upper gear housing

[chrispuck]

I have a 88 Bayliner 1950 with a 3.0L Chevy engine and OMC Cobra sterndrive. The plug that is opposite the OMC Cobra medaillion fell off. I now have a quarter size hole on the side of the upper housing that water escapes from when running. This also causes the engine to overheat. It only happened once so I stopped right awuy and figured out what was happening. I ordered the part from a marina, however I was hopeing to replace it myself. The parts guy said the upper unit had to be removed. Any advise on how this job is done and whether or not I am better off having it professionaly done?

 

[Don S]

Re: upper gear housing

I don't have a clue of your mechanical abilities, but you have to pull the drive, and if you still have the screw, you probably can fix it without any parts. There is a plate on the inside that is held on with that screw. If you can turn the drive on it's side tap, shake, wires & what ever else it takes to get that plate back up to where it belongs and put the screw back in, you are set to go. I would put some Locktite on the threads, and NEVER take it out again.<br />When you put the drive back on, use new gaskets.

 

[chrispuck]

Re: upper gear housing

Thanks for the advise. The previous owner must not have wanted to go throught the trouble because he had pluged the hole with a expanding rubber bushing. I just got the part yesterday and see what you mean by the plate.