Re: "Newer" 25/35hp OMC compatibilities

[johnyrude200]

I was thinking the same thing, even 1/8th. The stainless plate metal I can buy steps up in small increments, obviously the price goes up with the thickness. My only reservation is if I have any jigsaw blades that can cut through stainless plate. Fortunately the baffles are pretty square and there is plenty of clearances around if I were to cut it larger than an original, but I’d like it to be pretty close to the original dimensions if possible.

It’s not a difficult shape to cut out.

In terms of thickness, I have found at least 3 different versions so far in the post ’79 baffles. They actually were thinner than the original pre ’79 ones. The newer ones, however, have folds/cups in them and that alone would provide a huge amount of extra strength, despite being thinner.

Plus the area that is actually being hit straight on with exhaust heat is about 1/3rd the original, and there is a lot more water being circulated through not just the bypass plate, but also the cylinder jackets. I suspect these were all revisions to address this exact issues.

I think with anything pre ’79, a thicker plate is about as good as you’re going to get to stop this issue from repeating (unless, of course, the motor gets severely overheated from a clogged intake/bad impeller/stuck thermostat/etc).