Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

[bktheking]

Going back to my 7.5 and a few others who posted on here having issues with the shock abosorber, I fixed the problem and ended up welding the shock, it's a perm fix but i'd like to offer up an alternative. I'd like feedback from you for an idea i have. I have given the 2 piece shaft to a friend of mine who works for a machine shop. If given the option, trying to source a shock for $75 or replacing the entire drive shaft assembly with a one piece shaft, would this be something you'd be willing to entertain. If I had the option to go to IBOATS and buy a 1 piece shaft for $70 or some amount within reason to replace this two piece setup I would have done it in a heart beat. But such a shaft doesn't exist. Which way would you have gone. Now I realize that one mentioned site on here offered up a replacement as new, can't remember the site. I plan on restoring mine to original and giving it to my kids or my grand kids, I don't want them to have to worry about a shock breaking in the future or it breaking on me. Opinions please and thanks????

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

If I were motivated enough, I'd carefully measure the original driveshaft, then cut and weld one of these in place:
http://www.youngssurplus.com/couplings.htm

 

[bktheking]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

If I were motivated enough, I'd carefully measure the original driveshaft, then cut and weld one of these in place:
http://www.youngssurplus.com/couplings.htm



Do you think it would fit in the space in the lower just above the bearing plate?

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

Beats me. I'd try to find a spring coupler that was about the same size as the old shock absorber and weld it in. I don't know anything particular about that coupler that I posted; it was one of the first the popped up in a Google search. I can't remember where I saw last saw spring couplers made for lawnmowers. I thought it was Northern Tool, but I didn't see any there. I'd hate to eliminate the shock absorber function entirely; the engineer put it there for some reason (maybe not a good one).
I'll look for a bit more...

 

[bktheking]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

They were to absorb shock if you hit something while under way. My alternative setup is to offer a 1 piece shaft and a replacement shear style prop pin instead of steel.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

Yeah, I think it would be pretty lucky to find a drop in coupler that would fit for the one that is there:

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

Yeah, I think it would be pretty lucky to find a drop in coupler that would fit for the one that is there:

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

They were to absorb shock if you hit something while under way. My alternative setup is to offer a 1 piece shaft and a replacement shear style prop pin instead of steel.

That's what I would do. I'd get a solid replacement shaft and replace the drive pin with a brass pin. A 5.5 wont break the pin with it's screaming torque...

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Old 7.5 and 5.5 Owner Opinions needed

Trying to "re-engineer" the motor seems like a lot of work, with less than certain chance for success. Given the number of these old motors, and the number of "parts queens" that could probably be purchased, I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to go on a hunt for a suitable replacement gearbox.



???