M80 Stern Drive

"Help I may have done somethin

"Help I may have done something stupid (already realise it please try to refrain from telling me again \clipart {snow} )
I recently bought an unfinished project,
28 foot power cruiser with 440 engine and m80 outdrive.
Every thing has been reportedly overhauled and I have stacks of bills for parts etc so no cause to doubt.
Got the engine fired up and apart from the guy putting all the pump connections the wrong way round except the toilet thank god, every thing is sweet.
I checked the gear engagement by turning the propback and forth whilst moving the gear lever, and it went in and out of for and rev no problem
When I got it in the water and tried to put it in gear it clunck in to gear both ways.
The boatyard asked me to move it to its mooring
a couple of hundred yards away but I only got half way before I lost both forward and reverse, the lever on the casing is moving ok the cable is ok but something has happened inside the case
The propeler turns freely by hand but isnt getting drive. any Ideas.
Looks a great site by the way

Tony"

How hard did it clunk into gea

How hard did it clunk into gear?

Jeff

"Hi Fastjeff
Thanks for the

"Hi Fastjeff
Thanks for the response
Not too bad but not comfortable, first I thought the idle was too fast so I slowed it down to around 5-600 rpm, but I knew something was wrong."

Uuuurgh! Sounds like it's

Uuuurgh! Sounds like it's got to come apart. Sorry.

Jeff

"Tony,
A dumb question but..

"Tony,
A dumb question but.. have you checked the fluid level? Low fluid will keep it from engaging."

"I did a stupid thing and list

"I did a stupid thing and listend to the guy I bought it of when he said, he had filled the engine and out drive with the finest quality oils.
I checked the engine, no problems then assumed the outdrive was the same.
Whats that old saying assumption is the mother of all Fxxx ups
any way the oil is low.
I now have the boat out of the water again and have found the gearbox and drive seem ok.
When I put it in gear and push my fingers against the bellows I can feel the CVJ turning both back and forth
It seems to bee a problem on the drive shaft where it mates to the back of the engine.
I dont have my manual yet so I dont fully grasp how it all connects to the flywheel.
Does it have a clutch driven and pressure plate on the flywheel?
If so I think its done the clutch or the shaft splines

AAAAARGH !!

Tony"

"There's usually a U-joint

"There's usually a U-joint there, direct coupled. (Never seen a Chrysler OD, though.) Usually the whole works has to come off the transom to get to the U-joints.

Jeff"

"Thanks Jeff,

I think you a

"Thanks Jeff,

I think you are right, been looking at it and it doesnt seem to big a job to get it off,
I just dont understand how the out put shaft from the engine turns without the engine turning ?"

Normally (with the other O

Normally (with the other OD designs out there) it doesn't.

Jeff

"send me a picture of the driv

"send me a picture of the drive it is most likely a Dana made unit, but there are a number of differences.

[email protected]

Dave"

"Thnks guys
I will take some

"Thnks guys
I will take some pics this weekend, but I just read somewhere the dana/stern drive uses a normal car type clutch operated by a 300psi power steering pump ,
If this is the case maybe the clutch plate was stuck to the flywheel/pressure plate and that would explain the clunking into gear
I thought when it was running I could smell something similar to overheating clutch plate but I assumed (again!) it was just newness of the engine burning off
Anyone Know anything about this system ?"

"I stripped out the stern driv

"I stripped out the stern drive yesterday, and found the problem,
The drive shaft from the engine to the centre bearing assembly is either wrong or not installed correctly,
It has been fitted so that the splined end in the flex plate is in too far and only 1/8 " was engaged which stripped pretty much straight away.
I need to figure out what stops the shaft going to far in to the end of the crankshaft, may have to have a bush made for the job, aprt from that everything looks good 99% of the shaft and 100% of the flexplate splines are good, and I think I can live with that.
Thanks for your help and advise guys,no doubt I will be back with more questions and hopefully, from my experience will be able to help anyone else with similar problems on this system

Tony"