times MORE than the actual value after the whole lash-up is said and done........

Before dumping a LOT of money in this boat, you might consider parting it out and finding something a little more supportable.....


Sorry about that.....


Rick

 

[Nivekt]

Re: Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

OP, with your lack of knowledge of these drives and the huge cost of acquiring the correct parts to build them, I suggest you strip this thing down, sell the valuable parts and go look for a new boat. Believe me, you will get in far deeper financially then you ever thought you would.

 

[La Vita è Bella]

Re: Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

Alright yeah I looked up the parts and most were more than I paid for the boat. What are the most valuable parts to sell on this kind of boat? it has the 2.5 OMC too. The hull is sound but the floor has some soft spots.

 

[floattest]

Re: Please help identify this OMC Stern Drive!

The gear boxes and gear sets are the most valuable. The engine too, of course, depending on its condition. The lower unit you show without the cable and shifter is still worth about 150, with good gears-shafts-seals in it.

Part it all out and you can get 1000+ out of your boat. Do an e-bay search on your vintage and you'll see a general idea of the value of parts.

Get the upper off of the intermediate (the part that is attached to the engine) So you'll end up with a lower gear box (your first pic) And upper gear box (where you water pump goes, if you haven't already replaced it), and the exhaust housing and cover plate.

parts with value: upper unit, the steering gears/shafts underneath the upper unit top cover, the trunion caps, bearing holders attached to the intermediate. the exhaust housing; tilt rack and gears and clutch.the intermediate housing, carb, manifolds..maybe others.

Parting out isn't free though, it will take some work. And the selling, too.

I've owned one of these beauties for 5 years. Lot of fun, lot of work, didn't mean to become an omc mechanic! but it's what happens if you want to boat on an omc powered vessel. I like the vessel, but I know I got less on water time per dollar with this boat.

now that it looks like this I'm trying to be a boater instead of a mechanic, knowing full well, I gotta be both still i love this boat