TOPIC: Long and short of it.

So...I've snagged a nice '58 Super Sea Horse 35 (RDSL-20). It is a long shaft motor. I need it to be a short shaft motor. I have the short drive shaft. What do I need to do with, a) the water tubes. b) the shift rod.
Since the spacer is five inches...do I simply cut off 5 inches of each? for the water tubes do I cut the top or the bottom of the tubes? What else don't I know about this transformation?
Thanks,
John Baas

I haven't done this in a while, but the drive shaft is the hard part.

If I recall corectly, yes, cutting the cooling lines off 5" is correct. I don't think they have a fitting on the bottom. Be sure to remove any burrs created in cutting so it doesn't cut the seals.

The shifter rod does need to be machined with that indentation on the end. Anyone with a lathe can do it. You can cut it off 5", but like I said, you must have that same shape again on the end. Or...you could cut 5" out of the middle and weld the two parts back together.

Now, making it longer again....that is a trick. I bought a motor one time where the guy made the drive shaft and shifter rod longer, but didn't bother with the cooler tubes.........Idiots!

Take out the spacer, replace drive shaft, replace lower shift rod, cut or replace water lines. Very easy job on this engine. Purchase a lower unit seal kit when doing this - as the seals are likely to be a million years old. Be sure you knock out the shift shaft bushing to replace the O ring seal. Very important & often overlooked. Ebay is a good source for parts. A service manual can also be purchased from Ebay & I suggest you get one.

Have fun with it.

X2 on the shift rod seal!!

jepstr67 wrote:

X2 on the shift rod seal!!

X3!

Thanks, guys...I think I'll replace the shift rod seal!