Sounds like your gimble ring is worn where the top pin (swivel shaft) mates-up with it (the square hole) allowing for side-to-side slop. Common issue on older boats w/o external steering. It's steel against alum and alum always looses.

Check out these guys. I've used them as many others here have and everyone is happy. If you have questions, give them a call and they will answer them better than pretty much anybody and won't try to up-sell you anything you don't need.

https://www.jrmarine.com/Default.htm

I normally look for the cheapest fix but with all the parts and so on that could end up going I’m going to go with a full transom assembly from SEI marine. I can’t do the work myself so I’m going to get hit with a labor bill regardless. Quoted $1500 for labor and $2200 for the transom assembly… I don’t like it but I think I’m gonna keep the boat for a long time, it’s rare and the layout is great, speed is great and I’m happy with it (minus the steering which is all gimbal related). Thanks for the link but I’ll place an order for the assembly, it’s on back order so I gotta get it in soon.

Check with JRMARINE, they may very well have a complete assembly on hand. Most likely you only need the gimble ring, which they should also have on hand. The rest of the assembly really has no known wear points. JRs prices are usually in line with everyone else and sometimes much better.

Checked out their distributors and found nothing worth buying. SEI marine makes an unmatched new aftermarket transom assembly.

How much side to side play did you have?

With a new SEI transom assembly installed and starter put in, I finally found out what was wrong with my boat. Turns out it wasn’t the gimbal ring! I had checked for so many things but when it came down to it, it was the steering pin. The mechanic told me it was really really bent and wasn’t sure how it had gotten so bent… me either since I bought the boat like that. So all done and said, 4k spent in total. The labor was going to be the same, ended up spending some more vs just paying for the steering pin, bellows and starter but the mechanic is telling me I did the right thing, will save myself future spending. He said that the steering pin replacements don’t usually last all that long and now the boat is in awesome shape now and the outdrive is like new.