Update: 17' Tollycraft restore project

I have finished the Buick V6 engine rebuild to new specs and it looks very pretty sitting there on the stand. I am really anxious to hear it run.
But now I have questions about the ball gears. ( 1967 OMC sterndrive ) How much wear is too much on the teeth? Mine show about 3/32 off the faces which seem excessive to me. If so, how hard are they to find, and where?

Not too hard if you use the handy links above:
http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=OMC0314579
http://www.marineengine.com/newparts/part_details.php?pnum=OMC0383177

However belching up a stack for just the parts may be a bit more than you care to drop into this watery hole...

Thanks o2batsea, You've got that "watery hole " right! I have the original manuals from Marine Engine and those numbers don't match. My short shaft gear is not splined, but it doesn't matter, the STACK is too big. I did find them elsewhere for about half that, ( still too much )
but I have been told that the 3/32 wear is within acceptable limits so Im going with that I was thinking another option might be to find a later year sterndrive out of salvage that would bolt on
Yeh, I over reacted a little bit on this one, I have always liked restoring boats, but this Tollycraft has such beautiful lines I couldn't resist.

Yeh old stuff like that is quaint and everything but I'd rather see an old OMC drive like that on reruns of "Flipper" than on the back of my boat...just sayin.

I hear you clearly, I got a good chuckle out of your response. I agree the old sterndrive is junk, but I don't preserve it to rely on it to get me to work every day, restoring a boat to me is like some people would restore an old clock, just to set on a shelf. I'll just tinker with it for a while and set it aside when finished. I am seriously considering getting a twin screw diesel of some sort. Yeh I know, that's a broad field, but the anticipation is half the fun.

Twin Diesel powered jet drive welded aluminum RIB.