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omc 400 tringer locked up

M

mikey b.

Member
hello all new to this forum, this is my first post. have 1980 400 stringer, was out on the lake (Erie) ,crusing along and engine came to a gradual stop, it is locked up. won't turn over. I am pretty sure it's the outdrive, with the starter have a very small amount of moverment probubly that of the coupling at the fly wheel. my question is ... I have been an A.S.E. master certified heavy truck/diesel mechanic ,back in my younger days now just an over the road driver , I have the Seloc manual I look at the exploded veiws of the out drive , IT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME! is working on these things as intimitading as the pictures show it could be??
 
take all the spark plugs out and try it again, maybe your hydrolocked. If you see water shooting out of the plug holes it's not the drive.
 
An OMC manual will be less scary than the SELOC.

moving the drive away from the ball gears is real easy - 8 small bolts and four 3/8" bolts and you can carefully lift the drive back a few inches to disengage the ball gears - if the engine starts, your diagnosis is accurate. Be super careful with the shift cable that runs through that area though. I don't know if they are even available any more. If you find one, it will be north of $500
 
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thanks for the quik reply... already pulled the plugs still the same , no water or any damage to the electrodes, backed off valves to check for bent valve they're ok , is an OMC manual available??
 
like Hy said place a small piece of flat wood under the skeg, tilt the trailer with the drive fully down till the skeg touchs the wood.

Remove the 2 rubber bumpers they just pry off gently. Remove the trunion caps, done;t mix them up mark them put them back exactly how you took them off.

Have someone else crnak the trailer up another inch or 2 and the drive will now be able to spin port, tie it up. And then turn the motor to see if it moves.
 
thaks chief.. unfortunately I am at the mercy of my sons schedule for work as I am recovering from car accident aand still on crutches. as soon as we can get together we will do it. I think this will be a winter project this saeson almost over. Hey chief, I have alot of mechanical exper., former mechanic, how difficult are the stringers to work on and do I need any special tools ? have all the normal hand tools , do I need anything special for shimming and setting bearing preloads other than a fish scale? like I said the exploded veiw in the seloc manual scare me. hate to get it apart and back together and not work.
 
I would if i had to, buy a whole new / used drive. Probably cheaper in the long run. If you have to go that route that is.

But if it is locked up i think it would be the upper, drain the oil see what comes out, like alot of little pieces of metal.

You have a hydro-mechanical unit, thats a real byatch.

Maybe if you had to replace it, get a fully mechanical unit.

Lets wait till you find out whats what, we here all of us here will talk you thru it.

One last thing for you to think about if the outdrive went this might be the event to finally get rid of this boat, just saying.
 
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