TOPIC: '66 OMC Playmate ?'s

Hi,

New to hear, but not boating. I've always thought the little OMC's from the 60's were neat boats. The 'Stringer Drive' had it's issues, but of interest to me. I've never had one this old.

I learned about this drive in school years ago, and feel i can tackle most anything with it. My question is the powerhead. The lay out is very unique, but how far from the ouboard version is it? Will the Seloc manuals cover these?

I'm looking into an original owner, 1966 Playmate with the 80hp V4 engine. The owner was very particular with this, and it's in great shape. I'll use it on local lakes, but want to keep (or improve) it to original spec. If that's not possible what can I do for newer power... i.e. newer engine/outdrive. Will the later electric, 400 series work?

Any (positive) help you can provide?

Thanks,

J

There is no reason to look elsewhere for new power. They are a little odd, but that is the fun of it. One problem the fellow I bought mine from said occurred was water would blow in under the engine cover and land in the carburetor. If you boat was 2 cycle that just caused poor running. If it was oil injected, it would lean the mixture and score the cylinder wall.

Many parts are the same as the outboard but it is very important to get the absolute correct manual for your exact boat. We discovered in getting my boat going, (10 years dormant) some of the gaskets were different from 64 to 65 even though the motors look identical.

I've never had any faith in 3rd party repair manuals. They try to cover too many motors and too many variations. For general information they are fine, but if you are going to overhaul the whole boat, get the correct factory repair manual and parts book from a historical vehicle literature dealer or on E-bay.

Unlike you, 65 is a newer one for me!

Hey Jeepster,

What is your OMC V-4 I/O, installed in? Is it a runner?

The 88 horsepower DUE-12 is a really neat package that would be perfect for any classic that would look better without an outboard hanging off the back. I have a '65 factory manual that could be scanned if anyone needs a copy.

We have 2 of these units complete with controls, guages, wire harness, and steering - waiting to get their turn in one of the armada. Mileage champs they are not, but how many outboards in 1965 had electric fuel pumps and high angle electric tilt.




Our 1955 Bell Boy 16' Express will be the recipient of this unusual piece of history.
A really great bonus is the fact that the "stringer" motors don't hang on the transom, so no transom replacement necessary...or splashwell fabrication for that matter.


A little video fun of the running combo

Here's a link to the thread where my Evinrude Playmate is pictured.

www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/18-jegos-place/37752-who-has-and-omc-boat.html

I got it late last summer. I'm excited to get some use out of it next season. I did discover I need to put a switch on the fuel pump so when I turn the fuel off to run the gas dry, the pump won't be trying to pump. Years of experience have taught me, running the 2 cycle fuel out (and now with the crappy new gas, even 4 cycle) saves lots of headaches next time you want to start that motor.

slo-mo wrote:

A really great bonus is the fact that the "stringer" motors don't hang on the transom, so no transom replacement necessary...or splashwell fabrication for that matter.

Your DU came out of an OMC built boat & appears to have the blue structural floor mount assembly. These were only used in OMC boats. Other manufacturers didn't have this & the motor did indeed bolt to the transom. So, the transom needs to be structurally sound in that case. In all fairness, very few DUs were used by anyone other than OMC, so most likely the donor will have the floor mount.

As for the 4 stroke Stringers, there were both stringer & transom mounted versions back in the 60s & early 70s. So again, the transom may need to be structural depending on the donor.

Jim