Hello all !!!!

I have a problem with a 1980 OMC 800 stern drive. mounted on a 16 foot
speed boat driven by a 350 Chevy. It stopped shifting foward and
reverse the second time out this year. It worked one time and when
shifting to foward after backing away from the dock it stopped. I am
not sure of all the models but I don't believe it to be a electric
shift. I forgot to put the drive down and put it in gear for a few
seconds, after putting the drive down it wouldn't work again. I don't
know if it is related to that or not?? When I got the boat home with
the engine not runing, I put it in gear and it is harder to turn the
prop but, it doesn't lock up! Any ideas. Thanks

Steve

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all !!!!

I have a problem with a 1980 OMC 800 stern drive. mounted on a 16 foot
speed boat driven by a 350 Chevy. It stopped shifting forward and
reverse the second time out this year. It worked one time and when
shifting to forward after backing away from the dock it stopped. I am
not sure of all the models but I don't believe it to be a electric
shift. I forgot to put the drive down and put it in gear for a few
seconds, after putting the drive down it wouldn't work again. I don't
know if it is related to that or not?? When I got the boat home with
the engine not running, I put it in gear and it is harder to turn the
prop but, it doesn't lock up! Any ideas. Thanks

Steve
Well,
You have one of the worst design outdrives ever made, the 800 (and 400), or
"Stringer" is a pain in the butt, I had one for 12 years on a boat I loved,
but got rid of it because of this drive.

I believe the 1980 is mechanical shift, Anyway, if the drive was all the way
up and you ran it you may have destroyed the ball gears, bent a shaft, or
not. If the prop will turn by hand and is hard to turn, but does not lock up
when in gear, I would say it is in gear and not coupled to the engine either
from the ball gears or coupler. Lift our drive all the way up and look at
the gears, they look like round fingers on a 2 in spindle that intertwine
with the output identical gear from the engine coupling shaft.

There is also the possibility that the shift cable got kinked or is out of
adjustment.

If it is electric shift than you probably lost the shift solenoid or broke a
wire.

Good luck

Thanks Mike for the info. the ball gear is still in good shape. How
do you tell if it is a electric shift? I don't see any wires going in
to the outdrive. It worked fine 10 sec. before. any way if you have
any more info I would love to hear it

Steve
MikeT wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all !!!!

I have a problem with a 1980 OMC 800 stern drive. mounted on a 16 foot
speed boat driven by a 350 Chevy. It stopped shifting forward and
reverse the second time out this year. It worked one time and when
shifting to forward after backing away from the dock it stopped. I am
not sure of all the models but I don't believe it to be a electric
shift. I forgot to put the drive down and put it in gear for a few
seconds, after putting the drive down it wouldn't work again. I don't
know if it is related to that or not?? When I got the boat home with
the engine not running, I put it in gear and it is harder to turn the
prop but, it doesn't lock up! Any ideas. Thanks

Steve
Well,
You have one of the worst design outdrives ever made, the 800 (and 400), or
"Stringer" is a pain in the butt, I had one for 12 years on a boat I loved,
but got rid of it because of this drive.

I believe the 1980 is mechanical shift, Anyway, if the drive was all the way
up and you ran it you may have destroyed the ball gears, bent a shaft, or
not. If the prop will turn by hand and is hard to turn, but does not lock up
when in gear, I would say it is in gear and not coupled to the engine either
from the ball gears or coupler. Lift our drive all the way up and look at
the gears, they look like round fingers on a 2 in spindle that intertwine
with the output identical gear from the engine coupling shaft.

There is also the possibility that the shift cable got kinked or is out of
adjustment.

If it is electric shift than you probably lost the shift solenoid or broke a
wire.

Good luck