Long Shaft or XL Shaft?

[Islandlaker]

I have a question and it is probably dumb. I have a lower unit off of a 1997 Mercury 115hp Offshore edition. I do not know if it is a long or short shaft, everything I see online tells you how to measure the shaft length with the outboard completely together. Now when I measure the driveshaft itself it is 25inches exactly from where it exits the lower unit to its tip. I know a 25 inch shaft is the XL shaft, Is it that simple? I just want to be sure that the driveshaft length I got is the correct way to measure the shaft length with the lower unit separated.

 

[racerone]

It really has nothing to do with the actual length of the driveshaft.------It has to do with the height of the transom.-----A motor that fits properly on a 20" transom is considered a LONG shaft.----A motor that fits properly on a 25" transom is considered EXTRA LONG shaft.

 

[Chris1956]

And there are some XXL shafts for 30" transoms. Not sure a 115HP motor was ever XXL.

If you measure from the antiventilation plate to the top of the gearcase, and measure from the bottom of the midsection to the bottom of the transom clamp, and add those measurements, it should tell you the shaft length.

 

[Islandlaker]

How about when the motor is pulled apart and all I have to go off of is the lower unit itself? My question is how do I determine if this is for a long shaft outboard or a xl shaft? Does it matter? Will it fit interchangeably, what if I have the driveshaft off of a outboard that I know is the 20 inch shaft?

 

[racerone]

Then you measure the long driveshaft and the extra long would be exactly 5" longer.

 

[Islandlaker]

Thanks for the reply I really appreciate the help. Here are the pictures of me measuring it.

​Dark pictures sorry, but as you can see the shaft itself is 25 inches, but where it goes into the lower unit it is 27 inches. It also looks like mercury only made xl shaft offshore editions. Which is why I am thinking this is in fact a xl shaft lower unit. I am trying to sell this on ebay, but I don't want to sell the wrong part to someone, and I do have a guy that is interested in it but he needs a long shaft lower unit, so I do not think this would work.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, read my post 3, second paragraph to determine if Xl or L shaft length.

 

[Islandlaker]

Chris, the problem is I have the motor apart. I do not have the transom clamp. Just the lower unit.