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My experience with the conversion was about what I expected. I felt like I was on my own for a few things but again that is what I expected. Most of it was easy. I struggled with the shifting part. Converting my shifter to throw the other direction was easy. I was disappointed by the directions that included the instructions for how to adjust a Mercruiser with all the Mercruiser rigging. This was a huge waste of my time really trying to get the cable to 6 inches in forward. Ha! It boils down to really making sure you have full 3 inches of throw on the bottom cable. and guess what? Suprise right in the middle 1 1/2 inches is neutral. To get my full 3 inches I had to do some filing on my shifter bracket and my cable. They were interfering with each other. Also My spring on the lower swivel bracket was compressed. I had to remove it and expand it a little and reinstall it to make it tighter and better at self centering. Speaking of the ESA I left mine hooked up like factory and when idling at 600 it shifts out of gear flawlessly. Call me stupid but if the cable jams the Mercruiser way the engine will die, not stutter and that could be as dangerous as not pulling out of gear. I have been dead in the water before with big waves and it aint fun
I was pleasantly suprised how easy it was to make a bracket to get my trim gauge working again I'll post some photos at the end of the bracket and some photos later of the filing work i did to get the shifter to throw. To me the trim bracket should be part of the conversion. it would be very simple to mass produce and make it available to everyone or add it as an option.
Handling is a little different. The drive overall seems smaller than the OMC and maybe shallower so my prop breaks the surface earlier than the old drive. So the prop breaks loose when turning hard. This was particularly troublesome the first run out when I had no trim indicator.
I got a great 4 blade prop 17 pitch that hooks up great, and while we are talking about it, Those that say an OMC prop will fit are wrong. An OEM OMC prop will fit the splines but its impossible to get the nut on and and locked.
I did add a remote oil reservoir I bought on ebay. I had to drill a hole in the transom and the hose fits on the side of the drive where a plug usually goes.
20150411_122731.jpg20150411_124215.jpg20150411_130942.jpg
I was pleasantly suprised how easy it was to make a bracket to get my trim gauge working again I'll post some photos at the end of the bracket and some photos later of the filing work i did to get the shifter to throw. To me the trim bracket should be part of the conversion. it would be very simple to mass produce and make it available to everyone or add it as an option.
Handling is a little different. The drive overall seems smaller than the OMC and maybe shallower so my prop breaks the surface earlier than the old drive. So the prop breaks loose when turning hard. This was particularly troublesome the first run out when I had no trim indicator.
I got a great 4 blade prop 17 pitch that hooks up great, and while we are talking about it, Those that say an OMC prop will fit are wrong. An OEM OMC prop will fit the splines but its impossible to get the nut on and and locked.
I did add a remote oil reservoir I bought on ebay. I had to drill a hole in the transom and the hose fits on the side of the drive where a plug usually goes.
20150411_122731.jpg20150411_124215.jpg20150411_130942.jpg
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