Remove Tru Course Steering

[southkogs]

I have purchased a replacement drive for my '72 OMC 165 Electric shift. What I'm up against (new lesson learned) is that this drive is a tru-course steering drive, and my rig was set up for the through transom arm with the big brass ball (attaches outside the exhaust housing). If I look at my manual, I think that the tru-course worm gear is preventing the drive from swinging freely with the outside steering arm. Is that the case? If yes, can I remove that gear without having to open anything up that could screw up the upper gear case?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Remove Tru Course Steering

you are correct - you are seeing the genius of trucourse - forces on the drive can't transmist to the steering wheel due to the worm advantage

You should be able to quite simply take the big cast worm segment piece out of the upper gearcase - it will require some disassembly, but nothing major - can all be done on the boat - just remove top cover (exhaust cover), then remove the six phillips screws and the top plate cover of the gearcase - impact screwdriver and soft-face hammer will help with that.

then remove the worm wheel (cast piece with spline inside and worm segment outside)

watch the shims on top of the pivot post stay in place (assuming your mix-n-match drive was shimmed properly*)- and leave the horizontal trucourse shaft in place (obviously, or there will be a big hole at the trucourse seal).

put the lid and exh cover back on.

*shims should be used to allow upper gearbox to move up and down .005" to .015" relative to the exh housing

incorrect shims can also lock the steering

 

[southkogs]

Re: Remove Tru Course Steering

Followup - because I do now understand Tru Course a little better:

If I wanted to, could I convert over to Tru Course Steering? This boat was rigged for the through transom deal (and so I'd have a BIG hole to deal with). But as far as I can see there's nothing that makes it crazy to change over to that in the future is there?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Remove Tru Course Steering

you'd need to find a donor boat or the remains of one - need trucourse equipped intermediate (you have a chevy -so easiest to find), and a steering cable proper length (last two digits of cable part number are length in feet) and a helm assembly with steering wheel (look for a "power pointer" one - they are extra cool) and then your exhaust riser probably won't line up so some exh modification probably required.

On my Grew, I simply covered the steering cable hole with a piece of aluminum checkplate from the hardware store, 4 stainless screws and some silicone.
getting rid of that cable allowed the install of a swim platform on that side of the boat too

 

[southkogs]

Re: Remove Tru Course Steering

Cool - Don't know when/if I'll take that on.

I actually have the original OMC rack system for this boat (with the extra cool power pointer and kung-fu action grip! LOL). I've got a teleflex set on right now. It looks okay, but I don't like the way it steers. I think I can find the old through transom cable (for an okay price) if I keep my eyes open. The previous owner put a swim platform on that goes all the way across the stern. He did an okay job on it (kinda' messy), but it looks okay, doesn't interfere with the steering cable and we've found it REALLY handy.

Glad to know that a cover will work for that hole if I go that way.

Thanks again.