wondering what I have

[pthfndr801]

was just given a boat looks to be an 80's campion 19-20 foot it has what I think is a chevy 350 in it minus the omc leg ( my boat has an OMC drive so I recognize it) but looking at the boat it has a linkage for the shifting bolted at the back of the engine but it is apart, just wondering is this a mechanical shift system unlike the electric shift on my 1976 165 hp OMC

thanks for any info and I can take pics if needed

 

[WizeOne]

Re: wondering what I have

'78-81 OMC's are hydro mechanical shift. '82-early 86 they were full mechanical shift. The 'linkage' at the rear of your engine is probably the shift converter box that they opened to disconnect the shift cable when they removed the drive.

Does the front panel of the shift converter have any switches on it or is it plain like this one. If it has the switches on it, it is the '82-86 full mechanical shift drive. If not, it is the '78-81 hydromechanical shift drive.

 

[pthfndr801]

Re: wondering what I have

looks like that one there, and so there's a cable from there now down into the leg that I guess stayed with the original leg do you know the model of leg that this would have been matched up to?

thanks for your reply

 

[pthfndr801]

Re: wondering what I have

l know it's a chevy engine and assuming it's a 350 as i have not searched into enough yet to know if thats what was used for an engine back then?

 

[WizeOne]

Re: wondering what I have

Look closely at the converter. The two are similar but one has the shift interupt switches on the plate and the other doesn't. They also route the cables differently as the cables are different themselves.

If you have the identical converter box, you want to get an 800 series Hydromechanical leg circa '78-81. It will be a 1.50:1 drive. Do not get a 400 series. They are for the smaller engines, are lighter and geared differently.

You can use the later full mechanical drive but you have to be sure to get the cable and the converter box with it. You'll also have a little wiring to figure out to operate the shift interupt system.

You can spot a full mechanical drive over the Hydro Mechanical by the anode insert above the prop and above the cavitation plate. The hydromechanicals do not have these.

 

[pthfndr801]

Re: wondering what I have

no switches on converter box so now i know what I need to find for a leg and looks like all the parts are there for the converter box.
thanks for your help