Re: OMC help needed....????
Wow what a long thread. I have some things to add. I had a '83 3.8L 4-Barrel Stringer for 20 years, I loved that boat! Had VERY little trouble with it until about 2 years ago (I just sold it this year). Anyway:<br /><br />It's a CHEVY engine, not a Buick. It's usually called a 229 when used in cars. You'll find it in a number of mid-small sized chevys, camaros, berettas, etc. Remember this when you are looking for parts!<br /><br />It's rated at 185 HP with the 4-barrel (Rochester Q-jet), and 170 HP with a 2-barrel.<br /><br />First thing: BUY A SHOP MANUAL! Get the OMC if you can, any year 82-84 will work, and they cover all OMC outdrives (2.5-3.0-3.8-5.0-5.7, 400 and 800 outdrives), they show up on e-bay pretty often. If not get one of the Seloc, they are supposed to be pretty good.<br /><br />The first thing to check for the tilt problem is the 2 50-amp fuses on the bracket on top of the engine. They BOTH have to be intact for the tilt to work. One feeds the switch that activates the solenoids, one feeds the power side of the solenoid. Does it click when you hit the tilt button? If not, it's pretty sure that it's electrical, which is good news, as that's a hell of a lot easier to fix then the motor/clutch/gears. Now, drain the clutch housing (the semi-square box on the port side of the outdrive, has a bronze gear sticking out of it that engages the 1/4-moon gear that's bolted to the outdrive). There's a drain screw on the bottom and a fill screw on the side. Betcha it's full of water. Anyway drain it and fill with 30w motor oil, same as you put in the engine. It's **** near impossible to keep the clucth housing from filling up with water, all you can do is drain it and refill with oil regularly.<br /><br />The water pump impeller: A lot of folks say to change it every year or 2, but my first one lasted for 11 years, and the second one 9 and still going. Of course this was on an inland fresh/clean water lake, so if you are in dirty water, every year is probably good advise. By the way, don't try to change it yourself, it's a bear. <br /><br />Replacing the boot: Here's a write up I did on that a couple of weeks ago:<br /><br />I've done it twice. It IS a pain, but as the previous poster said it's nothing like taking the outdrive off!<br /><br />Hints: Do it on the trailer, not hanging from a hoist in your boathouse with you standing waist-deep in 40-degree water!<br /><br />A replacement boot is around 70 bucks.<br /><br />You CANNOT replace the metal plate that goes on the outside of the boot, it won't fit over the outdrive. Use the old one. Just wiggle the new boot through the old plate, nothing to it.<br /><br />You'll have to stretch the new boot some to get it over the outdrive, but it's not too hard. The boot is pretty tough! Spray some WD-40 on the inside if you want.<br /><br />Make sure you use a good marine sealant, but not a permament one! You may need to change the boot again sometime. Make sure whatever you use doesn't cure too fast!! It'll take 30+ minutes to get the new boot secured. I used 3M 4200 last time, seems to work fine.<br /><br />Adjust the tilt so the outdrive is more-or-less centered in the tansom hole.<br /><br />Don't use too much sealant, either on the transom or the flange on the outdrive. Too much will make a heck of a mess. Maybe a 1/4" bead on the transon, 1/8 on the flange on the outdrive.<br /><br />Obviously you attach the boot to the outdrive first with that giant hose clamp. You kinda pull the boot inside-out and get it on the flange (put the sealant on the flange first), Rotate it back and forth a little to smooth out the sealant, then line it up as best you can (with the screw holes in the transom), and tighten the clamp. <br /><br />Best hint I can give you: When you are screwing the boot to the transom, before you put on the sealant, stretch the new boot over the metal frame and line up the screw holes. The lip on the new boot will hold the plate in place. If you don't it's heck to get all the holes to line up, especially with sealant all over the place. Put the screws in loosley at first until you have them all started, then tighten them evenly. Do not overtighten! it's easy to deform the boot. Take 3-4 passes on all the screws, a little tighter each time.<br /><br />Use a power drill or a power screwdriver, there are bunch of them screws and your hand will be REALLY tired if you do them all manually.<br /><br />Go slowly, it's really not too hard as boat maintenance goes!<br /><br />Enjoy! You'll see lots of bad press here about the OMC Stringer, but like I said, I loved mine!<br /><br />Use the search function on this fourm, there is tons of info on the Stringer that you will want to read.<br /><br />Tom
Thanks!!!!
