Thanks james, i appreciate the input. the boat runs pretty well with the single. there are just a few things that scare me. I originally wanted to build the block to 385 w/ EFI and run it, but the stories from people on S&F send me looking into other options. But it is nice to see you have faith as i originally did.

it is the 86 300 not the 275. it is the 25" shaft, and the exhaust snout was not available except on the 20"mid. the 25" mid actually measures to 28"(i read on S&F)

i tried to change the water pump yesterday but the drive shaft is stuck in the crank and i couldn't get it out. tried wedging it with wood and cranking it to loosen it up but no good. i will need to put some real force to get it out. the motor is still on the boat and only 4 bolts are in the bracket holding it to the transom so i was cautious.

Richie told me the setback is way to much on the boat. but without that setback the motor wont tilt all the way up. i dont mind that much though. If i knew the ideal CG and what a light boat CG was i could figure out what moment i needed and have the proper setback.

I heard the V8 gear cases dont like to surface and when they do, they grenade. I'm running a 21 mirage plus 3 blade and have had the boat to 5500 and it had more. But the steering is so loose and no tabs, it gets squirrely.

I was talking to Monty Racing about building the block and he wanted to bore it to a 4.0. He said the 3.6GT was not as good as the 4.0.

I was really gun hoe about the V8 because of the looks it got and the sound until recently. i really have no desire to do 80, and wanted to keep it simple.

this post was a little longer than intended lol. sorry

here is a pic of the motor up close.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l9...man/photo9.jpg
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l9...pyofphoto5.jpg

I'll take a 3.6 over a 4.0 any day. It takes quite a bit of work to get a 4.0 to go as fast as a 3.6. The 4.0 does have better bottom end though. 3.6 pulls strong to 6600 the 4.0 to 6200. 3.6 is a faster engine stock. That era gearcase is a little weak for that engine but will go for a while if your not barking it too much. You can replace it with a brand new one from Evenrude that will be more durable. As far as set back I would want 32". I had 2 4.0s on my 31 with 32" of set back and it was fine and ran over 80 but not stock, ran 75 stock. I'll ask a friend of mine if he has any ideas for you on breaking that drive shaft out of crank.

I have heard dry oice on the shaft will break it loose froma crank.

How do you get it to that area?

OK Six I just got off the phone with a friend of mine that does this stuff for a living. You keep trying for a while. I'll tell you how to do it when you have weighed out all other options. Your not gonna like how its done, and I don't want to ruin your weekend thinking about it.

I dont know that was the extent of my knowledge on this one.LOL

all I know is when I was in ST lucia they had an OB hanging by its power head.:eek: and this guy was jerkin the sticks on a back hoe to try and get it apart and the owner of boat I was going out on was telling me how all they needed was some dry ice on the shaft and it would pop right out.
Never asked any more questions because I never thought Id own an OB boat at that time. :eek:

I guess the shafts get really corroded in the crank down there and its a pretty common problem.

Maybe he meant the CRANK shaft?

Great. . . I'm guessing i need to hang the motor upside down from a tree and leave it there for a month? lol

In regards to setback, i was guessing if i moved the motor forward, I would achieve better balance. It would be alot easier if i knew that CG i wanted and what is the original. i guess when i do change the bracket i need a jack plate too so i can raise the drive height.

there is a set of second effort motors on scream and fly right now. i dont need two though.

Lot of nice hardware there but two V8s is too much weight on the back of your boat. 2 300Xs would be about as heavy as I would go and also only with off shore mounts to help with the handling. You should just set up what you have, have some fun, and when its worn out then re rig with twins. A friend of mine is gonna set up a Rum Runner with 2 300X engines on it. I'll let you know how it runs when he is done. May be a while though he is doing a complete make over on the whole boat. Spring or early summer it should be done. If it turns out you definitely cant get that gearcase off call me on my cell 845-641-3322 and I'll tell you how to do it. Don't call till your desperate cause its aint a pretty fix.

thanks. if i can find a new drive shaft, i will sawzall it off and replace the drive shaft.

thanks for all the info though. i appreciate it

That's the way they do it, and you have to bore a hole in the mid to cut the shaft and then weld the piece back. Pull powerhead and remove shaft. I've never had to do this, I usually break things way before they freeze up. Hopefully you can get it to break loose before having to go through all of this. From what I understand this engine has very little use. Maybe it will come apart with a few more attempts.

someone suggested i pull the bolts from the Lower, then unbolt the bolts that bolt the powerhead onto the mid, take a wedge on the back side of the powerhead to create an angle for the driveshaft and start the motor. the bad angle and the rotation will free it. i'll attempt that tomorrow.

if you can find a way in there (IE cut it open) etc. Id try the dry Ice.

It will shrink the shaft and probably pop it loose.

They also sell and penatrating oil now that uses some sort of chemical(maybe dry ice) to freeze the nut/bolts your trying to break free maybe that would work through a smaller hole or with that wedge.

Youd be amazed at what HEAT and COLD can do when trying to seperate things Hot crank shaft will expand and the cold drive shaft will contract making it smaller this SHOULD seperate the two pieces if you can get in there.

If you get it apart Put some never sieze or grease on that bad boys so t doesnt happen again.

