Re: ’71 Evinrude 40HP long shaft to short conversion

[Anonymous]

Replacing the shift rod means opening up the gearcase and re-sealing it, which means getting (and dealing with) suitable gooey sealer, cutting new spaghetti seal to the right length and square endedness, and wondering if it might make sense to replace the shift shaft o-ring, which (at least on the smaller gearcases I’ve worked on) is a frequent cause of water intrusion…. None of it is rocket science, but it took me two tries to get the 10hp and 18hp gearcases I’ve put back together buttoned up to where I’m only slightly worried about water getting back in!

OMC Gurus: The late 40hp’s like the one in question use the single wall (non-super silent) leg; Is it safe to use the gearcase from a short shaft 1950’s (non-super silent) 35hp or a 1960’s 33hp? 1960’s 28hp??