Re: 1983 Omc 3.8
If the price is right and the boat is in great shape it still may be worth buying. I have an 1983 OMC and will tell you that parts can be pricey but there seems to still be a large amount of parts out there. New old stock and reproductions by other companies. Lots of used stuff off eBay. The OMC stringers (the drive you are considering) were prone to a lot of problems in the seventies with the electric shift and hydro assist, the good news for you is that in 1982 and later, they went to a full mechanical shift, which solved the shift issues. A well cared for OMC stringer will give you years of good use. Mine is 25 years old and for that amount of time, it held up very nicely. In all reality, going with a Mercruiser would be the way to go, but like I said, if its a deal and in good shape it may be worth it.
There are a few things to look for, the OMC has three separate units. The intermediate, the upper and the lower. Check all three for water in the the oil. They are notorious for water intrusion (especially the upper). Also, there is a tilt gear mechanism on the left side of the drive, check it as I'm sure it will have water in it. All of them leak. Best fix is to pump grease into it. All these problems if discovered will go in your favor in bargaining the price. If you are mechanically inclined, its not that bad to replace the seals. Tilt the drive all the way up and inspect the ball gears, see how bad they're worn. Again these can be replaced. If you have to replace the ball gears and their seals, the impeller pump and seals and some of the o-rings you can do it all for under $500 if you do the work. Also check out the trim mechanism. The OMC trim system lifts the motor, not the drive to trim the boat. There are two hydraulic rams on each side of the motor, look to see if they're leaking. Look for oil running down the piston shaft and around the motor mounts. Also look at the lag bolts that hold the engine mounts to the stringers. Make sure they aren't loose or backing out. This could be a sign of rotten stringers. This is not an OMC issue. You would want to do that with any boat you looked to purchase.