If you take a ball joint and put it in the freezer and heat the A ARM on a car you can usually pop the ball joint right in without pressing it so I can sure thats the same principal they were using in ST lucia

Can't run your powerhead with it lifted off you wont get water to it & will overheat it. I don't like the idea of running it with anything loose. When it fires its gonna be at about 800 RPM and if that lower case takes a spin it will destroy your mid section. If you want to try something like that either pull your tether, ground your power packs out, or leave ignition off & jump the starter and just spin that fast. I don't think that's gonna work though.

chris carson marine in key west posted on S&F that that is his method. and it always works.
The motor would only run for 30 seconds, then try to pull it out, and repeat.
i would leave 2 bolts in the lower so it doesnt hit the ground, and leave some bolts in the PH so it cant take off.

I guess it sounds feasible with the bolts in, can't wait to hear how it works. Sure would be nice if that does it.

Why not just crank it over on the starter first like Jimmy says and THEN if it doesnt work go to running it as a last resort

I've tried cranking it. No dice. Tried with the lower being wedged. Tried with the power head angled. It is stuck good. Chris Carson said he has done it 100 times by running the motor. So I'm gonna keep trying. It is a slowwww process. Start for 30 seconds then let cool for 10 minutes. On start 6 now

well no dice yet, it is really seized in there. i've gotten it to move about a millimeter i want to say. going to keep trying tomorrow. this is supposedly the method of choice for salt water mechanics and has never failed. i am getting irritated though

Hey if you have actually gained a mm and everything else looks good, keep it up I think your on the way. Can you get any oil in there?

if you look by the upper motor mount you can see the shaft. and it looks bad! I sprayed some PB blaster in it and am letting it sit. going to bring a torch tomorrow and try if the PB doesnt work (wash the pb off first). slowly but surely i guess. i just hope i font have to change the spines in anything.

if you heat it with a torch your gonna have to pull the powerhead and change the lower crank seals.....they are gonna melt when you apply heat.....

also....just throwing this out there.....are you 100% sure you got all of the bolts out of the gearcase? i have seen guys trying for days to get a case down only to find they missed the bolt under the zinc or something silly like that....

I have to pull the powerhead anyways, i broke the gasket between the mid and the powerhead. all the bolts are out. the lower unit is loose. there are 6 bolts and a screw on the V8 lowers. 4 on the outside, 2 under the cavitation plate, and the shift screw. I wish it was one of those retard moments tho lol

just wanted to check....LOL.....

i would say 2-3 times a year a customer calls and says....can i bring in my boat for a water pump....we say yeah sure....but uhhh i think the gearcase is stuck on....ok bring it by.....it gets here and all but one bolt is out and we walk over pull the last bolt and the gearcase falls off....

keep us posted on your progress......

I got he funniest mental piture from that post Gorge. Just laughed my azz off :drink:

glad i could brighten your day.....:evilb:

Well i got called back to work Wednesday and left that day. so i'll be stuck offshore for the next 2 1/2 weeks. i have a Friend spraying PB Blaster on the shaft where it goes into the crank everyday. that should loosen her up.

Would you run a Jackplate offshore? Or would it be better to just use it for testing prop height, then getting a bracket made to the same setback and height?

did you look for that penatrating oil with the dry ice anywhere?

Heres a OK thread o wasy to get stuff apart. may or maynot help. http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb...l-head-212404/

here you go

http://www.agriengineering.co.uk/en/...dProduct=15003

I havent got to mess with it. i couldnt find anyone who sold it locally. going to try to buy some online. If i cant, i will get some keyboard cleaner, and turn the can upside down. I can see the drive shaft where it connects to the crank by looking at the upper engine mount. I'll spray the shaft and see what happens. that wont be until after the 15 when i get back from work.

Thanks for the link also. pretty good discussion. also i didnt even thin about trying to order the stuff online :drink:

I think anyone who caries loctite napa pepboys etc would be able to order you in a can or 2

Well my 380s should be at the house next week, along with a Uflex hydraulic steering kit.

Where do i mount the tabs? about mid ships? jk jk

Where in relation to the chime should they be? is there a formula or a rule of thumb? Where do you other 26 owners have your mounted?

Thanks guys!

Just like this.
Attachment 431892
You get the gearcase off yet?

Jeeze Jimmy.........I cant believe you even let your Sutphen sit on a ROLLER trailer!!!

Make sure you have a good inch between the bottom of the tab and bottom of hull.

Just after I put the 3 engines on I went to a Bunk. That picture was before i ran those engines for the first time. But for the first 10 years I had the boat I used that trailer. Being that its a Sutphen there are no signs of any distortion from it. Sutphens are cored with 3/4" Marine Ply. And the boat isn't that heavy. Advertised hull weight on the 31 OB is 2800lbs. I remember showing a friend of mine that you could wiggle every roller on the trailer with the boat on it. You can check the bottom of my boat the next time you see it. Its perfect. None of my other boats are perfect on the bottom, there good but not perfect, and nothing has been touched on it either in 19 years. Maybe that should be added to that "What makes Sutphens so special" thread.

Hey Dan
Did you hear anything from Six? Did he get that drive off yet?

Havnt heard anything.

hey guys, I am still offshore til monday, I'll have a month off to do whatever. I have to stop by diamond Marine and pay for the tabs when i get back.
I'll have that lower unit off by wednesday the latest. For the past 3 weeks pb blaster has been sprayed on the drive shaft/crank connection. going to try heat and cold on the shaft also. If i cant get it that day, there is a guy here that said he'll get it off, and has done a bunch of V8s with that issue. then if that doesnt work, the sawzall is coming out of the box on thursday.